Finnish-Estonian winner of the NORDEM EAR-ly 2022/23 competition!
On Friday June 2nd 2023 the finals of EAR-ly 2022/23 took place in Stockholm, Sweden. This was the seventh edition of the Nordic-Baltic competition for young early music ensembles and soloists, hosted by NORDEM (Nordic Early Music Network).
The first prize was unanimously awarded to the Finnish ensemble Æstus.
The jury consisted of Albert Edelman (Belgium), Kate Hearne (Ireland), Mariangola Martello (Italy) and Aina Kalcniema (Latvia/NORDEM).
The public prize was awarded to the Swedish ensemble Ab Aquilon.
Stockholm, 2023-06-02
Watch the concert from 2nd June in Stockholm again here:
https://www.facebook.com/nordem.earlymusicfederation/videos/219100257560315
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A Young Generation Goes for Early Music: EAR-ly 2022/2023 Competition Finalists!
NORDEM, the Nordic Early Music network, is excited to have received entries of such a high calibre this year for the seventh NORDEM EAR-ly competition for young musicians, and is proud to present a new generation of young Nordic professional musicians who are genuinely interested in revitalising the performance of the baroque, renaissance and medieval repertoires. The overall aim of the EAR-ly competition is to encourage the formation of new early music ensembles and to stimulate an interest in Early Music among young musicians throughout the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Judging for the first round of the EAR-ly 2023 competition has now taken place, and we are pleased to announce that the shortlist comprises of the following ensembles:
Ab Aquilon, Sweden
Aestus, Finland/Estonia
Duodeco, Lithuania
The EAR-ly Jury this year will be:
Albert Edelman, Belgium - President
Aina Kalcniema, Latvia - representing NORDEM
Kate Hearne, Ireland
Mariangola Martello, Italy
The final round of the competition, open to the members of the public, will take place in Stockholm on 2 June 2023, hosted by XXII Stockholm Early Music Festival and Performing Premodernity.
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Announcement for EAR-ly 2022*
*due to the pandemic, to be held in 2023
The EAR-ly 2022 Competition for early music ensembles will be held 1-2 June 2023 in Stockholm.
DEADLINE for applications: 31 March 2023, 23:59.
Watch the teaser video with past EAR-ly winner Jonatan Bougt here!
Please click on the links below in order to read the competition rules for EAR-ly 2022:
Poster:
AIM & BACKGROUND
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 a Nordic/Baltic event arranged by NORDEM—Nordic Early Music—and held every second year in one of the Nordic/Baltic countries, hosted by one of the federation’s member festivals. In 2010 the final took place in Stockholm (Sweden), in 2012 in Oslo (Norway), in 2014 in Skálholt (Iceland), 2016 in Vantaa (Finland), 2018 in Copenhagen (Denmark) and 2020 in Riga (Latvia).
For the purposes of EAR-ly 2022 early music means medieval, renaissance or baroque repertoire, performed according to the principles of HIP (historically informed performance practice). EAR-ly particularly encourages the inclusion of medieval and renaissance music, if possible.
The criteria for selection are musical quality, stylistic knowledge, communicative authenticity, and, in the final round, overall artistry.
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EAR-ly 2022 - seventh NORDEM Nordic competition for young early music ensembles and soloists
The seventh NORDEM EAR-ly 2022 Nordic competition for young early music ensembles and soloists will be held in 2023. Applications are open from autumn 2022. Information about exact dates will be published here during autumn 2022.
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Swedish winner of the NORDEM EAR-ly 2020 competition!
On Sunday June 20th 2021 the finals of EAR-ly 2020 took place in Riga, Latvia. This was the sixth edition of the Nordic-Baltic competition for young early music ensembles and soloists, hosted by NORDEM (Nordic Early Music Network).
The first prize was unanimously awarded to the Swedish theorbo player Jonatan Bougt for his “graceful playing, stage presence that leads the listener to the music" and for his "elegant and natural way of playing as well as understanding of style and musical rethoric”.
