Competitors 2023

The Polstjärnepriset – Nordic Edition is the only soloist competition in classical music with contestants aged 14-18 from all Nordic countries. National juries in each country have selected the following young soloist´s from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden for the competition.

At the bottom of the page you will find the national juries.

Photos: Olle Gustafsson

Finalists Polstjärnepriset 2023 Press information

DENMARK

Alana Hjort – Violin

Københavns Musikskole

I got my first violin when I was 4 years old and I have been a student of Alexandre Zapolski since I was 8. In 2020 I received Jacob Gade’s talent prize and am now playing on a beautiful violin from the Augustinus Foundation. Throughout the years I have been playing and living my way into the wonderful universe of classical music, my joy of performing has been intact. My dream is to become a professional violinist.  

Selma Christensen Teilmann – Violin

Københavns musikskole

I was born into a musical family, so it was somewhat in the cards for me to play an instrument. When I was five years old, I started playing the violin and I quickly became very fond of it. When I finish high school, it’s my intention to apply to the conservatory. The Polstjärnepriset competition will be the first competition I am participating in outside of Denmark. 

Sufiya Ainan Taufik – Violin

MGK København, Danmark

When I was 4 years old, I started my violin studies at the Danish Suzuki Institute. These days, I study with Alexandre Zapolski. Classical music is my great passion and my dream is to continue my studies at the Music Conservatory. I play in orchestras, with Zapolski Strings and also Zapolski Piano Quintet. In my spare time I love to draw and watch movies. 

Valdemar Wenzel Most – Piano

MGK Hovedstaden – Københavns Musikskole

I started playing the piano at age 4. It was love at first sight! Later I have played the cello, I have sung in the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir and I have performed as one of the three boys in Mozarts Magic Flute at the Royal Danish Opera. I believe that all these experiences has made me the musician I am today. 

FINLAND

Ilona Liiman – Piano

Sibelius Junior Academy, Helsinki

I started playing the piano at age of 6. In 2017 I began my studies in the Sibelius Academy youth department with Niklas Pokki. I have performed as a soloist with orchestras in Finland, such as FRSO and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. I have received piano competition prizes in Finland and Estonia. Besides solo repertoire I enjoy performing chamber music. I aspire to be a professional musician in the future.

Jino Pieviläinen – Clarinet

Sibelius Junior Academy, Helsinki

I started to play the clarinet at the age of 9 at Kainuun Musiikkiopisto. I chose clarinet as my instrument because my school’s music teacher suggested clarinet for me. I have studied with Markku Korhonen and in August 2022 I will start studying in Sibelius Academy.  I like especially to play in symphony orchestras and different kinds of chamber music. 

Maxim Larionov – Violin

Sibelius Junior Academy, Helsinki

I was born into a family of musicians and started playing the piano at the age of 4. But I dreamt of playing the violin because it could produce very high notes!  I got my first violin when I was five, I loved practicing and progressed quickly and after two years of studying I got to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York. I also enjoy composing classical and electronic music.

Pekko Aakko – Bassoon

Helsinki Conservatory of Music and in the youth department of Mannheim university of music and performing arts.

My main instrument is bassoon but I also play the piano. I grew up in a family of musicians and have always loved performing. I started playing the bassoon at 13 years, since I wanted to play in an orchestra and my mother’s colleague offered me lessons. In my opinion, the warmth of the bassoon suits me quite well. 

Saima Malmivaara – Cello

Sibelius Junior Academy, Helsinki

Music has always been a huge part of my life. My parents are both musicians, so it was natural for me to play something as well. Now we have a family piano trio. Cello wasn’t really chosen by me, but it has always felt right. I really adore the deep and majestetic sound of it. Sharing music with other people is very important to me and that’s why I enjoy playing chamber music as well as solo. 

ICELAND

Matthildur Traustadóttir – Violin

Menntaskóli í Tónlist, Reykjavík

I started playing the violin at the age of seven. Right from the beginning I was in love with my violin. Playing the violin requires so much work but I enjoy every minute. I love being able to use my creativity and I never close my mind to new possibilities or ideas that may come to my mind later. 

NORWAY

Amanda Noor Vatn – Violin

Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt/ Edvard Munch Videregående skole, Oslo

I began playing the violin aged five and I’m currently enrolled in the Young Talents programme at Barratt Due Institute of Music. I was an active member of The Norwegian Girls Choir and Kids in Jazz until recently and am a co-founder of the jazz-quintet “The Swams”. I have an old and really good Hardanger fiddle and I really enjoy the Norwegian traditional style of playing.

