Ensemble biography

Woodpeckers Recorder Quartet are a dynamic group of virtuoso recorder players who share a common interest in performing and promoting both very old and very new music for their instrument. They met while studying together at Stockholm’s Royal College of Music, and soon realised that they were well suited as both friends and fellow chamber musicians. All four members have gained recognition on an international level, and have been performing and touring with some of Europe’s leading Baroque and contemporary music ensembles. As a group they have performed at festivals throughout Europe, and have made numerous radio and television appearances.

As well as focusing on original and arranged Baroque repertoire for the recorder, Woodpeckers aim to present the instrument in a new and interesting light, and together with more established composers, they have been collaborating with several young, talented composers to produce new music for the group, pushing the boundaries of the instrument. With Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Irish backgrounds, each member of Woodpeckers has something unique to offer and their programming often includes aspects of the folk repertoire from each of their respective countries.

At the forefront of Woodpeckers ideology is the drive to kick the age-old image of the recorder being merely a stepping-stone to something else, and they are intent on spreading their mission far and wide, be it through videos, recordings, workshops, teaching, research, and of course, live concerts. An integral part of their quest involves working with children and young people, and Woodpeckers have performed live for thousands of small ears, from newborn babies, to toddlers, to teenagers, to composition students. The energy they get back from this has fueled their pursuit and sparked many wonderful ideas that they are sure will keep them on the road and having fun for many years to come. 

Read more about each member:
Pernille Petersen
Katarina Widell
Kate Hearne
Caroline Eidsten Dahl

(In Swedish)
Woodpeckers Recorder Quartet är en dynamisk grupp musiker, som alla delar samma passion att framhäva både gammal och ny musik. De träffades under sina studier för Dan Laurin vid Kungl. Musikhögskolan i Stockholm. Efter avslutade diplomutbildningar har de fortsatt spela tillsammans och med rötter i Sverige, Norge, Danmark och Irland har Woodpeckers visat att de har något speciellt att bjuda på. Deras repertoar spänner från medeltid fram till idag med en förkärlek till barockmusik och nyskriven musik. De har som mål att presentera blockflöjten i ett helt nytt sammanhang och samarbetar därför med unga talangfulla tonsättare från Skandinavien och Europa för att utveckla blockflöjtens repertoar och uttrycksmöjligheter. Woodpeckers har framträtt på festivaler så som Stockholm Early Music Festival och representerat Skandinavien vid REMA Show case i Portugal, som spelades in av TV-kanalen Mezzo och sändes både i TV och radio över hela Europa. Samtliga medlemmar har också profilerat sig som vinnare och pristagare vid internationella tävlingar och de konserterar regelbundet runtom i hela världen. Med programmet “Kvittrande Klanger” har de turnerat med skolkonserter runtom i Sverige och Norge och inspireret tusentals av barn.