Music competitions have always been controversial.
They can have a reputation for being fear-inducing, highly judgemental environments.
They can also be positively life-changing for the winner.
We wanted to re-think the all-or-nothing Competition experience, believing there’s more that can be offered when highly talented, young instrumentalists come together from all over the world.
In close collaboration with the Carl Nielsen International Competition, I curated a pioneering coaching & mentoring programme (called Espansiva!) which ran alongside the 2022 Competition. We believed that integrating the Competition’s values of excellence, individuality, community and curiosity with coaching values of respect, equality and connection would help to create a positive, encouraging and supportive environment for all participants.
The aim of Espansiva! was to better equip and enable young emerging artists with the tools, skills and inner resources to support them in creating long-term, sustainable and fulfilling careers in this evermore challenging profession. We hope that’s what we did, and that many of the 2022 participants returned to their homes more resourced and richer for their time at the Competition/Espansiva!.
One competitor’s personal reflections of the Carl Nielsen International Competition 2022:
What was Espansiva!?
Espansiva! – named after Carl Nielsen’s Third Symphony – was a professionally-led programme of activities which accompanied the Carl Nielsen International Competition 2022 in Odense, Denmark. Instead of going straight home, perhaps disappointed, Espansiva! offered all participants the opportunity to stay on in Odense – at no additional cost – to take part in a curated programme of interactive personal/professional development workshops, industry-themed talks and informal 1:1s with qualified music professionals, world-class artists and industry experts.
Winners of the Carl Nielsen International Competition 2022 press release: https://carlnielsencompetition.com/about/2022_competition/
Collaboration - Communication - Compassion