they decided to work together also as a string quartet. They are all passionate about the string quartet repertoire and are looking forward to explore new material together. With backgrounds from Norway, France and eastern-Europe they wish to represent their respective home countries culture in addition to playing the most famous repertoire of this genre. Through the members wide experience and network they are looking forward to hosting festivals at home in Norway and internationally and, in time, also make new acquaintances with composers and arrangers. With their home base in Bergen, Norway, they aim to perform works by famous norwegian composers as well as working together with contemporary composers through commissions and recordings. Historically there have been two other string quartets with the same name, with the last from 1954-58 under leadership of the then present chief conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic, Carl von Garaguly.

ALEXANDER KAGAN was born 1984 in Moscow, into a family of legendary Russian musicians: Oleg Kagan and Natalia Gutman and started playing the violin at the ages of six. After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory in 2009 in the class of Prof. Kravchenko, he studied with Prof. Kolja Blacher in Hamburg and Berlin where he was granted a master degree in 2013. His studies included a semester at the Manhattan School of Music in New York in the Pinchas Zukermann program and numerous masterclasses with Professors like Pavel Vernikov, Philipe Hirshhorn, Maurizio Fuchs. He has won prizes at the Glazunov International Competition in Paris, the David Oistrakh International Violin Competition in Odessa, Assembly International Competition, Moscow and the Pinerolo International Chamber Music Competition in Italy.

Recent engagements include performances of the Bartok Violin Sonata with Víkingur Ólafsson in February 2021, Walton violin concerto as a soloist with Norrlandsoperan’s Symphony Orchestra and Joann Falletta in Umeå, Stockholm and Sundsvall (Sweden) 2019, a live TV solo appearance with the Swedish Radio Orchestra's at the 2018 New Year's Concert, several concerts with Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra in Sweden in 2016, a performance of Lalo's Sinfonia Español on the island Madeira Portugal (2016), two performances of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under conductors Andrew Manze and Andrew Litton in 2014. Alexander had his debut at the ‘Grand Hall’ of the Moscow Conservatory early in 2012 where he played the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory.

As of 2020/21 Season, Alexander is appointed as 1st concertmaster in Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, previously he held a permanent position as 1st Concertmaster in Norrlandsoperan in Sweden (2016-2020). Prior to that, he was employed as 1st Concertmaster of Norrlandsoperan in Sweden 2016-2020 and as Associate Concertmaster in Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra 2012-2016.

Alexander is frequently invited to lead major orchestras in Scandinavia, Europe, Asia and the US as guest concertmaster. Such as Buffalo Philharmonic 2019, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra 2019, Malaysian Phiharmonic 2019, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin in 2016, Stockholm Royal Philharmonic and Stockholm Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2016-2018, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Royal Opera, Gstaad Festival Orchestra 2016, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande 2016, Orquestra Sinfònico Casa da Musica Porto 2015, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken 2014 and 2015

Alexander Kagan is a keen chamber musician and performs at concerts including those at the Lucerne Festival in August 2015 and 2016, Seoul Spring Chamber Music Festival in May 2013, ‘December Evenings’, Ars Longa and the ‘Dedication’ Festival, Moscow, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, Storioni Chamber Music Festival (Eindhoven).

From Summer 2020 annually, Alexander will be teaching at the Soloist Academy in France. Alexander plays a violin by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (1855).

LARS MAGNUS STEINU is a Norwegian violinist, currently serving as 3rd concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. He grew up in Trondheim, where his violinist career started at age 7 at the municipal school of music. Lars Magnus has a Bachelor degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and a Master degree from the Norwegian Academy of Music, with professors Jacqueline Ross and Elise Båtnes. He recieved a distinction for his final recital at Guildhall, and performed the

Sibelius violin concerto as a soloist with the Norwegian Academy of Music orchestra. Since then, Lars Magnus has focused on his orchestral career, performing regularly with the Oslo Philharmonic orchestra, the Norwegian National Opera orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony orchestra, before joining the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019. Lars Magnus is also an eager chamber musician,having been a member of award winning string quartets in both London and Oslo.

LIENE KAVA, born and raised in Riga, Latvia, is a 3rd generation viola player in the family. She got her first solo viola job at age of 20 in Sinfonietta Riga and also became a member of its string quartet. During many summer academies and masterclasses abroad, she was one of the establishers and members of Weisenstein string quartet together with 3 other members from Czech Republic. They had concerts over some years in Germany, Latvia and Czech Republic. Ms. Klava has been a short term member of Kremerata Baltica and City of Birmingham symphony orchestra, while also playing chamber music in a range from baroque to contemporary. For quite some years she was a dedicated member of trio SILK (flute, viola, harp) which she founded together with her friends in Riga.

Since 2011 Liene is an assistant principal viola with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and also a member of the contemporary group Bit20 ensemble, where she has established its string quartet. Ms. Klava feels honored to be part of the Bergen string quartet and is looking forward to many exciting years together.

Currently Liene is playing on J.Leidolff fecit anno Vienna 1761.

Passionately fond of chamber music, PIERRE DOUMENGE was a member of the Dante Quartet and regularly explores the repertoire with artists such as Pascal Rogé, Lars Vogt, Daniel Hope, PekkaKuusisto, Lawrence Power, the Belcea, Allegri, Sacconi, Piatti, London Haydn quartets and the Nash Ensemble. He has appearedat many international festivals (Aldeburgh, Kuhmo, Bucharest, Vienna, Osor, Nuremberg, Hindsgalv, IMS Prussia Cove, Stellenbosch, Singapore, Hong-Kong, New-York, Washington DC, Vancouver, Boston, Bariloche Argentina) and recorded for the Dutton, Meridian, Hyperion and Chandos labels to great critical acclaim. In 2008 he was chosen to be the official cellist of the Menuhin International Violin Competition, performing the Ravel Duo Sonata with the nine semi-finalists. Pierre works regularly as guest principal cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Ensemble Orchestra Kanazawa, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC Welsh and the English National Opera. Pierre taught at the Yehudi Menuhin School from 2003-2009 and at the Guildhall School of Music from 2005-2017.

He gives annual masterclasses at the International Cello Courses UK, Oxford Cello School, Violoncello Society of London, Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, West Helsinki Music Institute, Conservatoire Royal de Mons and the Szymon Goldberg Seminars in Toyama, Japan. He has given public classes at the Juilliard School New-York, Bloomington, Eugene, Sacramento, Vancouver Universities, Stellenbosh, Singapore, Hong-Kong and Vienna.

Pierre plays on a cello made for him by the German luthier Stephan Von Baehr.