2024 Nicolai Malko Competition: Finals

The moment of truth has arrived: it's the final round of the 2024 Malko Competition in Copenhagen, where young conductors step up to the podium to prove their mettle before the eyes of the international music community! This prestigious competition, organized by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and held every three years since 1965, spotlights rising talents and offers them a launchpad toward worldwide success—with a cash prize of €20,000 and invaluable professional opportunities alongside world-renowned orchestras. Maestro Fabio Luisi, the DNSO's principal conductor, presides over the jury for the third time in the 2024 edition.

For their final challenge, our three remaining contenders first choose between Brahms's First, Second, and Fourth symphonies, and then bring their campaigns to a close with the famous "Dance of the Cockerels" from the opera Maskarade by Carl Nielsen—a perfect selection to show off the quality of the DNSO, who has long championed the Danish composer's work.

Photo © Per Morton Abrahamsen