Meet the participants of Polstjärnepriset 2025 Nordic Edition the Competition

We proudly present the 20 participants of the Polstjärnepriset 2025 competition!

Aleksandra Boch, Clarinet – Finland
Alexander Shirinyan Rohde, Cello – Denmark
Birk Bosrup Blyverket, Violin – Norway
Christian Henrichsen, Piano – Norway
Clara Yuna Friedensburg, Cello – Norway
Daniel Iourtchik, Violin – Sweden
Edward Ahlbeck Glader, Piano – Sweden
Eszter Elias, Violin – Sweden
Jussi Huuska, Violin – Finland
Li-Or Ginnerup, Violin – Denmark
Maxim Osadchuk, Cello – Norway
Maya Broman Crawford-Phillips, Violin – Sweden
Miriam Smith, Violin – Sweden
Olga Niemi, Violin – Finland
Otilia Zielke, Flute – Denmark
Riku Huuska, Violin – Finland
Samuel Ahonen, Clarinet – Finland
Sara Hagman, Violin – Sweden
Vasyl Zaviriukha, Piano – Iceland
Yufeng Pan, Piano – Sweden

Aleksandra Boch, Clarinet
As a junior Sibelius Academy student, my musical journey began when I was 6 years old. I have always felt a special connection to the clarinet. The range of sounds, from soft and soothing to forceful and loud, allows me to express myself fully through music. I love engaging with the audience through the magical sound of the clarinet.

Alexander Shirinyan Rohde, Cello
My interest in playing the cello greatly blossomed when I, during the covid-19 pandemic, had more time to study extensively with my teacher Ingemar Brantelid. Since then, my love for the cello and music-making in general has only increased. I very much enjoy going to concerts, playing concerts and being a part of the wonderful community that comes with being a musician.

Birk Bosrup Blyverket, Violin
Music has always been a big part of my life. Both of my parents are cellists, so it was natural for me to play something too. So I chose the violin and started playing it when I was 7 years old. At the moment I study with Bård Monsen, in the Young Talent Programme at Barratt Due Institute of Music. I love playing the violin, because it feels like it’s a part of my body when I play.

Christian Henrichsen, Piano
My name is Christian Henrichsen and I am 14 years old. The piano captured me almost instantly. One day I heard another student playing Für Elise and I said “well, I really want to learn that piece”. And that was the start of my classical career. Hearing the opening notes of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor as a ringtone on a phone started my extreme interest in Bach and his organ works, and I soon fell in love with Mozart’s compositions as well. In recent years I started participating in the talent programmes Mester-møter, Unge Talenter i Nord tutti, Unge Musikere and Nasjonalt Klavertiltak Rekrutt.

Clara Yuna Friedensburg, Cello
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 the voice and my interpretation of the music, then I would be very happy and feel that I have achieved my goal as a musician.

Daniel Iourtchik, Violin
I started playing the violin when I was about 5 years old. Both my parents are professional musicians. 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.

Edward Ahlbeck Glader, Piano
I started playing the piano at the age of four, and since then, my whole life has been revolving around music. To me, the piano offers endless possibilities for exploring its serene, melodic, but also percussive and rhythmical qualities. This is what gives me the greatest source of inspiration in creating music!

Eszter Elias, Violin
My name is Eszter Elias, I am 17 years old. I started playing the violin when I was 7 years old at the Zoltán Kodálys Hungarian choir school in Budapest. With my quartet, in which I play first violin, we have played at Riksdagens Öppningsceremoni, where all major politicians and the royal family were present. I have always expressed myself best through music, whether it was by singing or using an instrument. Music is a part of me and to play classical music is for me to be a part of history, while I constantly strive to weave my personal elements and interpretations into performances. This autumn I look forward to continuing my studies at Norges Musikhögskola in Oslo.

Jussi Huuska, Violin
I am a 14-year-old violinist from Helsinki, Finland. I have been studying in the Käpylä music institute with Ahti Valtonen since 2017. I enjoy the excitement before a performance and the good feeling after it. I also enjoy composing my own music. I have played as a soloist for example with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Wegelius kammarstråkar and with Virtuosi del Futuro orchestra as a soloist in Rome in 2023. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to play for Professor Tuomas Haapanen. In my spare time I like to play football and have a laugh with my friends.

