Carl Nielsen International
Chamber Music Competition 2023

for String Quartet & Wind Quintet

Copenhagen, April 12-16

Carl Nielsen Chamber Music Competition is pleased to announce the participating ensembles of the 2023 competition.
The pre-jury has now selected the 10 string quartets and 10 wind quintets who will be given the opportunity to compete on the three great venues of DR, The Royal Library and The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen April 2023.

String Quartets Wind Quintets

Wind Quintets

Round 1

Wind Quintet

Wednesday April 12
DR Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR Byen Studio 2
  1. 1st movement from either Paul Taffanel: Wind quintet in g-minor (1876) or Otto Mortensen: Wind quintet (1944).
  2. Two movements from Franz Danzi: Wind quintet in B-flat major or g- minor or F-major.
  3. Prelude and Theme with Variations from Carl Nielsen: Wind quintet, op. 43 (1922)
Free access to Round 1 - reserve ticket here

Wind Quintets

Round 1

String Quartet

Thursday April 13
DR Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR Byen Studio 2
  1. A string quartet by Joseph Haydn to be chosen from op. 74 or 76 or 77.
  2. 1st and 2nd movement from a string quartet by Carl Nielsen, to be chosen from: op. 13 in g-minor, or op. 5 in f-minor, or op. 14 in E-flat major or op. 44 in F-major.
Free access to Round 1 - reserve ticket here

Wind Quintets

Round 2

Wind Quintet

Friday 14 April
The Royal Library, The Queen’s Hall
  1. Athanasia Kotronia: Grönare Än for wind quintet. The work will be provided to the ensembles one month before the competition starts.
  2. Paul Hindemith: Kleine Kammermusik op. 24 or György Ligeti: 6 Bagatellen
  3. One movement from Arnold Schönberg: Quintet op. 26 or two movements from Kalevi Aho: Wind Quintet no.1 or no. 2
Free access to Round 2

The selected wind quintets for Round 2 will be announced on Wednesday evening 12 April

Wind Quintets

Round 2

String Quartet

Saturday 15 April
The Royal Library, The Queen’s Hall
  1. Gustav Bjerre: String Quartet in One Movement. The work will be provided to the ensembles one month before the competition starts.
  2. A string quartet chosen from among those by Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Dvorák, Smetana, Grieg and Sibelius.
  3. A string quartet chosen from among those by Debussy, Ravel, Bartók, Shostakovich or Rued Langgaard: String Quartet no. 2 BVN 145 or String Quartet no. 3 BVN 183 or Vagn Holmboe: String Quartet no. 2 op. 47 or String Quartet no. 8 op. 87.
Free access to Round 2

The selected string quartets for Round 2 will be announced on Thursday evening 13 April.

Wind Quintets

Finale

Wind Quintet

Sunday 16 April
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, The Concert Hall
  1. A work of the ensemble’s choice
  2. Jean Françaix: Wind quintet no. 1 or Jørgen Jersild: At spille I skoven, Serenade
  3. Carl Nielsen: Wind quintet, op. 43
    free download of facsimile edition
Tickets

The selected wind quintets for the Final will be announced on Friday evening 14 April

Wind Quintets

Finale

String Quartet

Sunday 16 April
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, The Concert Hall
  1. A string quartet by Carl Nielsen to be chosen from op. 13 in g-minor,or op.5 in f-minor,or op.14 in E- flat major or op. 44 in F-major.
  2. A string quartet by Beethoven to be chosen from op. 59, op. 127, op. 130, op. 131, op. 132, op. 135
    or Schubert: String quartet no. 14 in d-minor, D 810, Death and the Maiden
    or Schubert: String quartet no. 15 in G-major, D 887.
Tickets

The selected string quartets for the Final will be announced on Saturday evening 15 April.

Welcome

Music is life and like it inextinguishable, Carl Nielsen writes in the introduction to his fourth symphony. His brilliant compositions have since substantiated this postulate, and his symphonic works have become part of the repertoire of modern symphony orchestras.

In addition to the symphonic works, Carl Nielsen wrote instrumental concerts, chamber music, piano pieces, operas, choral works and many popular songs. Among his chamber music works, the string quartets and the wind quintet form the nucleus – the latter being a central part of the international core repertoire for wind quintets.

Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition for String Quartet & Wind Quintet is established to create more focus on the brilliant chamber music works of Carl Nielsen by letting it be interpreted by the best young musicians from all over the world. We are looking forward to welcoming young talented ensembles in 2023 for the 3rd edition of the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition.

Uffe Savery
President
Svend Larsen
Chief Executive
Kim Bohr
Chief Executive and Artistic Director
Danish National Orchestras & Choirs
DR Koncerthuset

Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition for String Quartet and Wind Quintet 2023 is supported by:

The Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation

Contact:
Marie Rørbech
Project Manager
mrrb@dr.dk

Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition
c/o DR
Emil Holms Kanal 20, opg.5-3
DK-0999 Copenhagen C
Denmark