Young stars shine in blazing Carl Nielsen Competition Players from Estonia, Ukraine and Italy take top prizes in composer’s home city
Musicians from three European countries have triumphed at the Carl Nielsen International Competition 2022, each winning significant cash prizes, recording deals and the opportunity to perform with a leading Nordic orchestra… not to mention the kudos of success at one of the most prestigious events of its kind.
Sharing first prize in the violin competition were the Estonian Hans Christian Aavik, 23, and 17-year-old Ukrainian Bohdan Luts, while Ukraine also enjoyed victory in the clarinet competition, won by Oleg Shebeta-Dragan, 27. The flute competition was won by the 24-year-old Italian Alberto Navarra.
The three instrumental categories at the Nielsen Competition derive from the three concertos written by the Danish composer – who hailed from near Odense, the city in which the event is held – and each of the finalists is required to perform a Nielsen concerto plus a major work for soloist and orchestra by another composer. In the past, the instruments were showcased in separate competitions in yearly rotation, but in 2019 the three elements were brought together into one larger triennial celebration. The competition itself dates back to 1980, when it was founded to promote the composer’s music. It was initially just for violinists before organists were invited to join the party in 1986, followed by clarinettists in 1997 and flautists in 1998 – the organ category was dropped in 2011.
Reflecting on this year’s event, competition president and leading violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider commented that it ‘has exceeded all our expectations in many ways, first and foremost for the fact that we have four outstanding first prize winners of exceptional musicality and individuality. Equally important has been the extraordinary sense of “togetherness” which we have seen and felt among the competitors – young musicians who have shown genuine warmth and support for each other both on- and off-stage.’
With further prizes awarded for second and third place in each category and for disciplines such as performing a work specially commissioned for the competition and constructing an imaginative programme around Nielsen’s music, success at the Nielsen Competition is by no means just about winning the final. And for many of the participants, a bright
