”This performance is so stunning in it’s austerity, because they’re letting the resonance of the tones breathe – letting the tones be without doing a ton of shit. … You can hear how they’re listening in a very special way. There’s a give and take which feels like they’re improvising together. They are not executing a score, they’re giving the music”
Theresa Wong in The Wire Magazine, October 2021 on The Gift, Halvcirkel.
”Halvcirkel interprets with a captivating glow that can only excite … It’s both disorienting and original, and as a whole just hammering elegant.”
Klaus Lyngaard in Weekendavisen (DK), October 2021 on Fragment 94, Halvcirkel
”What a happy surprise to hear the Danish string quartet, Halvcirkel, play The Gift. They have hit just the right mood and pacing and the last section ‘Mongolian Winds’ is exceptionally beautiful. These four imaginative women cast a spell in Echoes of Primordial Time.”
Terry Riley commenting on The Gift by Halvcirkel, 2019 on The Gift, Halvcirkel
“…A new generation of classical artists question the cult of perfection that holds sway in the neck of the woods. Analogue records – softer, warmer, more human and more vulnerable are all part of the project. The Danish collective Halvcirkel is a physical manifestation of that concept.”
Andrew Mellor in The Gramophone, 2018 on Halvcirkel, Halvcirkel
“Sammen med strygekvartetten Halvcirkel, udvidet med kontrabas, giver Dekorum et sitrende liv til nogle af de mest interessante nedslag i Shaws oevre. De to ensembler rammer hver for sig og sammen akkurat den enkle klarhed, som gør at Shaws kompositioner virkelig kan skære sine længsler i hjertet.”
Jakob Gustav Winckler in Seismograf, 2022 on Yearning to breathe free, Halvcirkel and Dekorum Vocal Ensemble
“Verdensfrelserinderne” is a modern composition that I would frame in the classical-avant-garde space, in the area of minimalist chamber music. At the same time, the pastiche-hommage reconstruction of some pop-rockelements and the intervention on the classical composition make me place the project in the area of postmodern musical performance. The composition may be reminiscent of Steve Reich, may be reminiscent of Luciano Berio, of Schnittke’s strength, may be reminiscent of Uri Caine’s musical ideas , but it is undoubtedly an original, consistent work, one of the most powerful musical proposals in recent times.…The music performed by Halvcirkel embrace the lyrics performed by Nielsen, points out the drama of the performance, highlights the depth of the need/desire of community. “
Lucian Maier in Agenda LiterNet, 2021 on Verdensfrelserindene by Madame Nielsen and Halvcirkel