Nicholas Algot Swensen (born 1999) is the recipient of the P2 Talent Prize 2021. In connection with this, he performed as a soloist in Walton's viola concerto with the Odense Symphony Orchestra in April 2021. Currently, he is pursuing his Master's Degree at The Juilliard School in New York, where he has already achieved success, including winning the first prize in The Juilliard Viola Concerto Competition 2021. This led to his performance of Walton's viola concerto in Lincoln Center's largest concert hall with The Juilliard Orchestra and the British-Italian star conductor Antonio Pappano. A month later, he won a prize in one of the world's largest viola competitions, the Primrose International Viola Competition, in Los Angeles, where he performed Bartok's viola concerto with The Colburn Orchestra in the final.
In Europe, he has won awards such as the Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition in Prague, 1st prize in the Øresund Soloist Competition in Copenhagen, a gold medal and talent prize at Berlingske's classical music competition, as well as a special prize in the Max Rostal International Viola Competition in Berlin. He has also received the Copenhagen Summer Festival Talent Prize, Jacob Gade's Grant, Leonie Sonning Talent Prize, Wilhelm Hansen Foundation's Honorary Prize, and the Betty and Valdemar van Hauen Grant in 2017, where he performed as a soloist with the chamber orchestra ARCO in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in Tivoli Concert Hall.
Nicholas is a frequent guest at the country's largest and most important chamber music festivals, including Lundsgaard Chamber Music Festival, Hindsgavl Chamber Music Festival, Stjernestunder in Tivoli, Klassiske Dage in Holstebro, and Oremandsgaard Chamber Music Festival. In addition, he has participated in renowned international festivals such as Kronberg Academy Festival, Ravinia Festival, Accademia Isola Classica, and Oberstdorfer Musiksommer. In May 2022, he will participate in the Kronberg Academy's festival 'Chamber Music Connects the World,' where he will play with musicians like Sir András Schiff, Christian Tetzlaff, and Gidon Kremer. Nicholas frequently collaborates with the country's top ensembles such as Trio con Brio, Trio Vitruvi, Den Danske Strygekvartet, and Danmarks Underholdningsorkester.
At the age of 14, he was admitted as a 'Jungstudent' at the Lübeck Music Conservatory under Professor Barbara Westphal. During this time, he simultaneously attended 9th grade and completed high school. He then began his bachelor's studies with Professor Lars Anders Tomter and Asbjørn Nørgaard at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
Nicholas is also a conductor. He studied orchestral and choral conducting at the Malko Conducting School at DR for 2 years and had the opportunity to conduct the DR Symphony Orchestra and DR Vocal Ensemble. He received instruction from Chief Conductor Fabio Luisi and Ole Faurschou. At Juilliard, he formed a chamber orchestra on his own, which meets regularly on weekends and has performed Brahms' Symphony No. 2 and Schubert's Symphony No. 6.