Johan Dalene wins violin section of Nielsen Competition 2019

Johan Dalene has won the violin section of the Carl Nielsen International Competition in Odense, Denmark, following a two-part final on Friday 29 and Sunday 31 March.

The 18-year-old Swedish violinist takes home the top prize of €12,000, a CD recording with the Odense Symphony Orchestra on Orchid Records, and up to ten concert appearances with top European orchestras.

Dalene and his fellow finalists performed a 19th- or 20th-century concerto of their choice followed by the Nielsen Violin Concerto with the Odense Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yaron Traub at the Odense Concert Hall over two nights of finals.

Second prize was awarded to 21-year-old Marie-Astrid Hulot from France and third prize to 22-year-old Anna Agafua Egholm from Denmark.

Dalene has won first prizes at international competitions including the Kocian Violin Competition, Giovani Talenti Competition and the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Violin Competition. In 2016 he won third prize in the Junior round of the Menuhin Competition in London. He currently studies with Per Enoksson at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. 

The Nielsen violin event has been taking place in parallel with a clarinet and flute competition, reflecting the three instruments th composer wrote concertos for. The competition dates back to 1980 when the first violin competition was held in Odense. Clarinet and Flute competitions were added in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Until now the individual competitions have taken place in rotation once every four years but this year, for the first time, all three competitions are taking place side by side.

The president of the competition is Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, who himself won the competition in 1992 in a vintage year, with Jennifer Koh and Pekka Kuusisto taking second and third place respectively.

Audiences around the world can tap into nielsen2019.medici.tv for live streaming, replays, interviews and behind the scenes footage. 

For more information about the competition and its clarinet and flute winners, visit carlnielsencompetition.com