Engegard Quartet

Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2006, with Arvid Engegård and Alex Robson on violin, Juliet Jopling on viola, and Jan Clemens Carlsen on cello, the Engegård Quartet is one of Norway’s leading chamber ensembles.

Their bold, fresh interpretations of the classical repertoire combined with a deep attachment to their Scandinavian roots has attracted international acclaim and inspired some innovative partnerships and programming.

The Engegård Quartet has a busy concert schedule throughout Scandinavia and further afield. They have performed in some of Europe’s finest venues including the Mozarteum in Salzburg and Prague’s Rudolfinum They have traveled to South America for concerts in Bogotá and Sao Paolo. Festival performances include the Delft Chamber Music Festival, SoNoRo Festival in Bucharest, and Heidelberg’s Streichquartettfest.

Members of the quartet are also deeply involved in bringing superb chamber music to Norway – Arvid Engegård as founder of the Lofoten International Chamber Music Festival, and Juliet Jopling as artistic director of the Oslo Quartet Series. The Engegård Quartet has had the honor to work with (among others) András Schiff, Leif Ove Andsnes, Christian Ihle Hadland, and Emma Johnson. T

They also love to collaborate with colleagues from different musical traditions, including a folk/classical fusion with hardanger fiddler Nils Økland, and a program of Ibsen and late Beethoven with actor Bjørn Sundquist.

Future plans include a new work written by and performed with jazz violinist Ola Kvernberg and an annual ‘mini-festival’ focusing on one composer each year, starting with Schumann. ‘Schumann 1-2-3’ is scheduled and promises to be a feast of chamber music, song, piano works, poetry, discussions, and lectures. The Engegård Quartet is supported by the Norwegian Arts Council. foto: Espen Mortensen