About Us

NOVO Quartet

NOVO Quartet’s journey began in 2018 with three childhood friends and a Polish violist — a look-alike to the second violinist. In the beginning, the young quartet couldn’t even agree on a name, so the organizer of their first concert named them “NOVO” — because they were new. Seven years later, they still feel as at the beginning of their journey. Not due to the lack of experience, but they are always exploring, keeping doors open, and letting curiosity lead the way.

That curiosity has taken them far. With more than 100 concerts a year, they have performed in world-class venues like Wigmore Hall and Laeiszhalle. But they also seek contrasts — like playing at a boys’ school in Kenya, discovering how music brings joy even where classical concerts are rare. Their outreach tours have taken them to Kenya, Greenland, Svalbard, and Colombia.

NOVO Quartet’s achievements include top prizes at the Geneva, Heidelberg, Carl Nielsen, and Trondheim competitions. Most recently, they were selected as BBC New Generation Artists 2025–27 – a major milestone that will strengthen their growing presence in the UK. Starting in autumn 2025, they also embark on a new chapter as Ensemble in Association at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Throughout the year, they will support the next generation of chamber musicians through performances, coaching sessions, and collaborative projects. They hope to be a welcoming and approachable presence for the students — almost like colleagues or friends they can always turn to.

In autumn 2025, NOVO Quartet released their debut album, “TRACK 1” with pieces by Carl Nielsen, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Matias Vestergård. The album is a musical snapshot of their first years together and the works that shaped their shared voice. The album has received outstanding praise, including 5 stars in the Danish newspaper Politiken, and being named Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine.

Beyond music, collaborations with brands like UNIQLO and Shaping New Tomorrow have helped them reach new audiences — because looking sharp on stage matters, but so does creative outreach.

But none of this matters without their bond. Over time, the quartet has become a small family, built on respect, care, and humor. This philosophy inspired them to create their own festival, ACROSS, where they exclusively invite already established ensembles. Here, it’s all about celebrating the spirit of chamber music together with ensembles from around the world – a vision they are passionate about realizing.

 

 

OFFICIAL PIRASTRO ARTIST

KAYA Kato Møller

violin

Kaya is a superwoman with many talents. She’s always working, and it’s hard to believe she only has 24 hours in a day. Even though her calendar is packed with rehearsals and work, she still manages to find time to meet up with all her friends (old and new) just to check in and see how they’re doing. She always puts others before herself!

There are many interesting facts about Kaya – she never sits normally in a chair (maybe that’s why we always stand as a quartet…). She’s incredibly easy to scare, and Nikolai takes full advantage of this with frequent surprises…
Another talent of hers is her way of sleeping on public transport. She curls up in her seat (definitely not a normal sitting position), and her head swings around as if she’s a disco DJ – or maybe she’s dreaming of a carousel ride! She never wakes up from it, by the way…

Kaya is also half-Japanese, which means she speaks fluent Japanese, both written and spoken! We think that’s pretty cool. She’s also the main contact and coordinator in the quartet, so for the past six years, she’s been handling Novo’s emails and communicating with venues. Lastly, she’s a true aesthete on social media, paying attention to every little detail. So yes, there’s a lot she can do…

But one of the greatest perks of being Kaya’s friend is her Google Maps skills. In a foreign city, armed with Google Maps, Kaya is often the one guiding us to different destinations. Thanks to her many pinned restaurants on Google Maps, we always end up eating well wherever we go.

Tip: If you want to be friends with Kaya, make sure never to show her pictures of ladybugs or butterflies. Surprisingly, those are her biggest fears.

Kaya plays on a violin by J. Guadagnini from 1800 on generous loan from the Augustinus Foundation.

NIKOLAI Vasili Nedergaard

violin

Nikolai is the loudest in the quartet – with no microphone accessible at the concert venue, we typically hand the spotlight to Nikolai, whose powerful voice guarantees the audience will not miss our introduction to the upcoming performance.

