Norwegian guitarist wins prestigious international prize
Norwegian classical guitarist Anders Clemens Ĝien won on January 5 the prestigious Andrès Segovia International guitar competition in La Herradura, Spain. Ĝien is the first Scandinavian to be awarded this sought-after prize.
The Andrès Segovia International guitar competition is recognised as the world’s leading classical guitar contest, and up until last Sunday no Scandinavian had ever been given the first prize. At last year’s competition, Anders Clemens Ĝien was awarded the jury’s special prize for his performance but this year he made it to the top. With fierce competition from 31 participants, Ĝien made it to the finals together with five other guitarists from France, Spain and Ukraine. Performing several works including Leo Brouwer’s Guitar Concerto No. 3, Ĝien won the jury’s hearts and took home the first Scandinavian victory in the worlds most prestigious guitar contest.
Ĝien is no stranger to performing in Spain as he lives and studies in Barcelona. The 26-year-old guitarist has also studied in Haag and Oslo and received his Diploma last year. In addition to the Andrès Segovia International guitar competition, Ĝien has participated at several prestigious contests. 2000 saw him receiving the second prize at the Puente Gentil competition in Cordoba. The same year, Ĝien took the first prize at the Jòvenes Iterpretes in Barcelona. Anders Clemens Ĝien is also among the few carefully chosen young musicians at the Norwegian Concert Institute’s INTRO-Classical programme – a three-year launch programme for young outstanding performers. Ĝien has performed for guitar icons such as John Williams, Manuell Barrueco, David Russel and Hubert Käppel in addition to performances and tours in Norway, Italy, Denmark, Spain and Holland. Ĝien is now entering his last term at the Luthier Escuela de Musica i Barcelona where he studies under professor Alex Garrobé.
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