About

About us

Absalon String Quartet is a young Nordic ensemble with members from Denmark, Sweden and Norway based together in Copenhagen.

As a group, they are known for their emotional interpretations, passionate interplay, and personal and immediate approach to the music. Founded by the two violinists Thera and Andreas during the 2020 Corona lockdown, the quartet quickly gained recognition in Denmark by winning the first edition of the Rued Langgaard Competition in 2021. In 2023, violist Alva joined the quartet, and they reached their next milestone by winning the prestigious Danish Radio Chamber Music Competition. Here, they also became an audience favourite and established themselves as one of the country’s most promising young chamber music groups with their warm sound and intense, courageous musical expression. Shortly thereafter, they received the Léonie Sonning Talent Prize. Cellist Hedda joined the quartet in 2024, and since then they have performed in many of Denmark’s major concert halls, been broadcast several times by Danish radio and television, and collaborated with some of Scandinavia’s finest musicians across several genres. They have also played for audiences in France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and Norway, and participated in numerous festivals and courses, leading to their latest success at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2025, where they won the 2nd Prize and the Audience Prize. The quartet is passionate about making high-level chamber music available and exciting for all sorts of audiences, and they make continuous efforts to find new places and ways to share their music, while also broadening their repertoire.

_{^{The journey started in København}}

…and this is also where the name comes from; Absalon played a big part in the founding of Copenhagen back in the early days. ASQ is currently enrolled in a 2-year chamber music master program at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf with prof. Eckart Runge (Artemis Quartett). They have also received regular coaching from prof. Tim Frederiksen and members of the Danish String Quartet at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Additionally, the quartet have participated in many masterclasses across Europe, with organisations such as Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland, ECMA and ProQuartet – among others they’ve enjoyed lessons from Günter Pichler, Heime Müller, Hélène Clement, Eugene Drucker, David Harrington, as well as with renowned composers Missy Mazzoli and Jessie Montgomery.

about us personally

Thera Ortved graduated from Sankt Annæ Gymnasium and Copenhagen MGK in 2019, where she studied with Michael Malmgreen. She continued with prof. Malmgreen at The Royal Danish Academy of Music, from where she finished her bachelor’s degree with the highest grades in 2022. She is currently studying her master’s with Alexandre Zapolski. Thera is the recipient of a special prize in the Serguei Azizian Competition 2020 at RDAM granted by Scandinavian Cello School. In 2019 Thera was chosen as the overall winner of the Jacob Gade Violin Competition. She is also recipient of first prize in Berlingske Klassiske Musik-konkurrence and Jacob Gade Violin Competition 2016. Thera has participated in numerous masterclasses and has performed as soloist several times, latest with the RDAM Symphony Orchestra. Thera is grateful to have received Carl Nielsen & Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s Talent Prize 2022 and Jacob Gades Grant 2020.

Andreas Lienhøft Larsen born May 28, 1999 is a Danish violinist studying his second year of Masters at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music with Professor Alexandre Zapolski. He finished his Bachelor degree in 2021 with the highest grades. Graduate of the following institutions: the talent line in Køge, Køge MGK, Sankt Annæ MGK and the Royal Danish Music Conservatory. Andreas has been 1st prize winner in a number of violin and music competitions including Berlingske Music Competition, Jacob Gade Violin Competition and Young Classical Playing. In May 2019 he performed Brahms Violin Concerto as soloist in a concert series with Amateur Symphonics Symphony Orchestra and also performed many times as a soloist with, among others, the Zapolski Strings, Junior Strings, Tivoli Garden, SASO and Storstrøm’s Chamber Ensemble.

Alva Rasmussen started playing violin at the age of 9 at the local music school of her hometown, and switched to viola at the age of 17 while studying at Lilla Akademiens Musikgymnasium in Stockholm. She went on to study her bachelors’ degree at the RDAM in Copenhagen, from where she graduated in 2020 with highest distinction. She’s currently finishing up her masters’ degree, also at the RDAM, with professor Tim Frederiksen and Magda Stevensson. She held the position of assistant principal viola in chamber orchestra, Camerata Nordica, for two seasons, 2020-2022. During her time there she got to perform in chamber music with musicians such as Ellen Nisbeth and Jonatan Fournel. She is a laureate of the first Oskar Nedbal international viola competition in 2019, where she won best interpretation of the mandatory piece as well as an honorary mention for promising young players.

Hedda Lydianna Aadland is a Norwegian cellist who graduated from the young talents program of Barratt-Due music institute studying with Louisa Tuck, before she continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, where she is currently pursuing her bachelors degree with Professor Johannes Moser. Hedda has won numerous first prizes in competitions including Jugend musiziert, UMM, Sparre Olsen and the honorary prize in the Midgard competition. Hedda made her solo debut performing Schumann cello concerto with the Kaunas city symphony orchestra at the age of 14. Since then she has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, and most recently with the Norwegian radio orchestra. Hedda is an active chamber musician, and has performed at festivals all over Norway, in addition to Performing in the palace in Norway, and in the Norwegian embassy in Rome. Hedda also enjoys orchestra playing, and was selected as principal cellist for the young Oslo philharmonic program for two consecutive years. Hedda feels lucky to have been part of several mentor programs including the Hemsing academy, Papillon in Valdres, and Spire in Bodø.