Candidates Announced at the Carl Nielsen String Quartet Competition 2023

Eight quartets will perform in Copenhagen between April 12 and April 16

The Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition, which will be hosted in Copenhagen between April 12 and 16, celebrates the music of Carl Nielsen by requiring competing ensembles to perform his works, among other music. The competition runs two categories, one for string quartets and one for wind quartets. The selected ensembles will perform at three venues: DR, The Royal Library, and The Royal Danish Academy of Music.

The eight string ensembles to compete this year are as follows:

• Kleio Quartet (London, England)
• Absalon String Quartet (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• Vivace Quartet (China)
• Quartet Cervin (Rolle, Switzerland)
• Quartett HANA (Munich, Germany)
• Neuma Quartet (Poland)
• NERIDA Quartet (Germany/Switzerland)
• NOVO Quartet (Copenhagen, Denmark)

For the string quartet competition, the first round's set repertoire includes a string quartet by Joseph Haydn (to be chosen from either Op. 74, 76, or 77), as well as the first and second movements from a string quartet by Carl Nielsen (to be chosen from either Op. 5, 13, 14, or 44).

Alongside works by Nielsen, the competitors will also prepare a commissioned work by Gustav Bjerre, titled String Quartet in One Movement — which they will receive one month before the competition.

First Prize carries a value of €15,000, with the Second and Third prizes worth €10,000 and €5,000 respectively. There is also a €2,500 prize for the best performance of the commissioned work.

The jury for the string quartet portion of the competition will be comprised of Clive Greensmith (chair), Berit Cardas, Gunvor Sihm, Sergei Bresler, and Marie Bitlloch.

You can read more about the members of each ensemble, here.