The cellist Janne Fredens is one of the most active Danish chamber musicians. As such, she has performed in Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Israel, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belgium and large parts of the United States. In addition, she has participated in countless radio and TV transmissions, primarily in Danish Radio and TV, but also in ABC Radio Australia, MRD Music Summer and Yomiri Television Japan, both as a soloist and chamber musician.
With the piano trio Jalina Trio, she has recieved great acclaim both in Denmark and abroad, with enthusiastic reviews in such prestigious music magazines as “The Strad” and “Fanfare Magazine” for their debut CD with piano trios by Mendelssohn and Brahms. The recording was awarded the Danish Radio P2 Prize for best chamber music release, and was “Strad Selected” in the Strad Magazine. Jalina Trio are prize winners at several of the largest international chamber music competitions: 1st Prize at the Concorso Internationale di Musica da Camera Trapani, Italy, 2nd Prize at the 4th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, Japan, and 2nd Prize and Audience Prize at “Trondheim Chamber Music Competition” Norway. Jalina Trio has participated in the “Isaac Stern Chambermusic Workshop” in New York, with a concluding concert in the Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall and was later invited by Isaac Stern to participate in his “Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters”.
Janne Fredens has performed as a soloist both at home and abroad, and as a member of the Jalina Trio, the Cailin Quartet, the Hafnia Piano Quartet and with the pianist Søren Rastogi has been a frequent guest at music societies and festivals. She has appeared on several CDs, including two releases with recent Danish piano trios.
Together with her husband, Søren Rastogi, she was in 2022 appointed artist director of the internationally profiled Odsherreds Chamber Music Festival, which presents international musicians as well as young talents. She is also director of “KammermusikCamp”, a national talent workshop for young chamber musicians.
Among the many scholarships and awards she has received are Jacob Gade’s major scholarship, the BG Foundation’s Chamber Music Prize, the Ministry of Culture’s travel scholarship and the Leonie Sonnings Music Foundation’s scholarship.
Janne Fredens has been teaching cello at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, and is employed as a solo cellist in the Randers Chamber Ensemble. She is educated at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, The Music Academy in Prague, The Royal Danish Music Conservatory and Edsberg Castle Chamber Music Institution in Stockholm with teachers Torleif Thedeen, Frans Helmerson, Morten Zeuthen,Harro Ruijsenaars and Miroslav Petras.
Selected quotes from reviews:
“Courage and Musician’s heart …. No doubt that we with Janne Fredens see a new central name flourish in Danish music life ”. (Thomas Michelsen, Politiken)
“And the fantastic soloist on cello: Janne Fredens plays so beautifully“. (Søren Schauser, Berlingske Tidende.)
“Never- and I mean never- have I heard either of these works played with such expressive nuance and exquisite, heartfelt sensitivity”. (Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine)
“Excellent and immaculately balanced, enjoying a recording of exceptional quality” (Strad Magazine)
“Janne Fredens is a cellist of the highest class, and in the virtuoso work she showed a deep familiarity with the cello and an empathetic feeling for Tchaikovsky’s Rococo variations” (Vibeke Kruse, Vejle Amts Folkeblad.)
Cellisten Janne Fredens er en særdeles aktiv kammermusiker. Hun har som sådan optrådt i Australien, England, Japan, Tyskland, Norge, Sverige, Israel, Italien, Ungarn, Tjekkiet, Bruxelles og store dele af USA, blandt andet på en turne i Californien med Beethovens Tripelkoncert. Desuden har hun medvirket ved talrige radio-og TV transmissioner, først og fremmest i Danmarks Radio og TV, men også i ABC Radio Australia, MRD Musiksommer og Yomiri Television Japan, både som solist og kammermusiker.
Med klavertrioen Jalina Trio har hun høstet stor anerkendelse både i Danmark og udlandet, med begejstrede anmeldelser i så prestigefyldte musikmagasiner som ”The Strad” og ”Fanfare Magazine” for deres CD med klavertrioer af Mendelssohn og Brahms. Indspilningen blev tildelt Danmarks Radios P2-Pris for bedste kammermusikudgivelse. Jalina Trio er prisvindere ved flere af de største internationale kammermusikkonkurrencer: 1. Pris ved ”Concorso Internationale di Musica da Camera” Trapani, Italien, 2. Pris ved ”The 4th Osaka Internationale Chamber Music Competition”, Japan, samt 2. Pris og publikumspris ved ”Trondheim Kammermusikkonkurrence” Norge. Jalina Trio har deltaget i ”Isaac Stern Chambermusic Workshop ”i New York, med afsluttende koncert i Carnegie Hall, og blev senere inviteret af Isaac Stern til at deltage i hans ”Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters”.
Janne Fredens har optrådt som solist i både ind- og udland, og har som medlem af Jalina Trio, Cailin kvartetten, Hafnia Klaverkvartet og med pianisten Søren Rastogi været en hyppig gæst ved musikforeninger og festivals. Hun har medvirket på flere CD’er, heriblandt to udgivelser med nyere danske klavertrioer.
Af de mange legater og priser hun har modtaget kan nævnes Jacob Gades store legat, BG Fonds Kammermusikpris, Kulturministeriets rejselegat samt Leonie Sonnings Musikfonds legat.
Janne Fredens har i flere år undervist på Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium og er ansat som solocellist i Randers Kammerensemble. Hun er initiativtager til KammermusikCamp, som er et nyt landsdækkende talentprojekt for unge klassiske musikere og fra 2022 er hun kunstnerisk leder af Odsherreds Kammermusikfestival sammen med Søren Rastogi.
Hun er uddannet på Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium, Musikakademiet i Prag, Det Kgl. Danske Musikkonservatorium og Edsberg Slott Kammermusikinstitution i Stockholm med lærerne Torleif Thedeen, Frans Helmerson, Morten Zeuthen, Harro Ruijsenaars and Miroslav Petras.
Udvalgte citater fra anmeldelser:
”Mod og Musikerhjerte…. Ingen tvivl om, at vi med Janne Fredens ser et nyt centralt navn blomstre frem i dansk musikliv”. (Thomas Michelsen, Politiken)
” Og den fantastiske solist på cello: Så smukt spiller Janne Fredens”. (Søren Schauser, Berlingske Tidende.)
“Never- and I mean never – have I heard eather of these works played with such expressive nuance and exquisite, heartfelt sensitivity” (Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine)
“Excellent and immaculately balanced, enjoying a recording of exceptional quality” (Strad Magazine)
”Janne Fredens er en cellist i mesterklassen, og hun viste i det virtuose værk en dyb fortrolighed med celloen og en indfølt fornemmelse for Tjajkovskijs Rococo-variationer” (Vibeke Kruse, Vejle amts Folkeblad.)