On April 1, 2023, the Danish ensemble Rudersdal Chamber Players makes their U.S. debut with a performance at Carnegie Hall. We spoke with founding member and violinist Christine Pryn about the group’s early beginnings, what it takes to have a lasting impact as an ensemble, and their collaboration with with composer Andrew Waggoner.
How and when was the Rudersdal Chamber Players created?
The idea came in 2017 – I just had my festival Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter, where Lera Auerbach was the featured composer and she stayed for some weeks after the festival. I was supposed to perform her music at some other concerts with the ensemble I had at that time, but the group broke up and the concerts were canceled. I was devastated and felt so ashamed that I couldn’t keep my promise to Lera, but she and her husband Rafael DeStella were extremely supportive and got me through one of the most difficult times in my career.
It was their idea to form the kind of ensemble I have now, inspired by Camerata Pacifica in Santa Barbara which they collaborate with.
The concept is a flexible combination of instruments so we can accommodate venues of different size, with or without access to a piano. It also gives us options for an extremely wide repertoire and to portray composers performing a much larger part of their chamber works than if we were just a piano quartet or piano trio.
Our base is the piano quartet, but we regularly perform as string trio and piano trio and sometimes also as string quartet, flute quartet, clarinet quintet etc.
Within the first half year of Rudersdal Chamber Player’s existence, we had more than double the amount of concerts I had with the former ensemble and today we earn more than four times as much. So, it was a definitely a change for the better!
What is the mission of RCP?
We like to focus on music by lesser-known composers including female composers from the romantic era as well as contemporary music. As a performing artist your work won’t last and be remembered like the work of a composer. But with our programming we have a chance to make a difference. If just one of the pieces we have commissioned from composers from Denmark and abroad will be remembered and played by musicians in the future, then we have had an impact on music history. In 2019 we premiered a piano quartet by the Russian-British composer Dmitri Smirnov who died half a year later in the pandemic. It is a true master piece and we are so happy and grateful that he made it for us. It has already been performed by other musicians in other countries, so we are confident that it will be played in the future, and someone will read on Wikipedia (or whatever they will have at that time), that it was composed for us.
You’re performing music by Poul Ruders on the program at Carnegie Hall – any connection between the composer and the ensemble’s name “Rudersdal”?
The similarity of the names is a pure coincidence. The word Ruders is related to “rydning” which is a clearcutting in the woods. Rudersdal is a desirable area a little north from Copenhagen – it is a part of the so called the “whisky belt” where wealthy people enjoy a good life close to the city and close to the sea. But Denmark is still very equal compared to many other countries in the world, so you will also find very modest apartment houses in that area. Historically it was a place where merchants as well as the cultural elite spent their holiday. Grieg was a frequent guest and composed his piano concerto there, and also Hans Christian Andersen enjoyed a long stay at his friend’s place in Rudersdal.
I decided to start my music festival in that area since there wasn’t already a festival (although there is a rich cultural life), and the ensemble is connected to the festival – hence the name.
Last year we released a world premiere recording of Ruders’ chamber music including the piano quartet, “Throne” for clarinet and piano as well as the clarinet quintet. We had been collaborating closely with the composer who is extremely nice and supportive.
The music is extremely difficult to play together so it has really improved our ensemble work. It is fun to think that when someone will play these pieces in 300 years, they might listen to our recording since it was made in collaboration with the composer.
Tell us about Andrew Waggoner’s piece “Now, the Fire” which was dedicated to your ensemble.
Andrew has been my friend for more than 13 years. He composed two pieces for my former ensemble and Now, the Fire is the first of hopefully more made for Rudersdal Chamber Players.
We are currently working on a project on the Four Elements where we combine music with other arts and science and this was made for FIRE.
It is inspired by James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Andy is very good in telling a story with his music. And since he is an excellent violinist himself it is extremely well written for the instruments.
What do you most look forward to about the group’s American debut at Carnegie Hall?
After years without a chance to travel due to the pandemic it will just be mind-blowing to play in one of the best halls in the world!