Ensemble Aalterna

Judith Blauw (oboe) - Erik Sandberg (horn) - Sheila Popkin (Bassoon) - Yana Deshkova (violin) - Marius Ungureanu (Viola) - Matthias Hehrmann (cello) - Kenneth (bass)

AALTERNA was born from a desire to create a new sound in Northern Jutland – one that fuses the depth of the classical tradition with the immediacy of improvisation. Rooted locally but with an international outlook, the project aims to break conventions and reimagine the ensemble format.

Led by bassist, composer, and artistic director Kenneth Dahl Knudsen, who teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, the ensemble brings together ten musicians – half classical, half jazz/modern – to perform works written specifically for this hybrid constellation. The repertoire includes Knudsen’s own compositions as well as future commissions from composers exploring cross-genre formats.

At the heart of AALTERNA lies the search for a new musical language: not crossover, but a genuine fusion where classical and jazz/modern traditions merge into something that does not yet exist. The ambition is to expand the boundaries of what classical music can mean in Denmark in the 21st century.