DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH

DANIEL BLENDULF

Daniel Blendulf was born in August 1981 in Stockholm, Sweden. He started studying the cello at the age of eight with his father, before entering the Edsberg Institute of Music in Stockholm where his teacher was Torleif Thedéen. In 1999 he joined the master class of Heinrich Schiff at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where he graduated in 2004. He has supplemented his studies by taking master classes and lessons with Frans Helmerson, Boris Pergamenschikow, Pieter Wiespelwey and Jan-Erik Gustafsson.
 Daniel has performed as soloist and chamber musician in Scandinavia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and Spain, working with conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Vasilij Petrenko, Stefan Solyom, Petter Sundkvist, Niklas Willén and Arnold Östman.
 Besides being a member of Sweden’s leading string quartet, the Z quartet, he plays chamber music with Niklas Sivelöv, Peter Jablonski, Ulf Wallin, Richard Joo, Julian Rachlin, Ulf Wallin among others.
 Daniel plays a cello made by John Lott dating from 1840, which has kindly been placed at his disposal by the Järnåker Foundation, Sweden.

FRANCISCA SKOOGH

 Francisca Skoogh made her debut at the age of 13th with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and has since then established herself as one of Sweden s foremost concert pianists. She made her studies with teachers like Romuald Sztern, Pascal Devoyon, Bohumila Jedlickova, Hans Pålsson and Dominique Merlet. She was the recipient of the prestigious ”Premier Prix” in both chamber music and piano at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris and the Soloist Diploma at The Royal Danish Music Conservatoire.
 Francisca has taken part in national and international competitions with great success and her main break-through took place when she was awarded the soloist prize in Stockholm 1998 which gave her a CD recording and a concert tour as prize Francisca Skoogh is a frequent guest at both national and international music festivals and as a soloist she appears regularly with most Swedish orchestras as well as internationally and she has cooperated with conductors like Okko Kamu, Heinz Wallberg, Gianandrea Noseda and Pinchas Steinberg.

 The Z QUARTET

Was founded in 2003 by four of Sweden’s foremost soloists and chamber ensemble musicians :

MATS ZETTERQVIST

With long experience as soloist, chamber ensemble musician (including many years in the Zetterqvist Quartet) and concert master.

ULRIKA JANSSON

Concert master in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.  Has played first violin in the Artemis Quartet and Sophisticated Ladies.

PASCAL SIFFERT

Born in Fribourg, Schweiz, and currently living in Sweden – section leader in the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.

DANIEL BLENDULF

Made a name for himself as soloist and chamber ensemble musician already at a young age and was recently presented as a ‘Rising Star’ in famous concert halls world-wide.

The quartet has quickly established itself as a world class ensemble with much acclaimed perfomances in such venues as the Stockholm Concert Hall. In 2007 concerts are scheduled in a number of countries, including Sweden, Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg. Their repertoire includes all musical eras from the classical to newly composed music.

DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH Sonata in D minor for cello and piano Op 40 (1934) I Allegro non troppo — Largo  13’39 II Allegro 3’14 III Largo 8’46 IV Allegro 4’21 Daniel Blendulf violoncell FRANCISCA SKOOGH piano Piano Quintet in G minor Op 57 (1940)  I Prelude 4’24 II Fugue 11’18 III Scherzo 3’31 IV Intermezzo 6’53 V Finale 7’48 the Z QUARTET FRANCISCA SKOOGH piano