The jury consisted of Lisa Beznosiuk (UK), Paolo Pandolfo (Italy), Italy, Catalina Vicens (Chile/Switzerland) and Mats Lillhannus (Finland/NORDEM).
You can see and listen to the finals here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq85HPAj8_I
Stockholm, 2021-06-20
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A Young Generation Goes for Early Music: EAR-ly 2020 Competition Finalists!
NORDEM, the Nordic Early Music network, is excited to have received entries of such a high calibre this year for the sixth NORDEM EAR-ly competition for young musicians, and is proud to present a new generation of young Nordic professional musicians who are genuinely interested in revitalising the performance of the baroque, renaissance and medieval repertoires. The overall aim of the EAR-ly competition is to encourage the formation of new early music ensembles and to stimulate an interest in Early Music among young musicians throughout the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Judging for the first round of the EAR-ly 2020 competition has now taken place, and we are pleased to announce that the shortlist comprises:
Jonatan Bougt, Sweden - theorbo
Augustina Vizbaraitė, Lithuania - violin
Maija Kļaviņa, Latvia - baroque flute
Gertruda Jerjomenko, Latvia - cembalo
The NORDEM Jury this year will be:
Lisa Beznosiuk, UK
Paolo Pandolfo, Italy
Catalina Vicens, Chile/Switzerland
Mats Lillhannus, Finland (NORDEM representative)
The final round of the competition will take place in Riga on 20 June 2021, hosted by NORDEM and The International Bach Chamber Music Festival, in conjunction with the next NORDEM Members' meeting. The final concert, open to members of the public, will take place on Sunday 20 June.
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EAR-ly 2020
Please click on the links below in order to read the competition rules for EAR-ly 2020:
Posters:
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Danish winner of the NORDEM EAR-ly 2018 competition!
On Saturday 22 September the finals of EAR-ly 2018 took place in Copenhagen. This was the fifth edition of the Nordic-Baltic competition for young early music ensembles and soloists, hosted by NORDEM (Nordic Early Music Network).
The first prize was unanimously awarded to the Danish recorder player Clara Guldberg Ravn for her "varied and convincing playing, the good dramatic line in her program me and the clearly professional level of her whole approach". The prize gives the winner three concerts at Nordic or Baltic early music festivals over the next year. Clara Guldberg Ravn was accompanied by Swedish hurdy-gurdy player Johannes Geworkian Hellman.
"I am very happy to win the prize, because competing in music is difficult. It is amazing and a great step forward in my career" said Clara Guldberg Ravn. The Audience Prize was also rewarded to Clara.
The jury consisted of Katharina Bäuml, Berlin, Else Torp, Copenhagen and Peter Pontvik, Stockholm.
The overall aim of the EAR-ly competition is to encourage the formation of new early music ensembles as well as the development of young early music soloists, and to stimulate an interest in Early Music among young musicians throughout the Nordic and Baltic region. NORDEM is a representative network of Early Music festivals, organisations and promoters in the Nordic-Baltic area.
Stockholm, 2018-09-23
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EAR-ly 2018
The 2018 edition of EAR-ly competition will be held 21-22 September in Copenhagen, Denmark, hosted by Copenhagen Renaissance Music Festival. The overall aim of EAR-ly is to encourage the formation of new early music ensembles and to stimulate the interest in early music among young musicians throughout the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Download & print the EAR-ly 2018 poster and spread the word about the competition!
Background
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 is a Nordic event arranged by NORDEM – Nordic Early Music – and held every second year in one of the Nordic countries, hosted by one of the federation’s member festivals. In 2010 the final took place in Stockholm, in 2012 in Oslo, in 2014 in Skálholt (Iceland), and in 2016 in Vantaa (Finland).
