Review: The Dreamers’ Circus presents an intimate portrait of new Nordic folk music
By Sweta Babladi, December 20 2025—
On Oct. 22 2025, the Nordic folk band Dreamers’ Circus brought their music to the University of Calgary’s Eckharddt-Grammate concert hall as a part of Calgary Promusica’s Horizons concert series.
Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen, Nikolaj Busk and Ale Carr first met in a Copenhagen bar in 2009. Those humble beginnings, the spark of creativity and connection between them has blossomed into a band that has won international renown for their virtuosic and genre-bending artistry. Dreamers’ Circus blends Nordic folk music, jazz traditions and Western classical music to bring shows that are imaginative, exciting and deeply personal.
The Dreamers’ Circus demonstrated how, in many ways, music is first and foremost about creating connections with other people. Their connection to their music, each other and the audience came through authentically. The best chamber music ensembles are enthralling to watch and listen to because they are closely attuned to one another. They move together, and they adapt to the changes that are inevitable in live performance. Sorensen, Busk and Carr each have different backgrounds in music — Sorensen is an active member of the Danish String Quartet, and Carr is also trained as a Classical musician. Busk is a jazz musician. Their effortless stage presence and the comfortable ease with which they play together and blend these different backgrounds made the concert mesmerizing to both listen to and watch.
The band’s connection to the audience was just as thoughtful and authentic to what they wanted people to take away from their performances: joy, solace and stories about themselves and their homeland. During the performance, they took the time to explain the significance of each piece they were about to perform. They described how the music is connected to explaining Danish and Swedish heritage, the musical traditions and instrument choices behind it and what the work means to them personally. They approached their communication with their audience with humor and honesty, breaking through the “artist versus audience” binary of the concert hall. Post-concert, the consideration, attentiveness and humility with which each artist spoke to audience members individually further proved that the impact that a musician has on others goes beyond what they create onstage.
In describing who they are, the musicians say that they want their music to bring people to a place where the imagination is set free. The energy and virtuosity that they brought to their more vigorous and high-spirited works truly evoked the sights, sounds and vibrancy of being a child entering a circus for the first time. The use of multiple different instruments, including the piano, acoustic guitar, fiddle and the cittern allowed for a variety of timbres, characters and skills to be displayed. Consequently, each piece on their program had a character unlike any other even as they consistently honored Nordic folk song tradition.
On the other end, Dreamers’ Circus portrayed heartbreakingly tender moments of nostalgia, grief and reflectiveness that undeniably touched the audience and made them feel closer to the music and to one another. The encore, titled Phillip’s Lake, was a moment that transported the audience to a place where the harsh lines of the world are softened. The song painted a serene picture of a cabin in the woods in the middle of winter; ice melting and dripping off the edge of a roof, everything in the woods holding its breath in the winter and the feeling of the crisp winter air rushing into your lungs. After taking the audience on a carousel of emotions from joy, anger and wonder throughout the concert, this idyllic encore made the concert hall feel as intimate as sitting around a campfire with loved ones.
Dreamers’ Circus’ concert was atmospheric and vivid with range, virtuosity, different instrumentations and meaning. The performance served as a reminder for the audience to ground ourselves in everything the world has to offer – to allow the child within to play, explore, ask questions and embrace every new experience that comes along.
Calgary Pro Music is a charitable organization with a focus on promoting chamber music in Calgary. They bring acclaimed musicians throughout the year to perform at the University of Calgary’s Rosza Centre and Mount Royal Conservatory’s Bella Concert Hall. For more information on Calgary Pro Musica’s concerts and student rush tickets, visit the Calgary Pro Musica website.