Applications Closing for 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition

Open to violinists under the age of 30, the competition will take place in Odense, Denmark from April 1-10, 2022

Established in memory of composer Carl Nielsen, the competition's first prize winner will receive a prize worth €25,000 — consisting of €12,000 in prize money, a bow donated by Ulf Eriksson Violiner and Duncan E, a recording deal with Orchid Classics and the Odense Symphony Orchestra, as well as guest appearances with top Nordic orchestras.

Applications are to be received by October 30, 2021. The competition is also open to flutists and clarinetists.

In addition to the competition, the 2022 event will also include Expansiva!, a new in-person program designed to offer participants an off-stage platform to create connections with other musicians and music industry experts. Each participant will be provided with private accommodations for the entirety of the competition to ensure they are able to completely engage in all aspects of the experience.

In the spirit of Carl Nielsen's values of enjoying life and creating a community, the Carl Nielsen pub will be open during the competition — and all candidates will be invited to enjoy supper together for free and engage in some "post-round" entertainment.

"The world has changed and this means that as competition organizers we should also adapt," Competition President, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider said in a statement. "While our priority is of course to find the brightest and most talented young musicians of today, we also feel it is vital to create an off-stage experience that benefits all the participants who come to Odense.

“There was already something particularly special about the atmosphere surrounding the competition in 2019," he added. "With three competitions running parallel to each other there was a buzz in the air and a feeling more akin to a festival. It is this atmosphere that we wish to build on by creating an accompanying platform where the participants have an opportunity to meet their future colleagues and the music world’s movers and shakers, all in an informal and relaxed setting."

The 2022 violin jury will include Noah Bendix-Balgley (Head Juror), Eugene Tichindeleanu, Albena Danialova, Tasmin Little, Judith Van Eeckhout, and Mark Williams.

Previous prize winners include Kathleen Winkler, Joji Hattori, Nikolaj Znaider, Jennifer Koh, Pekka Kuusisto, Adele Anthony, Hrachya Avanesyan — and VC Artists Josef Spacek, Ji Won Song, and Luke Hsu.

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