String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will welcome back the Grammy-nominated Danish String Quartet for the second concert of the season. The performance will take place at the Hunter Museum on Monday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m.

Whether classical masterworks of the chamber music oeuvre or Scandinavian folk music, the Danish String Quartet brings its ‘rampaging energy’ (The New Yorker) to audiences around the world. “Having cut their teeth on football and Haydn quartets as young teenagers at music camp, the quartet has matured its youthful verve and unbridled energy with unmatched ensemble precision,” says Dr. Gloria Chien, String Theory founder and artistic director.

The group will perform Purcell’s Chacony in G-minor and Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, Death and the Maiden.

Members Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and Frederik Øland, violin; Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola; and Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cello, debuted as a group in 2002 and have demonstrated an affinity for Scandinavian composers, from Carl Nielsen to Hans Abrahamsen, alongside the music of Mozart and Beethoven. Last Leaf, an album of traditional Scandinavian folk music, was one of the top classical albums of 2017 as chosen by NPR, Spotify, and the New York Times.

The recipient of many awards and prestigious appointments, including Musical America’s 2020 Ensemble of the Year and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, the Danish String Quartet was named in 2013 as BBC Radio 3 “New Generation Artists” and appointed to the Bowers Program, formerly CMS Two. The ensemble has received numerous citations and prizes, including First Prize in the Vagn Holmboe String Quartet Competition and the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in the Netherlands, as well as the Audience Prize at the Trondheim International String Quartet Competition in 2005.

In 2009, the quartet won First Prize in the 11th London International String Quartet Competition, now known as the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. They were also awarded the 2010 Nordmetall-Ensemble Prize at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival in Germany, and in 2011, received the Carl Nielsen Prize, the highest cultural honor in Denmark.

Prior to the concert, “Art Connections” will take place at 5:30, giving attendees the opportunity to engage with the intersection of art and music in the Hunter galleries. Former Hunter Chief Curator Ellen Simak and Maestro Robert Bernhardt will compare works from the Hunter collection to the music featured in the concert.

Tickets are on sale now through Oct. 31 and are $45 for general admission, $35 for Hunter members, and $10 for students and music teachers.

String Theory was founded in 2009 by Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical music scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers.

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit stringtheorymusic.org or call (423) 414-2525.