Rudersdal Chamber Players
About
Praised for their interpretive depth, stylistic versatility, and flawless ensemble playing, Rudersdal Chamber Players have appeared at venues as diverse as Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Hindsgavl Festival, Klang Festival, the National Gallery of Denmark – as well as in a hangar on the island of Ærø and a church on a houseboat. In addition, the ensemble has toured extensively with chamber music societies across Denmark.
They have toured the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, Russia (before the war), Sweden, and Norway, performing at venues and festivals such as Symphony Space in New York City, Festival of the Sound and Agassiz Chamber Music Festival in Canada, as well as the opening concert of the prestigious Sound Ways Festival organized by the Composers’ Union in St. Petersburg.
In 2022, they released their world premiere recording of chamber music by Poul Ruders, receiving outstanding international reviews, including five stars from BBC Music Magazine and Fanfare Magazine.
In 2025, they released their second world premiere recording, featuring music by Elena Firsova and Dmitri Smirnov. This album likewise received critical acclaim and was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone.
Rudersdal Chamber Players is ensemble in residence at the Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter, a summer festival in a desirable area a little north of Copenhagen.
The base of the ensemble is a piano quartet, but they perform in various settings including clarinet quintet, flute quartet, piano trio, string trio and string quartet.
The repertoire
Rudersdal Chamber Players perform a wide repertoire that ranges from classics by Mozart, Brahms and Dvorak to contemporary music. They have collaborated with important composers such as Giya Kancheli, Elena Firsova and Poul Ruders and premiered works from Denmark, Sweden, USA, Ireland, Poland and Russia.
A particular focus for Rudersdal Chamber Players is music by lesser-known composers including female composers from the romantic era such as Amanda Maier-Röntgen and Mel Bonis.
In 2025, they were given the rare opportunity to give the world premiere of a piano trio from 1921 by Julius Röntgen, and were also the first ensemble to rediscover and perform the piano trio by Victor Bendix, which had not been performed since the composer’s death a century earlier.
Rudersdal Chamber Players regularly collaborate with visual artists, scientists, poets and historians on interdisciplinary projects focusing on topics like the Iron Curtain, the Apocalypse, astronomy, or mythology.
The History
Rudersdal Chamber Players was founded in 2017 by violinist Christine Pryn at the request of the internationally acclaimed composer Lera Auerbach and her husband, Rafael DeStella. Lera was composer in residence at Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter, and they thought it would be an advantage for the festival to have an ensemble of dedicated musicians who could perform in various combinations. In 2018, Rudersdal Chamber Players gave their first concert and have since been a sought-after ensemble, performing around 30 concerts annually.
The Musicians
The musicians of Rudersdal Chamber Players are of different ages and nationalities. They are all experienced and award-winning musicians who have given chamber music the highest priority in their careers.
Primary musicians
Christine Pryn
Violin
Christine Pryn has performed in more than 25 countries throughout Europa, Asia and North America. She received numerous prizes including the Danish Music Critic’s Award and the Polish Gloria Artis medal. Christine has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, and Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and premiered more than 150 solo and chamber works. Since 2010 she has been the artistic director of Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter.
Isabelle Bania
Viola
Isabelle Bania was born into a family of musicians and studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Universität der Künste in Berlin and the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has played with the Rundfunk Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and has worked with ensembles such as the Berolina Ensemble and the contemporary string quartet Halvcirkel. In 2022 she was awarded the prestigious Sonning Talent Prize.
John Ehde
Cello
John Ehde has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the USA, Europe, Asia and Canada. For many years he was a member of the renowned LIN Ensemble, and he has released numerous critically acclaimed recordings. During his studies in Vienna, he has played with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and later he became principal cellist in the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. John is a sought-after teacher and had engagements at various music academies in Scandinavia. He is also in demand as a conductor.
Manuel Esperilla
Piano
Manuel Esperilla is a prize winner of multiple competitions and an active soloist, chamber musician and orchestra pianist (i.a. Danish Na- tional Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, and Arctic Philharmonic). He is a member of Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen and performed at numerous festivals in Europe, including Tage für Neue Musik, Zürich and Festival Musica, Strasbourg. Manuel has taught at the music academy in Madrid and is currently employed at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Associated musicians
Mina Fred
Viola
Mina Fred is internationally active as a chamber musician, improvisor and soloist. She was solo violist in Det Jyske Ensemble and is now a member of Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen and principal violist in The Danish Chamber Orchestra. Mina has performed at festivals such as Kontraklang Berlin, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Darmstadt Music Festival. Since 2004 she is organizing concerts at the Kirsten Kjær Museum.
Jonas Frølund
Clarinet
Jonas Frølund – a graduate from the Paris Conservatoire, is a passionate freelance musician whose credits include the Danish Chamber Orchestra and member of the wind quintet V Coloris. He is an ambassador for contemporary music, and for Jonas communication with the audience is key. Jonas received The Danish Music Critic’s Award 2021 and an honorary mention in the Prague Spring International Music Competition in 2022.
Marie Stockmarr Becker
Viola
Marie Stockmarr Becker pursues a diverse musical path engaging in a range of musical expressions, including early music on period instruments, contemporary music and improvisation. She is principal violist of the Basel Sinfonietta, member of the acclaimed Icelandic ensemble Nordic Affect and the Danish baroque orchestra Concerto Copenhagen and performed across Scandinavia, Europe and beyond.
Karolina Leedo
Flute
Karolina Leedo is born in Estonia and studied at the Estonian Academy of Music. In 2001 she moved to Denmark and continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus. She is a member of the interdisciplinary ensemble Lydenskab and also collaborates with ensembles such as Ekkozone and Ensemble for New Music Tallinn with whom she has toured in Germany, Belgium and Lithuania.