Tim Frederiksen
Tim Frederiksen (b. 1955) studied with Erling Bloch and Max Rostal, and subsequently studied chamber music with, amongst others, members of the Amadeus Quartet and Knud Frederiksen of the Danish String Quartet. In 1980 Tim was appointed principal viola player in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and in 1983 he was awarded the position of leader of the orchestra.
Teaching
In 1995 Tim was appointed professor of viola and chamber music, as well as department head, at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Here he has taught a number of ensembles which have not only played a major role in Danish chamber music life, but have also proved themselves internationally viable in competitions and concert series, including:
- Paizo Kvartetten
First prize in Trondheim Int. Chamber Music Competition 2000, Melbourne Int. Chamber Music Comp. 2003 - Trio Ondine
First prize in, inter alia, the Joseph Haydn Competition in Vienna, the Chamber Music Competition of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s P2 channel, and the ARD Competition in Munich. Second prize and audience award at Melbourne Int. Chamber Music Comp. - Jalina Trio
First prize, Concorso Internationale di Musica da Camera, Trapani 1999. Second prize in, amongst others, Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. - The Danish String Quartet
First prize in, amongst others, the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition, 2005. First prize and prizes for Best Performance of a Set Piece, Best Performance of a Post-1915 Work and the Merton Prize at the London International String Quartet Competition, 2009 - Trio Ismena
First prize in the Chamber Music Competition of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s P2 channel 2009, prize winner in the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2010 - Nightingale String Quartet
Second prize in, amongst others, the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in the Netherlands, the P2 radio channel’s Talent Prize 2011, and Gramophone’s Young Artist of the Year Award 2014 - Trio Vitruvi
First prize in the Chamber Music Competition of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s P2 channel 2014, and Jurmala International Music Competition 2014 - Nordic String Quartet
- Erlendis Guitar Quartet
First prize in, amongst others, the P2 Chamber Music Competition 2017 and the GFA International Ensemble Competition, USA, 2017 - Novo Quartet
First prize in the P2 Chamber Music Competition 2020
Artistic practice
Tim has performed as a soloist on violin and viola with most of the Danish orchestras, including with Bartok’s Viola Concerto and Per Nørgård’s Remembering Child. He has premiered Jan Yngve Trede’s Viola Concerto, which is dedicated to him, and he has performed Poul Ruder’s Viola Concerto with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra.
As leader of the Danish Quartet (1986-1996) he has travelled all over Europe, and he was also co-founder of Trio Soleil with Elisabeth Westenholz and Niels Thomsen.
Tim is in demand as a judge in international competitions, and has recorded a long series of CDs.
Awards and scholarships
Breuning-Bache Prize 2001
Named Talent Developer of the Year 2010 by Talent-DK
Tim has been very active in the development of Distance Learning at RDAM.
Visiting professor in chamber music at the academy of music in Shanghai since 2016
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020: Teacher of chamber music at Voksenåsen Summer Academy, Oslo
- Jury member in the Danish String Players’ Competition since 2010
- 2006 Jury member, International Max Rostal Competition
- 2018 Jury member, Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition
- 2019, 2020 Jury chair, Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition
- President of Kammermusikforeningen af 1868 (the Chamber Music Society of 1868) from 2007
- Deputy chair of the Danish String Players’ Competition from 2016
- Member of the board of the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Honorary Scholarship, 2008
Appeared in the film Mesterlære by Birgit Tengberg, which portrays Tim Frederiksen’s unique musicianship and the Danish chamber music tradition.
Tim has written articles on violin and viola for Gads Musikleksikon.
