Nimrod Borenstein - a composer connected to many cultures (born in Israel, brought up in France, he lives in the UK) - has a particular affinity for Italy. "My wife is Italian," he explains, "so we go there often and I long ago fell in love with the country and its people. And of course its musical history is immense." So he was especially delighted to be asked by the Quartetto di Cremona to create the new string quartet Cieli d'Italia, inspired by his impressions of Italy. The work was recently issued by the Avie label on the album "Italian Postcards" to widespread praise, and a succession of stage premieres by the Italian ensemble are in the works (including a Danish premiere and tour in July). The recording has garnered enthusiastic reviews, including "5 stars" from Germany's influential Fono Forum ("Cieli d'Italia depicts the colours of the Italian skies through luxurious phrases, which then resolve into an intense finale").