Hans Christian Aavik, Odense Symphony Orchestra & Gemma New
Biographie Hans Christian Aavik, Odense Symphony Orchestra & Gemma New
Hans Christian Aavik
is the 1st prize winner of the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition and recipient of the Usedom Prize. Named “One to Watch” by Gramophone, he is praised for his “probing intellect and curiosity” combined with “an extroverted charisma” (Bachtrack).
Born in Tallinn in 1998, Hans Christian has appeared as a soloist with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, where he is the Young Artist in Focus. He performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto at the Pärnu Music Festival with Paavo Järvi and joins the Estonian Festival Orchestra in 2025 for Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday celebrations, performing Tabula Rasa alongside Midori in Vienna (Musikverein), Zurich (Tonhalle), Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), and at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
A dedicated chamber musician, he performs the complete Enescu violin sonatas at the 2025 George Enescu Festival. His 2021 debut album AETERNUS features works by Bach, Schubert, and Pärt, and he has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon’s Musical Moments series. In 2024, he performed Mozart’s complete works for violin and orchestra. His artistry has been shaped by mentors including Cristian Măcelaru, Kirill Gerstein, Augustin Hadelich, Steven Isserlis, Sophia Rahman, and Sir András Schiff.
Hans Christian plays a Giovanni Paolo Maggini violin (ca. 1610) and a Victor Fétique bow (ca. 1930), generously loaned by the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments and the Sapožnin family.
Gemma New (ONZM)
is Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024. New previously served as Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony. A former Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood, New was awarded Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards in 2017, 2019 and 2020, before receiving the 2021 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.
The Odense Symphony Orchestra
is one of Denmark’s five regional orchestras. The orchestra was founded in 1946, but its roots go as far back as around 1800. From being a theatre orchestra that also played symphonic music, the orchestra today appears as a modern symphony orchestra with a high level of activity and in a constant state of development. The orchestra’s repertoire has a wide range and covers everything from film concerts, chamber music, family concerts to the great symphonic works and opera, such as Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Odense Symphony Orchestra had 22 musicians at its founding but has grown to 73 permanent musicians over the years, from Denmark and all over the world. The orchestra performs around 100 concerts a year. The majority of the concerts take place in the Carl Nielsen-hall in Odense’s Concert house, near H.C. Andersen’s Birthplace – but the orchestra tours throughout Denmark and the rest of the world.
Odense Symphony Orchestra is the owner and host of Carl Nielsen International Competition, and the orchestra and its musicians play an important role in the competition as jury members, repertoire consultants and contact persons to many international artists. The first of the Carl Nielsen International Competitions was held in Odense in 1980. After nearly four decades, the violin, clarinet and flute competitions have established themselves as some of the most demanding and rewarding in the world, by highlighting Carl Nielsen’s musical masterpieces, and offering each winner the chance to launch a significant international career.
