As a string quartet, we often find ourselves immersed in the classical music world. It is a strange, wondrous world, steeped in interesting traditions that are full of depth and meaning. Our daily lives are shaped by rehearsals, listening to each other, arguing about phrasing, and trying to make some sense of music that has outlived us all. Over the years, we’ve studied, travelled, performed, and functioned as four individuals all travelling the same path. If you’re looking for the formal version of this story, that information exists elsewhere, neatly organised and responsibly factual.

Here's the simple version of our story instead. Bålder Quartet started when a young Emil Hartikainen approached Vadim Grumeza during a rehearsal break in Helsinki, expressing the desire to form a quartet and to perform music that would connect people. Impressed by the size of Emil's afro and convinced by the båldness of his convictions, Vadim agreed.

Through hard work and perseverance, we slowly found our members. Our ever-reliable cellist Tommi Wesslund came aboard in 2017, and in 2018, talented Malaysian violinist Andrew Ng joined as well. Together, we hung out at festivals and music camps, drinking wine, playing pranks on each other, and sneaking out late at night to do skinny dipping. Through patient guidance from Enescu Quartet violist Vladimir Mendelssohn and Marc Danel from Quatuor Danel, we steadily learned how to play together. With our coaches, we did some real serious string quartet work, like fixing intonation and stuff!

Time passes quickly, and how on earth exactly we are not so sure, but here we are now. We rehearse, take our work seriously, and laugh often — sometimes at the music, and sometimes at ourselves. Despite all the obstacles: Emil is always in London; Andrew is constantly swept up in work, what keeps us going is trust. The kind that allows for honesty, risk-taking, and the occasional disagreement that only brings us closer.

It all started as a dream, to connect people through the power of music. Music has the ability to open doors to many powerful emotions, and together we aim to bring these emotions to the stage. Whether we follow tradition closely or bend it, our goal remains the same: to create concerts that make people feel alive, and be in the present.

Now we are living our dream. To be honest, we are still learning and still growing. Listening to each other, trusting the process, and for now, that feels like exactly enough.