Hans Christian Aavik, an Estonian violinist, was awarded a joint first prize at the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition – a renowned competition for classical musicians held in Odense, Denmark, in memory of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen.
Aavik (23) and Bohdan Luts (17), a Ukrainian violinist, were awarded the joint first prize by the competition’s jury.
Aavik, who has for some time been considered a rising star among the Estonian classical music circles, was born in Tallinn and started his violin studies at the age of five. He studied at the Tallinn Music High School, the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts under Erik Schumann and at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien where he studies under Julian Rachlin and Evgeny Sinaiski.
He has appeared as a soloist with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the Jyväskylä Sinfonia and in 2021 released his debut album, “Aeternus”, together with pianist Karolina Zhukova.
Aavik performs on a Giovanni Paolo Maggini violin, originating from 1610, on loan from the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments.
The Carl Nielsen International Competition was founded in the late 1970s by the Odense Symphony Orchestra and the city of Odense in memory of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865 – 1931).
Nikolaj-Szeps Znaider, a Danish violinist and the competition’s president, said in a statement that the winners were “outstanding” for their musicality and individuality. “Equally important has been the extraordinary sense of ‘togetherness’ which we have seen and felt amongst the competitors – young musicians who have shown genuine warmth and support for each other both on and off-stage,” he said.
