DUSIKA - The Capital Region's Youth Symphony Orchestra - Plays Dvořák, Bruch and Nielsen

Soloist: Ketil Vethal Kanneworff, viola 

With this concert, DUSIKA (the Danish capital region youth symphony orchestra) marks the beginning of its annual orchestral tour, which will conclude in Slovenia this July. 
DUSIKA’s principal conductor, Christian Schmiedescamp, will introduce and guide the audience through the evening’s program. The orchestra’s talented young violist, Ketil Vethal Kanneworff, will perform Bruch’s Romance in F Major—a piece renowned for its lyrical beauty and deep emotional expression, where the viola truly shines. 

The program also features Dvořák’s dramatic The Noon Witch and Carl Nielsen’s magnificent Sinfonia Espansiva. DUSIKA is committed to showcasing young talent and Danish composers on its annual tours, helping to promote Denmark’s rich musical heritage internationally. 

Founded in 1988 at the initiative of the music committee of the former Greater Copenhagen County, DUSIKA comprises approximately 65 musicians aged 13–25 and serves as a supplement to the region’s music schools. The orchestra aims to foster a love for classical music among young musicians while providing ensemble training at a high artistic level. Over the years, it has grown significantly and has become an important stepping stone for Denmark’s future professional musicians. 

DUSIKA performs 8–10 concerts annually and embarks on concert tours both domestically and abroad. The orchestra has toured in Scotland, the Faroe Islands, the Netherlands, southern France, Poland, Australia, Germany, Estonia, Russia, and Tuscany, among other locations. In addition to musical excellence, the orchestra places great emphasis on social engagement and camaraderie among its members. 

Christian Schmiedescamp, born in 1972 in Esbjerg, began his musical journey as a euphonium and trombone player in Esbjerg Ungdomssymfoniorkester (the Esbjerg Youth Symphony Orchestra) and Esbjerg Brass Band. After a brief detour studying physics at Aarhus University, he decided to pursue a career in music. 

He studied conducting as a secondary subject at the conservatory and made his debut from the soloist class in 2005. Schmiedescamp has held positions with the National Danish Philharmonic (Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester) and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Since 2004, he has been a trombonist in Tivoli Gardens’ resident symphony orchestra, Copenhagen Phil. He has also served as the conductor of the Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band for several years.