Reviews

”David Munk-Nielsen chose a huge concerto for the final: the Second Piano Concerto by Johannes Brahms. His interpretation had a mature, gentlemanly stability, from which the broad and full sound of Brahms’s piano themes emerged beautifully. It fitted perfectly with the symphonic nature of the Brahms concerto. The wide-ranging work covers a broad range of expression, and Munk-Nielsen’s interpretation brought out the different facets of the work beautifully. There was enough mass in the tones of the first movement, which added monumentality to the interpretation. The scherzo was virtuosic yet angsty, the slow movement suitably emotional and the finale playful. All in all, the work received a fine interpretation with a good balance of all the necessary elements: spot-on emotional expression, smooth technique, sense of tone, airiness and robustness.”

”French music seems to suit Munk-Nielsen well.”

“…Also judging by this concert, the first prize went to the right person. Danish David Munk-Nielsen, who studies at the Sibelius Academy, had an excellent collaboration with the orchestra. He sovereignly controlled the symphonic arch of the Brahms second piano concerto and managed to combine the orchestral power required in this concerto with a poetical and sensitive expression when needed. At times it almost felt like everything was too easy for Munk-Nielsen.”