My name is Claus Myrup and I was born in June 1957
I entered the conservatory as a violin major in 1978 and was really happy and determined that this was where my career was going to be, but in 1983 some friends needed a viola player in their quartet, so I borrowed an instrument and realised that both sonically and physically the viola and I were a great match. That same year, I won a one-year contract with the Royal Danish Orchestra, and the following year I competed for the concertmaster position in DRSO and have been here ever since.
I have always been very interested in and enjoyed playing chamber music, and alongside my orchestral work, I was a member of the Danish Quartet for many years. Subsequently, I have been privileged to have the opportunity to play chamber music regularly with a wide range of wonderful musicians.
Another great passion in my life is teaching, and I have and have had students at all the country's music conservatoires throughout my professional career.
My work has been recognised with, among other things, the Carl Nielsen Travel Grant, the Music Critics' Artist Award and not least the Peter Warming Memorial Grant.
If I had to pick a favourite composer it would probably be Brahms, but there is so much other wonderful music that, when I play it under great conductors or with chamber music friends, becomes my favourite music in the moment. However, I would highlight Bach as one of my absolute favourites, because even though he is not in the symphonic or chamber music repertoire, it is a balm for the soul to practice and listen to his solo sonatas and partitas or his passions, for example
Highlighting individual concerts I've played over the years would be unfair to the myriad of amazing experiences I've had in the symphony orchestra, but one work stands out in particular. With fantastic conductors such as Eschenbach, Sinopoli and not least Fabio Louisi, I have had great experiences playing Verdi's Requiem.
My name is Adam Riis
Born:11 September 1978
1st tenor in the DR VokalEnsemblet
I started singing in the Copenhagen Boys' Choir and continued at Sankt Annæ in a 4-year MGK programme before applying to the Conservatory, from which I graduated in 2005.
I became an assistant in 1999, joined KoncertKoret (then called Kor74) in 2001 and then I sang for the Vocal Ensemble in 2006 and have been there ever since.
As a soloist, I am most notable in Baroque oratorios and as a Lied singer. Ensembles I regularly perform with include Theater of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen and Nederlands Kamerkoor.
I have received a Sonning scholarship and a grant from the Van Hauen Foundation.
Schubert's Lieder is probably the composer and genre closest to my heart.
I think I've mastered a few difficult works by Messiaen, Nono and Ligeti, but a few of the movements from Orpheus behind the wire still give me trouble