IRIS MAIDRE AARVIK started learning both the violin and the piano at the age of five.

While being a member of the string quartet J-I-MI-A at the Bergen City School of Music she discovered the viola, and since 2008 she has dedicated her time and attention to this instrument, studying with Tamara Iakovleva, Ilze Klava og Ricardo Odriozola.

Iris shows great musicianship both as a solist and a chamber musician. She has appeared as violist in a great number of musical settings and she is also a very able pianist.

With various orchestras and chamber music groups she has toured extensively in Norway as well as in China, Japan and England. She now regularly substitutes as violist in several professional orchestras in Norway.

At present Iris is studying with Soon Mi Chung for her Masters Degree at Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt, Oslo. Iris plays a Chaudier viola, lent by Dextra Musica.

MAX NYBERG studied piano at Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt in Oslo and Hochschule für Musik & Tanz, Köln, with teachers including Michael Rische, Jiri Hlinka and Michael Endres.

He has performed regularly at recitals, as chamber musician and as soloist with orchestras during and since his studies.

In recent years Max has been specializing in the music of Bach, and he was a prizewinner at the 9th International Piano Competition “J. S. Bach” in Würzburg in 2016.

Later the same year he started his second master's program, now studying composition, at the university of Gothenburg.

He has had compositions published abroad, and in 2017 his composition “Tyngdpunkt-Runmarö” was premiered by the Swidish Wind Ensemble. In February 2017 he made his radio debut with a solo recital broadcast by the german radio station WDR 3.

In the review of the concert he was praised for his pianistic clarity and understanding of polyphonic structure, and described as an unconventional and analytical, yet humble and empathetic musician.