The Danish String Quartet receives the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2025
The Danish String Quartet will receive the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2025. It's the first time an ensemble has received the major prize, which has been awarded since 1959.
Chairman of the Sonning Music Prize, Esben Tange, says about the motivation: ‘In addition to being four outstanding instrumentalists, the Danish String Quartet is a unique musical collective with international impact. With a playing style characterised by great authority and sensitivity in which classical chamber music, brand new compositional music and Nordic folk music are included on an equal footing, they have created an original musical standpoint that is an inspiration to other musicians and releases musical energy beyond genres.’
The award will be presented at a festive award concert in the Academy's Concert Hall on Thursday 5 June 2025, where the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and singers from the Danish National Girls' Choir will also participate.
Since 2015, the Danish String Quartet has been Ensemble-in-Residence at The Royal Danish Academy of Music, where three of the quartet's members graduated and three of them now teach.
In connection with the prize concert, a mini-festival will be held where the string quartet has put together programmes across genres and concert formats and will also hold masterclasses for students.
The Léonie Sonning Music Prize is the most important Danish music prize. It has been awarded since 1959, when composer Igor Stravinsky was the first recipient. The prize comes with one million Danish kroner.
Read more about the Leonie Sonnings Musikpris
Read more about The Danish String Quartet
Photo: Caroline Bittencourt
