About Us

NOVO Quartet

Founded in Copenhagen in 2018, NOVO Quartet is one of the most celebrated chamber ensembles of their generation. Currently based in Vienna and Copenhagen, the quartet consists of violinists Kaya Kato Møller and Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard, violist Daniel Śledziński and cellist Signe Ebstrup Bitsch.

NOVO Quartet has already earned recognition from several prestigious international competitions. Most recently, they won first prize and 4 other awards at Geneva International Music Competition 2023. They are supported by The Danish Arts Foundation ‘The Young Artistic Elite’ program 2024.

The starting point for the NOVO Quartet to get familiar with the art of chamber music was from the guidance of Tim Frederiksen at Royal Danish Academy of Music. Frederiksen planted a deep and meaningful love for the string quartet genre within the young ensemble. Following four years with Frederiksen as a mentor, the NOVO Quartet took the next step by studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna as part of the prestigious European Chamber Music Academy. Furthermore, they are proud to be a part of the “Elite Program” at École Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot”, further enriching their musical education. Additionally, the quartet has benefited from musical guidance from renowned artists such as members of the Alban Berg Quartet, Artemis Quartet, Quatuor Ébène, Jerusalem Quartet, Quatuor Modigliani, and the Danish String Quartet.

The NOVO Quartet has been active on both Danish and international stages, from China to the USA, from Switzerland to Greenland. They have participated in several radio programs and collaborated with acclaimed artists such as pianists Alexander Lonquich and Per Tengstrand, cellist Andreas Brantelid, horn player Felix Klieser, as well as a range of ensembles including Dreamers’ Circus, Quatuor Modigliani, and Jerusalem Quartet.

The youthful spirit and creative approach of the NOVO Quartet have led to a wide range of projects. Apart from their performances, they host their own festival, “Across Chamber Music Series,” aiming to create music across borders in collaboration with fellow young chamber musicians. They have also collaborated with contemporary Danish composers, fostering a deep curiosity in the process behind music creation. A collaboration with composer Mette Nielsen resulted in the quartet’s debut album, “Frozen Moments,” released in the summer of 2023.

While classical music remains their primary focus, the NOVO Quartet has also explored exciting collaborations with jazz and pop musicians. Their recent collaboration with the fashion brand “UNIQLO” plus the danish brand “Shaping New Tomorrow” underscores their commitment to exploring innovative and unexpected intersections between music and different art forms.

The special trait of the NOVO Quartet is the strong bond of friendship within the ensemble – mutual respect, care for each other, and humor do not only define the personal chemistry among the members but also shape their musical identity and stage presence. Their strong bond, both musically and personally, shines through in their performances, characterized by unity and a deep emotional resonance with the music they present.

KAYA Kato Møller

violin

Kaya is the contact person and coordinator of the quartet. She is a woman of many great talents and writing emails is definitely one of them. It is hard to believe that she does not have more than 24 hours in a day with all the things she manages to do for the quartet on a daily basis. She is a small creature (who usually gets her own podium for our quartet photoshoots) but clearly a super woman.

Kaya is always up for working hard and there is no challenge she cannot overcome. She is a true aesthetician both in her playing, as well as on Instagram, thanks to her attention to every small detail. When playing in the quartet she is always extremely alert – playing her own part brilliantly while still being reactive for other voices is most definitely one of her strongest assets.

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 often eat nicely wherever we go.

Tip: If you want to make friends with Kaya make sure to never show her pictures of lady bugs or butterflies.

Kaya plays on a Joseph Guadagnini violin on loan from the Augustinus Foundation.

NIKOLAI Vasili Nedergaard

violin

At our concerts, we enjoy presenting the music with our personal touch to it, but sometimes there is no microphone accessible at the venue. In such cases, we typically hand the spotlight to Nikolai, whose powerful voice guarantees the audience will not miss our introduction to the upcoming performance.

Nikolai is the youngest member of the ensemble, but it is not always obvious because of his dense beard growth and calm approach to issues and the world around him in general. However, his childlike soul also shines through sometimes: he loves and collects Pokémon toys – actually, anything related to Pokémon – which therefore makes him the easiest person to buy gifts for.

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 reached an exciting point in his Lego building project at home, which he has been looking forward to the entire day. 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 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 5 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.

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. Daniel is a caring person but under one condition – only when he has received his daily nicotine dosage in form of snus and caffeine of the day.

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

SIGNE Ebstrup Bitsch

cello

Signe is not only a wonderful cellist but also naturally gifted amateur violist and clarinetist. Every new instrument comes to her with ease – same as with sports and snacking on candy. In her spare time, she likes to go for hikes, exercise, read, knit, watch videos of her favorite families on Instagram, and to play with her hair.

A world champion of cycling with the cello on her back, Signe is also our travel agent, helping with booking plane and train tickets, since she is the one making friends with all the possible airline customer services (extra cello ticket). To some of her other accomplishments it is worth to mention that she is a founder of a NOVO’s grading system, which goes from 0 to INSANE, scale often used to judge dining experiences all around the world.

What distinguishes Signe’s cello playing is definitely the undeniable elegance and sense of beauty. Throughout the years in the quartet, she has gained a powerful, diva-like cello voice which creates the base for the NOVO quartet sound. Remarkably stable intonation and clarity are definitely rare qualities – so desired in the string quartet setting – which Signe owns with no doubt.

Signe plays on a modern cello by Wojchiech Topa owned by herself.