“Putting a finger on how it feels is difficult. I am moved. Maybe I was a little shocked”, that’s what the trombonist Lukas Flink said shortly after he was chosen as this year’s winner of the Polstjärnepriset Competition, Sweden’s national music competition for young classical musicians.
The final was held in Gothenburg’s Concert Hall. All four finalists played their competition pieces with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
“A magical experience” said 18-year-old Lukas. This was his second time competing in the Polstjärne Prize. Last year he reached the semi-finals. “This year I was aiming for the final, so I had actually already reached my goal when I stood on stage”. The jury’s explanation was: “The Polstjärne Prize 2022 is awarded to trombonist Lukas Flink for his expressive and moving artistry and his superb mastery of the instrument.”
Lukas grew up in a musical family in Malmö. He says it was only a matter of time before he started playing an instrument. When he was six, he chose the trombone, and it’s been with him ever since.
“Four years ago, I attended the Polstjärne course in Vänersborg for the first time and I’ve come back every year. This also gave me the chance to follow the Polstjärne Prize competition before I entered it myself. The Polstjärne course is a place where I have met many of my friends in the industry. There I meet people who are really good at playing. Meeting young musicians from all over the country gives a lot of inspiration to work to get better and better”.
For Lukas, the last semester of high school awaits. Then he wants to study further at a music academy. “There is nothing else. I want to live with music full-time somehow and I keep many doors open to see what comes up”.
Let’s reveal all the prize winner of the 2022 edition:
1st prize went to trombonist Lukas Flink from Malmö
2nd prize went to double bassist Harald Edin from Styrsö
3rd prize went to violinist Harry Dai Liang from Gothenburg
4th prize went to cellist Selma Sköld from Enskede
“The standard of the young people in this year’s Polstjärne Prize has been really good,” says Stefan Forsberg, chairman of the Polstjärne Prize jury and CEO of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. “The competition jury is very experienced, but we still had the difficult task of selecting who would go on to the various stages of the finals and to finally choose a winner”.
“We who work in and with the symphony orchestras in Sweden feel an incredible sense of joy and gratitude for the Polstjärne Prize and the National Centre for Musical Talent,” emphasises Stefan Forsberg.
Read more about the Polstjärnepriset Vänersborg (Polar Star Price) 2022 here.