As the youngest member of the ensemble, Nikolai loves to tease the older ones, just like a little brother would do. If we’ve left the rehearsal room unattended, we can be sure Nikolai has hidden something of ours, forcing us into a game of “hot and cold” to find it. And if you ask him for one tissue, he’ll hand you twelve and won’t stop.
His childlike soul also shines through sometimes: he loves and collects Pokémon toys. Well – anything related to Pokémon – which therefore makes him the easiest person to buy gifts for.

Nikolai believes he lives in the suburbs because he has to bike a whole 25 minutes to our rehearsals. He might not be the sportiest person in the group, but he makes up for it by being the official choreographer of the quartet, throwing in weird dance moves during the grooviest moments of our rehearsals.

In the mornings, Nikolai is a grumpy guy. However, his day gets brighter as it gets darker outside. If someone asks if they would like to have a beer, you can be 99.8% sure Nikolai will say yes. The 00.2% chance for a ‘no’ is if he has an exciting Lego building project waiting for him at home. Not only during Lego project is Nikolai a hardworking craftsman, but also in the work within our quartet. Over the years, he has truly embraced the role of the middle voice – knowing when to blend, when to stand out, and when to fake. An essential quality to be acting as the glue within the ensemble!

Nikolai plays on a violin by David Tecchler from 1706 on generous loan from the Augustinus Foundation.

DANIEL Śledziński

viola

The way to spot Daniel in the wild is through noticing his different colored socks or possibly by hearing his Dolphin like laughter from far away.

As a musician Daniel is extremely attentive to every detail/range of color, he is most likely to spend half a day on analyzing and elaborating about different types of vibratos and sound – then of course adding his own personal touch to it. He also shares the enthusiasm with his quartet companions!

Daniel is a jokey guy with a brilliant comedic timing, he exceeds in every way through his brilliant use of hashtags under his instagram posts – #danielsledzinskiisfunny. Even after 7 years of understanding Daniel’s humor, he is still not capable of enjoying a viola joke – which can be one of many universal violist’s challenges.

Something that sets Daniel apart from many other violists – and is a gift for us in the quartet – is that he goes all in when he has a solo. He doesn’t hold back, neither in dynamics nor in his expressive vibrato when he steps into the spotlight – one of his greatest strengths.

After putting all his energy into his solos, he needs to recharge during breaks. And this is where his special talent comes into play: Daniel can sleep anywhere, anytime. He enjoys a good nap during the day and can still sleep 12 hours at night.

In Daniel’s free time you can probably find him taking pictures with his awesome camera or complimenting his friends by telling them how beautiful they are. He is a caring person who is always attentive to those around him.

Daniel plays on a viola by Noémie Viaud from 2021 on generous loan from the Augustinus Foundation.

SIGNE Ebstrup Bitsch

cello

Signe is not only a wonderful cellist but also a naturally gifted amateur violist. Any new instrument comes easily to her – just like sports and food. She is also the founder of NOVO’s rating system, a scale from 0 to INSANE, primarily used to evaluate dining experiences on our travels.

In her free time, she enjoys walking, exercising, and reading – watching movies is definitely not one of her strong suits. The number of films she has made it through without falling asleep can be counted on one hand. She simply cannot stay awake.

A world champion in cycling with a cello on her back, Signe is also the one who takes on the battle with airlines when booking an extra seat for her instrument. Along the way, she has made countless “friends” in customer service departments worldwide. However, her name often causes trouble for non-Danes. Pronunciation is one thing, but it’s a whole different challenge when booking flights. At least now, she knows the phonetic alphabet by heart:

– S like Sierra
– I like India
– G like Golf
– N like November
– E like Echo

Signe is always on time. In fact, if she’s not there one minute past schedule, the rest of us start to panic. She knows this now, so we always get a reassuring message: “I’m gonna be 2 min late, don’t get worried.”

What sets Signe’s cello playing apart is her undeniable elegance. Over the years, she has developed a powerful, diva-like cello voice that forms the foundation of the quartet’s sound.

Signe plays on a cello by Joannes Florenus Guidantus from 1738 on generous loan from the Augustinus Foundation.