Artists 2024

More musicians will come. Pay attention!

David Coucheron

Violin

His phrasing is elegant and his concentrated tune a thing of beauty.

David Coucheron

Violin

David Coucheron is Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He won the position in competition with more than 200 contestants, becoming the youngest Concertmaster of any major US orchestra. Born in Oslo, Norway, David Coucheron began playing the violin when he was three years old. He earned a Bachelor’s of Music degree at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, a Master’s of Music at the Juilliard School of Music in New York and a Master’s of Performance from Guildhall School of Music in London. He has studied with such eminent professors as Igor Ozim, Aaron Rosand, Lewis Kaplan and David Takeno. David plays a 1732 Stradivarius, loaned to him by the Anders Sveaas Almennyttige Fond.

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Julie Coucheron

Piano

She has a beautiful legato and rubatoplay with great sense of melodic lines and exact vocals.

Julie Coucheron

Piano

At twenty-seven years of age, Ms. Coucheron has already established an international career, winning prizes in Italy, Germany and the United States. Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Claude Frank and Emanuel Ax. She has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, performing on such great concert stages as Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. 

Born in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Coucheron began to play the piano at the age of four. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the Royal Academy of Music in London, with honors. Ms. Coucheron has performed at festivals such as the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, the Bergen International Music Festival and at the La Jolla Summerfest. For the last two years, Julie has been artistic director of the Fjord Cadenza festival in Norway. She is also a founding member of the Kon-Tiki Classical Music Fest in Oslo, Norway. In September, 2002, she released her first recording, ‘Debut’, on the Naxos label, performing with her brother, David. The CD includes lyrical and virtuoso music from the classical repertoire. In September, 2008, Ms. Coucheron and her brother released their second recording, ‘David and Julie’, on the Mudi/Naxos label. This recording, which includes sonatas by Grieg and Brahms, received superb reviews worldwide. Ms. Coucheron is a member of the Georgian Chamber Players and recently performed the Brahms piano quartet with them in Spivey Hall in Atlanta.

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Sandra Lied Haga

Cello

Since her Wigmore Hall debut at the age of 12, Sandra’s passionate playing and the deep feelings she expresses has resonated with audiences and musicians all over the world.

Sandra Lied Haga

Cello

Norwegian cellist Sandra Lied Haga stands on the threshold of a major career, having won four international competitions, a number of European Prizes and the prestigious Equinor Classical Music Award, previously given to Leif Ove Andsnes, Truls Mørk and Lise Davidsen. She made her debut with symphony orchestra at age 11, and her rich, beautiful sound and prodigious talent have caught attention worldwide, and made her a sought after soloist, who captivates her listeners with what is described as a uniquely beautiful cello tone.

Since her Wigmore Hall debut at the age of 12, Sandra’s passionate playing and the deep feelings she expresses has resonated with audiences and musicians all over the world, in prestigious concert venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, St. Petersburg Philharmonia, London’s Wigmore Hall, Salzburger Festspielhaus, Verbier Festival and many more.

Highlights this season include Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with Maxim Vengerov in London’s Royal Albert Hall, Istanbul and Eskisehir, a new album release for Simax and a three week tour with Midori in Japan.

In 2019 she recorded her Debut Album featuring Dvorak’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations (original version) in legendary Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. The recording, released on Simax Classics/Naxos in May 2020, has received international praise by some of the leading Classical music publications and radio channels, and received a prestigious nomination for the Norwegian Grammy award Spellemannprisen. 

Sandra has collaborated with a number of prominent artists such as Maxim Vengerov, Leif Ove Andsnes, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Janine Jansen, Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, Truls Mørk and Paul Lewis.

She has performed with many European orchestras, under conductors such as Thomas Søndergård, Marios Papadopoulos, James Gaffigan, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Ari Rasilainen, Juanjo Mena, Shao-Chia Lü, David Geringas and Terje Mikkelsen.

From 2023 Sandra Lied Haga is appointed Artistic Director of the newly founded Kristiansand Chamber Music Festival.

Born in Oslo in 1994, Sandra started playing the cello at the age of three. A remarkably rare absolute pitch formed her intuitive musicianship from the very beginning, and she was the youngest ever participant in the Barratt Due Institute of Music´s programme for gifted children. From 2004-2009 she studied with Oleg Kogan at the Razumovsky Academy in London, followed by six years with Truls Mørk. 

Sandra Lied Haga plays a cello by Joannes Florenus Guidantus (Bologna, 1730), kindly provided by Dextra Musica.

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Håvard Gimse

Piano

Håvard Gimse is one of the Nordic region’s most popular and significant concert- and recording artists.

Håvard Gimse

Cello

Håvard Gimse is one of the Nordic region’s most popular and significant concert- and recording artists. His highly personal sound of the instrument, his sympathetic approach and intelligent, investigative programming have led to numerous prizes and countless glowing reviews. He has received the Diapason d’Or and Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice accolades, among others for his recent recording together with the cellist Truls Mörk. Gimse’s playing is to be heard on recording labels like Naim Audio, Sony Classical, Chandos, Simax, Naxos, Lawo, Fabra and Alpha-Classics. 

Håvard has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages including the Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, Palais des Beaux Arts in Brüssels, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Recital Hall in St Petersburg, the Suk Hall in Prague, and the Konzerthaus in Berlin. 

Gimse’s victory and 1st prize at the Jugend Musiziert Competition in Frankfurt in 1987 was the last competition he did, but the first in a string of major accolades to come his way. He won the Steinway Prize in 1995, the Grieg Prize in 1996, the Sibelius Prize in 2004, Norwegian Critics Prize for his performances of Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas with Truls Mörk at the 2011 Bergen International Festival, and just some months ago the “Lindeman Prize” which is considered to be the most important musical award in Norway.

In the Nordic countries, Håvard has performed as a concerto soloist with nearly all the major Scandinavian orchestras. Further afield he has performed with the Baltimore, the Atlanta, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, with the Royal Philharmonic in London and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras, plus now recently with the Hallè Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, Frankfurt Radio and Belgian National Philharmonic Orchestras.

In addition to performing as a soloist, Håvard has all his life been playing a lot of chamber music. He has been heard in numerous chamber music festivals all over the world, performing together with many of today’s most important musicians. He has been leading chamber music festivals both in Elverum and Fredrikstad (the Mozart Festival) and his nearly 30 years of contribution to the Oslo Chamber Music Festival has led to countless memorable concerts with world famous artists.

Håvard Gimse has since the late nineties been a part-time Professor of Piano and chamber music at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

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