Repertory
Early music means medieval, renaissance or baroque repertoire, performed according to the latest HIP standards. An emphasis on older repertoire is encouraged. The criteria for selection are musical quality, detailed stylistic knowledge, communicative authenticity, and, in the final round, overall artistry.
Former winners of EAR-ly
2016 - Juho Myllylä (Finland)
2014 - Bastard Barock (Sweden)
2012 - Duo White Sparrow (Finland)
2010 - Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts (Norway)
Rules for participation
EAR-ly 2018 is open to
- vocal, instrumental or mixed ensembles consisting of a minimum of 3 (three) and a maximum of 8 (eight) members;
- vocal or instrumental soloists, performing either alone or with 1 (one) accompanist;
- An individual musician may compete in a maximum of 2 (two) ensembles. Soloists may perform in both categories: as a soloist and as a member of 1 (one) ensemble;
- All entrants must without exception be born no earlier than 1 January 1985. This age limit does not apply to soloists' accompanists;
- All participants must be either citizens of one of the Nordic or Baltic countries or permanent residents of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Åland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. Accompanists are exempted from this rule.
- The competition has two parts: a preliminary round and a final presentation.
- Audio files for the preliminary round (see APPLICATION PROCESS 1) must include a minimum of 2 (two) separate works, or parts of works, with a total duration of no more than 12 minutes.
Application process
Deadline: 23:59 (CET) on 1 May 2018.
Please prepare:
- A high quality unprocessed audio file of minimum 6 and maximum 12 minutes, containing a minimum of 2 (two) separate works or parts of works. The audio file must be marked with a pseudonym. Please use one of the following formats: mp3, aiff or wav.
- A PDF document containing the following information:
- Name of the participants and details of instrumentation/vocal parts;
- A copy of each participant's (including accompanist's) passport (photo page) or national ID card;
- E-mail, postal address and phone number of a contact person;
- Full and complete details of the final presentation in performance order. The total length should be c. 30 minutes;
- A biography or CV of the soloists/ensembles, max.1000 characters;
- Programme notes for the final presentation, max.1000 characters;
- A link to the ensemble's/soloist's Facebook page and/or website;
- A PR picture of the participants in print quality (300 dpi/inch). Please specify the name of the photographer.
- Send the prepared material via https://wetransfer.com/ to secretary@nordem.org.
- DEADLINE for applications is 23:59 (CET) on 1 May 2018.
- All applications will be evaluated anonymously by a jury consisting of NORDEM members.
The final
- 4 (four) ensembles and/or soloists will be selected for the final presentation. They will be informed by e-mail on 31 May 2018 at the latest.
- The final presentation will be held in http://www.koncertkirken.dk/ in Copenhagen 21-22 September 2018.
- The first day includes a combined workshop/masterclass for all finalists. The second day will be used for rehearsals, and for the final presentations in front of an international jury and an audience.
- The accompanists of the soloists will not be evaluated.
- After the final presentations, each of the finalists will have a 15 minute feedback session with members of the jury.
- NORDEM will cover a portion of the finalists' travel expenses.
- Simple accommodation and meals will be provided by KoncertKirken and NORDEM
- By taking part, participants agree that the final presentations may be recorded, filmed and broadcast live and/or subsequently by radio, television and internet with no fee obligation.
Prizes and Awards
- The winning ensemble/soloist of the EAR-ly 2018 competition will be invited to give 2-3 concerts within NORDEM member festivals during the seasons 2019-2021. All expenses will be covered, including travel and accommodation, and the ensemble/soloist will receive a symbolic fee.
- The jury reserves the right not to select a winner.
- The audience will select one ensemble/soloist for the special EAR-ly Audience Award. The winner of this award will be invited to perform at KoncertKirken in Copenhagen during the season 2019-20.
For general inquiries, please contact
Peter Pontvik (NORDEM Chair) info@nordem.org
For questions concerning the venue, please contact
Björn Ross (KoncertKirken) bjornross@gmail.com