Tim Frederiksen, Jury Chairman

Denmark

Tim Frederiksen is the third generation in a family of violists: he is the grandson of Gunnar Frederiksen and the son of Knud Frederiksen, violist in the old Danish String Quartet for many years. Tim Frederiksen has played violin and viola since childhood and studied with Gunnar Frederiksen, Erling Bloch in Copenhagen, and Professor Max Rostal, Konservatorium für Musik, Switzerland.

In 1980, he was appointed Principal Viola in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and from 1983 to 1996 he was leader of that prestigious orchestra. He has appeared as a soloist with most Danish orchestras on both violin and viola. He has first performed and recorded many contemporary Danish pieces, including Yngve Jan Trede’s Viola Concerto. He has recorded Vagn Holmboe’s chamber concertos for viola: the solo concerto (which was dedicated to his grand father) and the double concertos for violin/viola and oboe/viola.

Frederiksen is a much sought-after chamber musician. As primarius in the Danish String Quartet he has given a great many recitals all over Europe and has recorded the collected string quartets by Brahms, Ib Nørholm, Carl Nielsen, and Paul Hindemith — this last recording has been awarded with Deutsche Schallplatten Preis 1997. He has founded Trio Soleil with Elisabeth Westenholz (piano) and Niels Thomsen (clarinet), a trio which has released a CD with works by Mozart, Schumann and Bruch.

In 1995 Frederiksen was appointed Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. He has in his 28 years as professor educated most of the leading violists in Denmark and in his capacity as Head of Chamber Music he coaches award winning Danish ensembles, including:

  • Trio Ondine, First Prize winners in the Broadwood Piano Trio Competition, the Parkhouse Award in London, the Joseph Haydn Competition in Vienna, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition, and the ARD Competition in Munich, where the trio also received the Audience Prize. The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition rewarded Trio Ondine with the Second Prize as well as the Audience Prize.
  • Paizo Quartet, First Prize winner in the inaugural Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2000, First Prize winner in Melbourne 2003
  • Jalina Piano Trio, Second Prize winner in the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2000, First Prize winner in Trapani, Second Prize in Osaka Chamber Music Competition 2002
  • The Danish String Quartet, First Prize winners in the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2004, the Vagn Holmboe String Quartet Competition 2004, the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in Holland 2004, Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2005, London International String Quartet Competition 2009 — in which the quartet also received prizes for Best Performance of Compulsory Piece, Best Performance of piece after 1915, and the Menton Prize.
  • Ismena Piano Trio, prize winner at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2008, First Prize winner of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2009
  • The Nightingale String Quartet, prize winner in the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in Holland 2010, Second Prize winner of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2009. The recordings of Rued Langgaard’s quartets, released by Dacapo, with Tim Frederiksen as producer, have been internationally recognized and gained the quartet a title as ‘Talent of the Year’ by Gramophone.
  • Trio Vitruvi, First Prize in the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2014.
  • Nordic String Quartet, asked by Dacapo to record the collected quartets by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Peter Heise, and Nancy Dalberg; produced by Tim Frederiksen.
  • Erlendis Guitar Quartet (First Prize in the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2017, First Prize in the International Ensemble Competition by GFA, USA 2017, First Prize and the Audience Prize in the International Chamber Music Competition in Aschaffenburg 2016, and Special Prize in the Orlando Chamber Music Competition 2016.
  • Novo Quartet, First Prize in the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2020, Second Prize in the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2021, Second Prize in the International Carl Nielsen Chamber Music Competition 2023.

Absalon String Quartet, First Prize in the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Chamber Music Competition 2023, First Prize in the Rued Langgaard Competition 2022.

Tim Frederiksen is highly in demand as a teacher at international and national master classes and is often invited as jury member in international music competitions, including the Max Rostal Competition in Berlin and the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition. Since the beginning of the Oscar Nedbal Viola Competition in Prague, Tim Frederiksen has been Chairman of the jury.

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