CD releases
Vagn Holmboe
Kammerkoncerter vol. 2
Anne Øland, Mikkel Futtrup, Tim Frederiksen, Niels Ullner, the Danish Chamber Orchestra, Hannu Koivula
Dacapo 8.224063
Vagn Holmboe
Kammerkoncerter vol. 3
Max Artved, Mikkel Futtrup, Tim Frederiksen, the Danish Chamber Orchestra, Hannu Koivula
Dacapo 8.224086
Vagn Holmboe
Kammerkoncerter vol. 4
Jacques Mauger, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Max Artved, Tim Frederiksen, Hannu Koivula, the Danish Chamber Orchestra
Dacapo 8.224087
Jan Maegaard
Kammermusik
Annette L. Simonsen, Ulla Miilmann, Eva Feldbæk, Henrik Brendstrup, Jørgen Bove, Tim Frederiksen, Toke Lund Christiansen, Henrik Svitzer, Klas Sjöblom, Jesper Helmuth Madsen, Peter Andersen
Dacapo 8.224050
Axel Borup-Jørgensen
The Percussion Universe of Axel Borup-Jørgensen
Gert Mortensen, Percurama, Tim Frederiksen, Duo Crossfire, Michala Petri, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra
OUR Recordings 6.220608
Axel Borup-Jørgensen
Marin; Music for Percussion and Viola; Nachtstück; Pergolato
Jens E. Christensen, Mahan Esfahani, Tim Frederiksen, Erik Kaltoft, Michala Petri, Elisabet Selin, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Søren K. Hansen, Gert Mortensen, Thomas Søndergård
OUR Recordings 6.220620
Various composers
150th Anniversary of the Royal Danish Academy of Music
Tim Frederiksen and others
Dacapo 8.201202
Schumann, Mozart, Bruch
Märchenerzählungen Op. 132, Kegelstatt Trio K498 og 8 Pieces Op. 83
Trio Soleil
KON 32263
Johannes Brahms
Sonatas Op. 120 & Two Songs Op. 91
Elisabeth Westenholz, Susanne Resmark, Tim Frederiksen
KON 32299
Paul Hindemith
Complete Works for Solo Viola
Tim Frederiksen
KON 32277
Carl Nielsen
4 Quartets & 5 Movements for String Quartet
The Danish Quartet (Tim Frederiksen, Arne Balk-Møller, Henrik Brendstrup, Claus Myrup)
KON 32150/51
Johannes Brahms
Complete String Quartets
The Danish Quartet (Tim Frederiksen, Arne Balk-Møller, Henrik Brendstrup, Claus Myrup)
KON 32033/34
Paul Hindemith
Complete String Quartets
The Danish Quartet (Tim Frederiksen, Arne Balk-Møller, Henrik Brendstrup, Claus Myrup)
cpo 999287-2
Sofia Gubaidulina
String Quartets 1-3; String Trio
The Danish Quartet (Tim Frederiksen, Arne Balk-Møller, Henrik Brendstrup, Claus Myrup)
cpo 999064
Martin Hall
Performance
Per Jacobsen, Leif Lind, Michal Stadnicki, The Danish Quartet (Tim Frederiksen, Arne Balk-Møller, Gert-Inge Andersson, Henrik Brendstrup)
Lidocaine Records LIDOCD10
Carl Nielsen
Strygekvartetter vol. 1
Tim Frederiksen, The Danish String Quartet
Dacapo 6.220521
As producer
Carl Nielsen
Strygekvartetter vol. 1
The Danish String Quartet
Dacapo 6.220521
Carl Nielsen
Strygekvartetter vol. 2
The Danish String Quartet
Dacapo 6.220522
Rued Langgaard
Complete Works for Violin and Piano vol. 1
Gunvor Sihm, Berit Johansen Tange
Dacapo 8.226130
Rued Langgaard
Complete Works for Violin and Piano vol. 2
Gunvor Sihm, Berit Johansen Tange, Per Salo, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Søndergård
Dacapo 8.226131
Friedrich Kuhlau
Piano quartets, 1 & 2
Copenhagen Piano Quartet
Dacapo 6.220596
Friedrich Kuhlau, Otto Malling
Piano Quartet No.3; Piano Quartet
Copenhagen Piano Quartet
Dacapo 6.220591
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen
Complete String Quartets, vol 1
Nordic String Quartet
Dacapo 8.226217
Nancy Dalberg
Nancy Dalberg: The String Quartets
Nordic String Quartet
Dacapo 6.220655