Gramophone November 2025
Editor's choice

Novo Quartet

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110
Vestergård: HJERTEBLAD
Nielsen: String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13

The Novo Quartet's name (novo like 'new') reflects the curiosity and spirit of discovery that has already carried these four musicians, trained by Tim Frederiksen, to podiums at the Geneva and Carl Nielsen competitions. Their debut album, Track 1, returns to their roots: Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, the very first piece they studied together; Hjerteblad by Matias Vestergaard, which opened the door to contemporary repertoire; and Carl Nielsen's First Quartet, a tribute to the "great Danish hero" and the starting point of an upcoming complete cycle. Track 1 is a tale of beginnings - above all, NOVO's own - and instantly established them as one of the most arresting ensembles of their generation. Novo Quartet's have it all; intense playing, flawless balance, total commitment, and the magic unique to great quartets, where four distinct personalities merge into a single voice and let the music speak in it's purest form.