‘The twilight zone where all paths remain open’: Violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen on the latest project from Dreamers’ Circus

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Although he plays in a world-famous string quartet, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen’s musical identity extends far beyond the classical stage. A founding member of the Danish Quartet, the versatile violinist and fiddler also pursues his passion for Nordic folk music with the trio Dreamers’ Circus, alongside fellow Dane Nikolaj Busk on piano/accordion and Swedish cittern virtuoso Ale Carr, an expert in the plucked string instruments central to Nordic folk tradition.

Dreamers’ Circus has just released its new album Handed On, which draws on a project of the same name it launched during the pandemic, when the trio composed dozens of original tunes rooted in traditional style. Sørensen and his colleagues compiled these into a tune book to serve as a pedagogical resource, with material ranging in difficulty from beginner’s level to advanced. 

For the new album, recorded at Copenhagen’s Farvemøllen Studios with producer Kristian Leth, Dreamers’ Circus has selected particularly evocative tunes that showcase the trio’s vibrant connection to this tradition, celebrating the creative malleability of folk music.

Currently on an American West Coast tour with the band, Sørensen spoke with The Strad’s US correspondent Thomas May about Handed On, the collaborative style of Dreamers’ Circus and the endless fascination of folk music.  

All three members of Dreamers’ Circus became immersed in folk music from an early age. What inspires you and your colleagues to keep returning to this rich source?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: At its core, folk music has always been about bringing people together. Whether for a dance, a celebration, a ritual or something else, this music has always been the thread connecting people. Even after folk music found its way onto concert stages about a century ago, this communal spirit remains deeply ingrained in the tradition.

The best thing about this music is often found in the simplest moments – sitting in a pub, jamming with friends. The sole purpose is to have a jolly good time, and somehow, that sense of freedom sets the music loose. All technical concerns fade away. Somehow, it’s music-making in its most playful form. That was also how the three of us were brought together in the first place.

But traditional music also offers a clear insight into our cultural heritage – who we are as a people and as a country. It reveals the influences that have shaped us and how geography has played a crucial role in forming local traditions. In many ways, folk music is a window into understanding our identity. For us, that is really fascinating. 

At its core, folk music has always been about bringing people together

What is your approach to the traditional material you drew on for your new album Handed On?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: With the Handed On project, we found ourselves returning to the very essence and story of our band. We wrote 58 new tunes in the traditional Nordic style, incorporating a variety of melody and dance types, and structured them in a way that added a pedagogical dimension to the project. It acknowledges the past while responding to the present – we call it New Nordic Music.

We see tradition as something progressive – if left unchallenged, it risks fading into a museum piece. So, while honouring these old melody forms, we also wanted to give them a fresh and personal touch. As the famous saying goes: ’Folk music is not what it was, and it never has been’. 

For the album, we selected our favourite tunes from the collection and added a few with a more-contemporary feel to create a cohesive whole.

Dreamers’ Circus originated from a spontaneous jam session at a bar in Copenhagen back in 2009. Is leadership of the trio equally shared?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Like many other groups, we each have our roles in Dreamers’ Circus. With the violin as our main instrument, Ale and I grew up as melody players, while Nikolaj, as a pianist, refined his role as a great accompanist. That being said, we strive to break away from these stereotypes, letting the tunes themselves dictate the instrumentation and roles.

If traditional folk music were like early Haydn, with the first violin leading the charge, we aim to be more like Beethoven, where every player has a distinctive voice. Not only does this serve our music best, but it also creates a stronger dynamic and brings more variation to our setlists.

Each of you plays a multi-instrumental role in Dreamers’ Circus. How does the trio divide up the instrumentation?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Normally, Ale is the plucked-strings guy, Nikolaj covers all the keys, and I mainly switch between violin and keyboards. But we also enjoy challenging ourselves with new instruments, as it deepens our understanding of musical roles and adds an unexpected element to our concerts. 

Personally, I’ve always loved playing the piano. It was the friend that tapped me on the shoulder when having to practise violin became too much. So whenever I get the chance to play a tune on the piano, I never turn it down. For us, it should always come from a desire to express something in a new way. When Nikolaj switches from piano to accordion or Ale from cittern to violin, it’s not just to add another flavour to the music. It’s also because we love the freshness that comes with playing different instruments.

Could you describe some of the more unusual instruments you’re using? What do they add to the soundscape?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: We enjoy showcasing old Nordic instruments on stage when we perform. One of them is the clog fiddle from southern Sweden – essentially, a poor man’s violin made from a wooden clog. It has a rather nasal tone, adds a touch of humour, and, on top of that, Ale is the official world champion on the instrument – yes, that’s actually a thing! 

We also bring a tagelharpa on stage – one of the earliest bowed instruments, depicted in 1,000-year-old church paintings in Norway. With its strings made out of hair, it has a raw, unpolished sound – crooked, hoarse, and almost primal – full of character and edge. We use it in a few new tunes centred around the theme of ritual.

Do you play the same instrument as a fiddle player for Dreamers’ Circus that you use for your Danish Quartet music-making? 

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Yes, I play the same instrument – the only difference is that in Dreamers’ Circus, we play amplified. I have the privilege of playing a wonderful old Gagliano, which has been my companion for 15 years now. It offers me a broad palette of sounds to work with, so I see no reason to switch to another instrument. For me, being a fiddle player is more about the music than the instrument itself.

In your work with the Danish Quartet, you’ve been exploring new approaches to folk material, as on your wonderful new album Keel Road. Any interesting examples of how this work has cross-pollinated with the Dreamers’ Circus collaboration? Does your classical side influence your approach to these folk sources? or vice versa?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: In many ways, we in Dreamers’ Circus approach music much like a classical ensemble. We work extensively with character, colour and dynamics, always returning to the fundamental question: What do we want to express and convey? How do we create music that tells a clear story, sparks curiosity, or evokes emotions that feel universal?

In classical music, composers have wrestled with these questions for centuries, and that serves as a great inspiration for Dreamers’ Circus. On the other hand, folk music embodies the playground – the freedom, spontaneity and sheer joy of making music together – which, in turn, has been a major source of inspiration for the Danish Quartet.

At the end of the day, neither group is a purely classical ensemble nor a purely folk band. We are drawn to the unexplored territory in between – the twilight zone where all paths remain open.

What do you hope fans take away from the new album and the shows you’re performing on this current tour?

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: We hope that with our Handed On album, listeners will hear where we come from and feel the love we have for traditional music. For the live tour, the audience should expect the unexpected – traditional and new, dusty and bright, quirky and simple, surprising and familiar. Music that speaks to the heart, mind and feet. But most importantly, we simply hope that, for a couple of hours, people will forget everything else happening in the world at the moment and that our music will serve as a unifying force between people.