Denmark launches inaugural Carl Nielsen Festival

The Carl Nielsen Festival will be held for the first time this year. Starting from next week (26 August), the Danish island of Funen will welcome orchestras from all over the world to celebrate the country’s most prominent composer.

Nielsen, who originated from Funen himself, has had huge cultural significance, and the festival, created in collaboration with the H. C. Andersen festival which celebrates another Funen native, aims to recognise his legacy through a varied programme of proms, symphonic and chamber concerts and  folk music, incorporating both Danish and international orchestras.

The festival’s artistic director, conductor and violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, said: ‘Carl Nielsen is the most important composer Denmark has ever produced - a true figurehead for Danish musical culture. Dedicating a special event to him and highlighting his extraordinary achievements in this way seemed as logical as it was overdue to me and the H.C. Andersen Festival team.’

Although this summer will see the Carl Nielsen Festival become Denmark’s first international orchestra festival, the festival team are already looking to the future, with plans for the festival to become an annual fixture in the harbour city of Odense.

Klaus Mäkelä and Isabelle Faust will open the Festival next Friday (26 August) with the Oslo Philharmonic at Odense Concert Hall. Running until Tuesday (30 August) the festival will include concerts with the WDR Sinfonieorchester, the Danish String Quartet, and the Philharmonia Orchestra which will give the festival’s final concert with Tugan Sokhiev on August 30. In homage to the festival’s namesake all symphonic concerts will open with an overture by Nielsen.

You can find out more about the Carl Nielsen Festival here.