Heathcliff Trio© All Rights Reserved // Photo © Andrej Grilc
Ashley Tong
Violin
British-Taiwanese violinist Ashley Tong debuted with The Taipei Symphony Orchestra at the age of 8 after winning the ‘Young Soloist competition’. She has since appeared at the Wigmore Hall, the Barbican Hall, St. Martin in the fields, the Royal Festival Hall, Menuhin Hall, The National Gallery in London, Taiwan National Concert Halls, Wien Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, Graz Musikverein, Bösendorfer Saal in Austria, Crystal Hall in Asahikawa, Japan, Dramaten and Kungasalen in Stockholm, and Konserthuset Stockholm.
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An avid chamber musician, Ashley is the violinist and co-founder of the Heathcliff Trio, with whom she won 1st Prize at the 9th International Johannes Brahms Chamber Music Competition and has performed widely across Europe and appeared at major festivals such as the Harrogate International Festival, Hindsgavl Festival, and Oslo Chamber Music Festival. The trio’s performances have been broadcast on prestigious platforms, including Danish Radio, Bayerischen Rundfunk, and BBC Radio 3.
Ashley has also performed alongside distinguished musicians such as Lev Klychkov (Concertmaster of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra), Günter Seifert (1st Violin of the Wiener Philharmoniker), Philippe Graffin, Barnabás Kelemen, and Kathryn Stott. Her festival engagements include K&M Fest Stavanger, Britten Pears Festival, and the Aurora Festival, where she led the Aurora Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster for two consecutive years, under the baton of Jukka-Pekka Saraste in collaboration with Leonidas Kavakos and Mischa Maisky.
Over the years, Ashley has received accolades from esteemed artists such as Schmuel Ashkenasi, Michael Frischenschlager, and Thomas Brandis. She started playing the violin at the age of 7, studying with the violinist-conductor, Drapal Liao. After graduating from The Yehudi Menuhin School with Lutsia Ibragimova, she continued her studies at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Krzysztof Smietana, earned a Bachelor’s degree at Kunst Universität Graz with Eszter Haffner, a Master’s degree at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with Tim Frederiksen and Peter Herresthal and a postgraduate degree in Chamber Music at The University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Johannes Meissl.
Now based in Copenhagen, Ashley performs regularly across Denmark and is currently pursuing an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with the Heathcliff Trio under the guidance of Tim Frederiksen. She has been supported by notable institutions, including the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation, and continues to distinguish herself on the international stage.
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Norwegian cellist Johannes Borchgrevink is widely regarded as one of Scandinavia’s most gifted and versatile cellists. Internationally acclaimed cellist Audun Sandvik praised him as ‘a highly skilled musician with a uniquely developed musical voice.’
Johannes Borchgrevink
Cello
Born in Trondheim in 1993, Borchgrevink’s passion for music emerged at an early age. He honed his talents in the prestigious 'Young Musicians' program at the Trondheim Conservatory before pursuing advanced studies in cello performance under the esteemed John Ehde in Malmö, Sweden. He later earned a Master’s degree from The Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where he studied with renowned professors Aage Kvalbein and Audun Sandvik.
A keen chamber musician, Borchgrevink is the cellist of the Heathcliff Trio with whom he is currently on the Advance Postgraduate Diploma Programme at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with Tim Frederiksen. Previously, he was a co-founder and member of the Meteoros Ensemble, with whom he won multiple 1st Prizes at The Norwegian Academy of Music's Chamber Music Competition, as well as 3rd Prize at the Stasys Vainiunas International Chamber Music Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania. He has participated in masterclasses with Johannes Meissl, Lars Anders Tomter, Håvard Gimse, Are Sandbakken, and Patrick Jüdt.
Borchgrevink has performed at prestigious festivals, including the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Montreal’s Musical Chairs, and the Grieg Festival in Oslo. In addition to his passion for chamber music, Borchgrevink has also toured around Europe as a solo cellist with The Norwegian National Youth Orchestra and regularly performs with the leading Symphony Orchestras in Norway.
His performances have taken him across the globe, with concerts in England, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the USA, Italy, France, and Norway.
Jonathan Siahaan
Piano
Jonathan Siahaan is a Danish pianist based in Copenhagen, known for his artistry both as a soloist and chamber musician. He made his professional debut at the age of 12, performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Copenhagen Festival Orchestra, marking the beginning of a distinguished career.
He has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, including the Odense Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Chamber Orchestra, and Danish National Symphony Orchestra. His solo recital debut at Tivoli Concert Hall in 2012 also received high critical acclaim.
Over the years Jonathan has garnered multiple international and national awards, including 3rd Prize in Nordic Piano Competion, 1st Prizes in all three age categories and the VIP Prize in the national Steinway Piano Competition, a Gold Medal in the Berlingske Tidendes Music Competition, and 1st Prize in the Danish Radiocast Competition ‘Spil for Livet’, which was broadcast on national television. He also received 1st Prizes in the Royal Danish Academy of Music Piano Competition in both 2016 and 2018.
Among his numerous accolades, Jonathan has been supported by the Augustinus Foundation, which has provided him with a brand-new Steinway grand piano since 2021. Additionally, he has been honored by several prestigious Danish foundations, including the DR Emil Holms Mindelegat, Den Berlingske Fond, Jacob Gade Talent Prize, Carl Nielsen og Anne Marie Carl-Nielsens Talent Prize, Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, and Odd Fellow Ordenens Legat.
A passionate chamber musician, Jonathan co-founded the Heathcliff Trio in 2020 and has collaborated with renowned artists such as Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Enrico Pace, Sergei Malov, Andrei Bielow, and Andreas Brantelid. He has performed at leading festivals, including the Hindsgavl Festival and Kerteminde Chamber Music Festival, and served as the permanent accompanist for the contestants in both the 10th and 11th Carl Nielsen Violin Competitions in 2016 and 2019. Jonathan has also released a piano album on Dacapo Records featuring contemporary Danish composers.
He began his piano studies at the age of 6, studying under Kyoko Kato and later Bella Zapolski. He completed his Soloist Diploma at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under Professor Jens Elvekjaer, further honing his skills as a versatile and sought-after performer in both solo and chamber music settings. Jonathan is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.