The dream of perfecting and developing the performance of wind-chamber music is the very force that binds the musicians together. Throughout the years from the birth of the ensemble, the members of Carion have sought a way to convert the traditions of conventional chamber music into an up-to-date and appealing experience of high cultural value.
Carion is an elite-ensemble with an outstanding integrity that combines progressive performance of the Fine Arts of the classical masterpieces with an easy accessible approach which communicates with all audiences from young to old.
Carion has won prizes at several chamber music competitions. Among them the Danish Radio Chamber music Competition in 2004 and a 1st prize at the Marco Fiorindo International Chamber music Competition in Turin, Italy in December 2006.
Hélène Navasse, flute
Born in 1973 in Normandy, France, she started her musical education at the age of 7, at the Ecole de Musique du Havre. She continued her studies at the Conservatoire National de Région de Boulogne with Pierre-Yves Artaud, where she graduated with 1st prize.
Awards
Hélène Navasse won several flute competitions in France, as well as the international flute competitions Concours-Lutèce (1993), Concours Nerini (1991) and UFAM (1990). Hélène was awarded the prestigious Bourse Lavoisier from the French Ministry of Culture in 1995 and the Thomas Jensen Legat from Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in 200
Performances
She made her debut at the age of 15, as soloist with the Chautauqua Youth Orchestra (USA). She has performed works by Arne Nordheim, C. Saint-Saëns, E. Rautavaara and recorded works by Pierre Boulez and Peter Bruun. Hélène has played Nieuw Ensemble, Schöenberg-ASKO Ensemble, Klangforum Wien, MusikFabrik and founded Havamal, a duo specialised in contemporary music for flute and cello, which recently recorded Capsize of Water (2006) by Morten Skovgaard Danielsen.
Hélène was solo flautist in Ensemble Polychromie (1991-94, Lille, France) and with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (1999-2005, Denmark) and is now devoting her career to contemporary music, chamber music and solo performances.
Niels Dittmann, oboe
He received basic musical training from the Tivoli Boys Guard in the years 1989 – 1995, where he received tuition from Erwin Jakobsen from the Royal Opera and Max Artved solo oboist with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. He studied five years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with solo oboist, Bjørn Carl Nielsen, and finished his diploma with Professor Ole Henrik Dahl. In 1998, Niels Dittmann won a scholarship for studies in the USA, and also received Queen Ingrid’s Roman scholarship for 6 months studies with Professor and solo oboist Luca Vignali, from the Orchestra de teatro dell’opera in Rome. Niels has also studied in the soloist class in Munich with Francois Leleux. In 2003, he received another scholarship from Leonie Sonnings Musikfond to complete his studies. Niels is a founding member of Carion.
Egīls Šēfers, clarinet
Šēfers holds the Master of Music degree from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he studied with Dr. John Graulty. He also received a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance from J. Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, Prof. Ģirts Pāže class, and has studied with world-renowned clarinetist Eli Eban at Indiana University, Bloomington, and classical clarinet with the world-renowned early music specialist Eric Hoeprich at IU Early Music Institute. Egīls Šēfers currently holds the principal clarinet position with Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark.
David M.A.P. Palmquist, horn
He studied natural horn and valve horn in Denmark and the U.S.A.. His studies at the soloist class at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover ended in 2007 with a concert and subsequent cd-recording with the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra.
After positions in the Odense Symphony Orchestra and the Danish National Radio Sinfonietta, he has worked as solo horn with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra until 2007, then he left to concentrate his career on chamber music and soloist performances. He has recorded solo works with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Göttingen Symphony Orchestra and gave the first performance in Denmark of György Ligeti's Hamburgisches Konzert.
Niels Anders Vedsten Larsen, bassoon
He began his musical studies at Musikhøjskolen in 1992, and continued at MGK in 1995. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Aarhus.
He has frequently played with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Danish National Radio Sinfonietta, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Lifeguard of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II. He is currently working in the Malmö Opera Orchestra in Sweden. |