Li-Or Ginnerup, Violin
I am 18 years old and have just finished my first exciting year at the Royal Danish Academy. When I was 7, I had a dream that I would play the violin. When I woke up, I urged my mother to buy me a violin NOW! I still dream about music and when I wake up I write it down.

Maxim Osadchuk, Cello
My name is Maxim Osadchuk, and I’m 14 years old. I come from a musical family where almost everyone plays an instrument. When I was 5 years old, I got a xylophone. I played different popular melodies on it by ear, without knowing notes. I started taking lessons in music theory when I was 7 and later found the cello during an open house at Kulturhuset in Tromsø. Already from my very first cello lesson, it was obvious that I loved this instrument. I also started composing when I was about 12 years old. I discovered that it was a very good way to express my feelings, and I combine performing and composing as much as I can.

Maya Broman Crawford-Phillips, Violin
Music has always been a central part in my life. I started playing the violin at age 5 and learned that telling stories and engaging others through music, felt like the most natural way for me to express myself. The feeling of standing in front of others and sharing my love for music is truly one of the most incredible experiences and I hope to get to do it in as many capacities as possible!

Miriam Smith, Violin
I started playing the violin when I was five years old. My parents are not musicians but all my siblings play instruments and music has always been an important part in our home. When I was fifteen I moved to Stockholm to go to Nordiska Musikgymnasiet. Every summer since I was seven I have been to several summer music schools, both in and outside of Sweden. They have been great opportunities to meet other musicians my age. We connect over our shared passion, and through music I have met lots of great people from all over the world. I love playing chamber music with my friends and sharing my love for music with others.

Olga Niemi, Violin
Just like Abba sings, my mother says I learned to sing before I could talk. My dad bought me a violin when I was two so I have been playing the violin all my life. Playing the violin always gives me a great feeling and being on stage is what I enjoy the most.

Otilia Zielke, Flute
My name is Otilia and I have played the flute since I was 8 years old. I come from a family of music, so it was very natural for me to start as well. I started playing the piano, but the flute won in the end. I love classical music because of the freedom to express and because you meet wonderful people.

Riku Huuska, Violin
I am a 14-year-old violinist from Helsinki, Finland. I started my studies in Käpylä Music Institute in 2017 with Ahti Valtonen. As a soloist, I have played with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Wegelius Kammarstråkar, among others. In Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition in 2022 I received a jury’s citation. I’m also proud to have been given an opportunity to perform for Professor Tuomas Haapanen, to play onboard an aeroplane, and to be noticed by Hannu Lintu when performing as a busker. In my free time I play football and enjoy the company of my friends.

Samuel Ahonen, Clarinet
I am a 15-year-old Finnish clarinettist studying at the Sibelius Junior Academy. In spring 2024, I played as a young solist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In autumn 2023, I won the 1st prize in the International Junior Clarinet Competition in Tilburg, The Netherlands. I also compose. In May 2024, Kymi Sinfonietta performed my piece Castanets in Kotka. Playing the clarinet and composing are passions of my life.

Sara Hagman, Violin
I grew up with classical music. My mother is a violin teacher and my father is a violinist, so playing the violin came naturally for me. At the 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. My dream is to become a professional violinist and work in an orchestra.

Vasyl Zaviriukha, Piano
I started playing the piano at the age of 7 when my parents bought me an electric piano. When I turned eight years old I started piano lessons with my current teacher Nína Margrét. Now I have been studying piano with her for the past seven years. The reason why I play classical music is because I like it very much and I like to challenge myself and play every piece perfectly. My favourite composer is Liszt because I like how difficult his pieces are. I am sure that music will always be a part of my life.

Yufeng Pan, Piano
My name is Yufeng Pan, 14 years old. My introduction to music came through my mom, who is an avid music lover, our home is always filled with various forms of music. I began learning the piano with a teacher at the age of six and half and later became fascinated by the precision and logic of classical compositions. I am particularly fond of Bach’s music. Playing his fugue on the piano is like a complex mental exercise, I see it as a four dimensions training for my brain, ears, hands, and music taste, which has significantly expanded my cognitive capacity. These kinds of training makes me more capable to handle complexity and challenges in the daily life.