The overall aim of EAR-ly is to stimulate an interest in early music among students and young professional musicians, and to encourage the formation of new early music ensembles in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The first edition of EAR-ly took place as a national competition and was organised by Stockholm Early Music Festival in Sweden in June 2008. Since 2010, the competition has become an international event arranged by NORDEM—Nordic Early Music—and held every second year in one of the Nordic/Baltic countries, hosted by one of the network’s member festivals. Finals have taken place in Stockholm (2010), Oslo (2012), Skálholt (2014), Vantaa (2016), Copenhagen (2018), Riga (2020/21), and Stockholm (2022/23).
After deliberations, the NORDEM board has decided to cancel the 2024/25 edition of the competition. However, plans are under way for the 2026 edition, when NORDEM member festival Sastamala Gregoriana (FI) has confirmed its participation as host.
Updates and more information will be published here!
Previous winners of EAR-ly:
2022/23 - Æstus (Finland/Estonia)
2020/21 - Jonatan Bougt (Sweden)
2018 - Clara Guldberg Ravn (Denmark)
2016 - Juho Myllylä (Finland)
2014 - Bastard Barock (Sweden)
2012 - Duo White Sparrow (Finland)
2010 - Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts (Norway)
2008 - Dohyo Sol & Magnus Andersson (Sweden)
Previous finals:
Previous promotion material: