We extend our warmest congratulations to our chamber programme partners, the Danish String Quartet, who were announced as winners of the 2025 Léonie Sonning Prize – a remarkable achievement as the first ensemble to be awarded the honour. We are delighted to collaborate with them in our new chamber talent programme and our Summer Academy, where they teach and inspire the next generation of strings students and chamber musicians.
Esben Tange, Chairman of the Board of the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation, says of the Quartet:
“Besides being four outstanding instrumentalists, the Danish String Quartet is a unique musical collective with international influence. With a performance style marked by great authority and sensitivity, where classical chamber music, brand new compositions, and Nordic folk music are equally integrated, they have created an original musical identity that serves as an inspiration to other musicians and unleashes musical energy beyond genres.”
The members of the Danish String Quartet say:
“We are deeply honored and amazed to receive the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2025. We are thankful and humbled. We see it as a great recognition for us, but also for chamber music in the broadest sense. This collective discipline, where you collaborate, communicate, seek out each other and the audience. Denmark is a chamber music powerhouse, and in the Danish String Quartet, we are just a part of a large environment consisting of amateurs, chamber music societies, music schools, passionate individuals, summer courses, young talents, and the current and former generations of amazing Danish chamber music ensembles.”
Past recipients of the award include Igor Stravinsky, Miles Davis, Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and most recently, Emmanuel Pahud. They will celebrate in May-June 2025 with a series of concerts in Denmark.
Find out more information here. Keep an eye out for our Summer Academy 2025 applications, which open this autumn!