Competition jury on Carl Nielsen's trail

The International Carl Nielsen Music Competition takes place in Odense from May 31st until June 9th. On the last day of the competition, Guideservice·Denmark will take the jury on a round trip on Funen, the island where the composer grew up.

As the instrument of the competition for the first time ever is the organ, the 2011 Carl Nielsen Competition will, apart from Odense Concert Hall, be staged in Sct. Hans Church og Sct. Knuds Church (The Cathedral). Odense International Organ Competion has existed since the mid 1980's, but it just recently became a part of the Carl Nielsen Competition. The Carl Nielsen Competition was itself founded in the late 1970's.

The competition is comprised of three rounds, all of them with free, public access. In 2011, 16 organ players, of whom four are Danish, have entered the competition. Following the first round, which takes place on June 1st and 2nd in Sct. Hans Church, a maximum of 10 competitors will qualify to go on. The second round takes place in Sct. Knuds Church (The Cathedral), on June 5th and 6th, and from that four competitors will qualify for the third and final round on June 8th in Odense Concert Hall. The prize ceremony takes place after the final concert in Odense Concert Hall on June 9th, which is also Carl Nielsen's birthday. The winner of the competition will receive the sum of 125,000 DKR.

You can see the entire program for the competition on the Carl Nielsen International Music Competition & Festival website.

Following in Nielsen's footsteps
The Carl Nielsen Festival, which features concerts in several of the churches in Odense and in Odense Concert Hall, takes place at the same time as the competition. On June 9th the festival even moves to Southern Funen, when Swedish jury member Hans Davidsson gives an organ recital in Brahetrolleborg Church at 12.30 pm.

In connection with this event, Guideservice·Denmark will take the internationally selected jury members on a guided tour on Funen, giving them the opportunity to experience the places, where the Danish composer grew up. The VIP's are among other things to see Carl Nielsen's childhood home and Dalum Church, where his mother's brother worked as an organ player.

Carl Nielsen was born in 1865 i Nørre Lyndelse outside Odense. He was a very prolific composer and wrote, until his death in 1931, a great number of varied musical works. Some of his best known works would be his cantata "Fynsk forår" (Springtime on Funen) and his opera "Maskerade" (Masquerade). Apart from that, he has also composed the music to a lot of well-known Danish songs.

More about Carl Nielsen
If you would like to learn more about Carl Nielsen and his music, Guideservice·Denmark recommends the lecture "Carl Nielsen - man and composer" by Mette Berrig, the manager of Guideservice·Denmark. Or perhaps you would rather go on the same trip as the jury members? If so, contact us on +45 41 56 28 59 or mail us at info@GuideserviceDanmark.dk