Nielsen International Clarinet Competition

*A Hite Bytes Special*
The First Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition Odense, Denmark June 13-22, 1997

"Everything in Fünen is different from the rest of the world and whoever takes the trouble to listen will know. The bees hum in a way of their own with a special Fünen accent, and when the horse whinnies and the red cows low, why, anybody can hear that it's quite different from anywhere else... The bells ring and the cocks crow in Fünen dialect and a joyous symphony issues from all the birds' nests every time the mother feeds her young. The stillness sings the same tune, too, and even the trees dream and talk in their sleep with a Fünen lilt." (Carl Nielsen, in "Living Music")


Clarinet Competition in Odense on the island of Fünen, Denmark Odense Coat of Arms	The city of Odense hosted the first Carl Nielsen Clarinet Competition June13 to 22, 1997. Odense, home town of the famous Danish composer, has held international competitions for the violin since 1980. Based on the success of these competitions, the organizers decided to hold similar contests for performers of the two other instruments for which Nielsen wrote concertos, clarinet and flute. The clarinet competition was open to clarinettists of all nationalities under the age of thirty. Forty eight performers invited to Odense were selected on the basis of their taped recording of the Stravinsky Three Pieces and the first movement of the Mozart concerto.

Winners	The winners of the first Carl Nielsen Clarinet Competition were: Spyros Mourikis (Greece), first prize. Spyros earned his diploma at the Athens Conservatory at the age of eighteen. He continued his studies at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris where his teachers were Michel Arrignon and Maurice Bourgue. He was awarded first prize in clarinet and chamber music at the Conservatoire in 1995. He is currently principal clarinettist of the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra. Igor Begelman (U.S.A.), second prize. Formerly from the Soviet Union, now living in the U.S., Igor holds a BA from the Manhattan School of Music and an MA from the Juilliard School. His primary teachers include Charles Neidich and Stanley Drucker. He made his New York debut in 1996 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and has appeared at various festivals in Europe and the U.S. Carlo Failli (Italy), third prize. Carlo studied at the Conservatorio di Musica Luigi Cherubini in Florence with Antonio Vitale, graduating in 1984. He furthered his studies at the Accademia Musicale de Biella with Anthony Pay and at the Musikhochschule in Lübeck with Sabine Meyer. He has performed as principal clarinettist in Italitan ensembles in Venice and Florence, and in 1996 won the principal clarinet position with the Orchestra Regionale Tuscana in Florence. Anne Elisabeth Piirainen (Finland), fourth prize. From 1990 to 1995, Anne Elisabeth studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Vladimir Sokolov. She is currently attending the Rotterdam Conservatory where she studies with Walter Boeykens. In 1997 she won the Erasmus Prize for clarinettists and has performed as both soloist and chamber musician in a number of countries. Recipients of the additional prizes were: Spyros Mourikis (Odense Symphony Orchestra Prize and The Audience's Prize) and Igor Begelman (prize for the best performance of a Danish composition.)

Organization	The competition had four rounds, three preliminary and one final. All rounds were open to the public. Competitors were not required to play from memory. Twenty four players were admitted to the second round; twelve to the third, and four players competed in the final round.

Program	First round repertoire requirements consisted of: W.A. Mozart Clarinet Concerto (first movement from bar 49) Poul Ruders Tattoo for One (made available to selected participants after March 1) Carl Nielsen Clarinet Concert (the first cadenza from the seventeenth bar after number 7 to Tempo I) Claude Debussy Première Rhapsodie First round performances were given with piano. Second round repertoire, also with piano, consisted of one of the following: Johannes Brahms Sonata, op. 120 in f minor or op. 120 in Eb major Niels W. Gade Fantasiestykker, op. 43 Robert Schumann Phantasiestücke, op. 73 Max Reger Sonata in Bb major, op. 107 N.V. Bentzon Sonata Francis Poulenc Sonata Witold Lutoslawski Dance Preludes Third round repertoire, unaccompanied and with wind quintet, included: One of the following: Luciano Berio Sequenza IX Edison Denisov Sonata Alexander Goehr "Paraphrase on the dramatic madrigal Il Combattimento de Tancredi e Clorinda by Claudio Monteverdi" Lars Graugaard Calling Angels (1995-96) Ingvar Lidholm Amicizia Karlheinz Stockhausen In Freundschaft And: Carl Nielsen Wind Quintet, op. 43, second movement (to be played with wind players from the Odense Symphony Orchestra) Fourth round requirements performed with orchestra were: W.A. Mozart Clarinet Concerto Carl Nielsen Clarinet Concerto

Prizes	Four prizes were awarded: First prize - DKK 125,000 (approx. $18,850 U.S.) Second prize - DKK 75,000 Third prize - DKK 50,000 Fourth prize - DKK 25,000 Other cash prizes were given for the best interpretation of the Danish works, an Odense Symphony Orchestra Prize and The Audience's Prize. In addition to cash, prizes included concert and recital engagements.

The Jury	The distinguished international jury for the Nielsen Clarinet Competition included: Michel Arrignon Walter Boeykens Colin Bradbury Hans Deinzer John Kruse Lee Morgan Charles Neidich Jens Schou Kjell-Inge Stevensson Niels Thomsen


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