Clara Yuna Friedensburg – Cello

Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt, Oslo

I love the sound of the cello. For me, the cello is the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice, from a rich bass to a bright soprano. If I can make the audience feel the cooperation between that voice and my interpretation of the music, then I would be very happy and feel that I have achieved my goal as a musician.

Sophia Mina Friedensburg – Piano

Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt, Oslo

With a mother who’s a pianist, I grew up with music around me from a young age and could never imagine playing another instrument. To me, the piano is undoubtedly the instrument that has it all. It provides all the basics of music; melody, rhythm and harmony. 

Torje Råbu – Violin

Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt, Oslo

I am 16 years old and come from Oslo. I am part of the Young Talent programme at Barratt Due Institute of Music. I play in an orchestra, JORK, and in Quartet Saphir. I have composed music since I started to play. I now play a violin made by Christian Bayon, owned by Dextra Musica. 

SWEDEN

Daniel Iourtchik – Violin

Private, Växjö

I started playing the violin when I was about 5 and a half years old. Both my parents are professional musicians, my father a violinist and my mother a flutist and church musician. My older brother also plays the violin, so it was natural for me to start as well. I love playing the violin and classical music and I want to become a professional musician in the future.

Inez Karlsson – Cello

Royal College of Music Junior Department, London

I have played the cello since I was 6 years old. At the moment I study with Michal Kaznowski at the Royal College of Music in London.  I often rehearse with my sister, who plays the violin. I love to perform, both as a soloist and in ensembles. I enjoy playing the cello so much because of its likeness to a human voice and the variety of warm colours it can create, and the way it connects to other instruments. 

Jānis Vītols – Flute

Lilla Akademien, Stockholm

My philosophy is that if you live in the waves and feelings of music when playing and combine that with great technique, you can truly play anything.  Music is my everything, my profession, my hobby, something I do for fun and my lifestyle. It all started with me trying to play my mom’s piano at six years old, then trying the flute at nine and shooting for the stars ever since.

Philip Engström – Cello

Birger Sjöberggymnasiet, Vänersborg

I started playing the cello when I was very young. I come from a musical family and I can really imagine myself working full time as a musician, as a profession. My latest education that I have been attending is MUV (musician’s high school) at Birger Sjöberggymnasiet and it has been the best time of my life. I love playing the cello and studying for my teacher Jakob Koranyi. I’m reaching for the goal, and believe, that my next level is the university and beyond.

Sara Hagman – Violin

Private and YOMA-Young Musicians Academy, Vänersborg

I grew up with classical music. My mother is a violin teacher and my father is a violinist, so playing the violin came natural for me. At the NCM/YOMA courses I get lots of inspiration from fantastic teachers and students. I love to perform, and playing together with others makes me very happy. 

Selma Sköld – Cello

Lilla Akademiens musikgymnasium, Stockholm

I started playing the cello when I was five. I grew up with classical music around me, since I was a small child, because everyone in my family is a musician. I am a student at Lilla Akademiens Musikskola, studying for Jakob Koranyi, in Stockholm. The school has been giving me good opportunities for development, as a cellist and as a person, and I have also discovered the joy of playing together with others.

Vigovajk Sagvik – Cello

Lilla Akademien, Stockholm

I am a cellist and a composer. Around the age of 15 I had a huge discovery in music. I stumbled upon a new type of music which I had never heard before and it led me to discover composers like Ligeti, Penderecki and many more. I became obsessed with contemporary music. Which gave birth to my compositions and inspired me as well as my cello playing. 

Winner of Polstjärnepriset

• 2007 – Tatiana Gachkova, violin
• 2008 – Linn Persson, saxofon
• 2009 – Mattias Hanskov Palm, kontrabas
• 2010 – Daina Mateikaite, violin
• 2011/2012 – Ava Bahari, violin
• 2013 – Filip Graden, cello
• 2014 – Albin Uusijärvi, viola
• 2015 – Eliot Nordqvist, piano
• 2016 – Daniel Thorell, cello
• 2017 – Alva Holm, violin
• 2018 – Johanna Ander Ljung, harpa
• 2019 – Ture Herrgårdh, trumpet
• 2020 – Tekla Nilsson, klarinett
• 2021 – Vilhelm Moqvist, piano
• 2022 – Lukas Flink, trombon