Hans Christian Aavik

Estonian violinist Hans Christian Aavik is the 1st prize winner of the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition and recipient of Germany’s Usedom Prize. Named “One to Watch” by Gramophone, his 2025 debut orchestral album featuring violin concertos by Max Bruch and Erkki-Sven Tüür, received a five star review from The BBC Music Magazine and made an Editor’s Choice.
Following his performance of Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa with Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra at this summer’s Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia, the New York Times described Aavik’s performance as “a pure, expressive sound ideal for the piece.”
Already well established as a soloist at home in Estonia, Aavik regularly performs throughout Europe and has recorded on Deutsche Grammophon’s Rising Star series. In addition to touring as soloist with Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra this Autumn in Zürich (Tonhalle), Vienna (Konzerthaus), Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie) and New York (Carnegie hall), highlights of the current season include performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Tabea Zimmermann and Ensemble Resonanz; the world premiere of Tõnu Kõrvits’ double concerto for violin and piano with Karolina Aavik and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; and an invitation by Christian Macelaru to perform all three Enescu violin sonatas at the 2025 George Enescu Festival.

Born in Tallinn in 1998, Hans Christian Aavik started his violin studies at the age of five. In 2017 he moved to Germany to study at the Frankfurt Music Academy of Music and Arts under the tutelage of Erik Schumann and Angelika Merkle. He is currently studying at the Music and Arts Private University of Vienna with Julian Rachlin and Evgeny Sinaiski and at the Kronberg Academy with Erik Schumann where he is kindly supported by the Dr. Christa and Christian Ratjen patronage.
Aavik is a scholarship holder of arteMusica Foundation, and was awarded both the 2022 Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and “Musician of the Year” title by the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians. He performs on a Giovanni Paolo Maggini violin (ca 1610) and a bow made by Victor Fétique (ca 1930), generously on loan from the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments and the Sapožnin family.

He is currently studying at Kronberg Academy with Professor Erik Schumann. His studies are funded by the Dr. Christa and Christian Ratjen patronage. Additionally, he is supported by the arteMusica-Stiftung.