THIS YEAR'S AWARD RECIPIENT
Jonathan Swensen, cello
RATIONALE FOR THE AWARD
Whatever work or composer Jonathan Swensen interprets, he makes the music entirely his own. With an effortless technical command of his instrument, he has the freedom to express himself through a rare richness of colour, nuance and intensity – always placing the music and its narrative at the heart of his performance.
The great energy and immediacy that have always characterised Jonathan Swensen’s playing are channelled deep into the heart of the music, creating those rare moments when audiences lose all sense of time and place. At the same time, he is a curious and fearless musician. With great dedication and an appetite for new challenges, he embraces both the established repertoire and new music with equal commitment and creative joy.
In Jonathan Swensen, the Award Committee sees an artist who has already distinguished himself at an exceptional level, while at the same time being at an important stage in his artistic development, with significant international potential. He combines virtuosity with personality, curiosity and a powerful ability to communicate – making him a natural first recipient of The Olesen Music Award.
MEET JONATHAN SWENSEN:
ABOUT JONATHAN SWENSEN
Danish cellist Jonathan Swensen (b. 1996) has already established an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. He is a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and, in 2024, shared First Prize at the Naumburg International Cello Competition. He has previously won First Prizes at the Windsor International String Competition (2019), the Khachaturian International Cello Competition (2018) and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions (2018).
As a soloist, Jonathan Swensen has performed with numerous orchestras in Denmark and internationally, and has given recitals at venues including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Merkin Concert Hall in New York. He performs regularly as a chamber musician across Europe and the United States, including as a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
In 2022, he released his debut album, Fantasia, featuring works for solo cello, including Bent Sørensen’s Farewell Fantasia, which was written for Jonathan Swensen.
He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music before continuing his studies with Torleif Thedéen at the Norwegian Academy of Music and Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he completed his Artist Diploma in 2023. He is also an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, where he works with cellist Gary Hoffman.