Orchid Classics presents one of two releases showcasing winners of the Carl Nielsen Competition 2019. Hailed as 'One to Watch' by Gramophone magazine, Slovenian clarinettist Blaž Šparovec was praised by jury member Michael Collins as "the deserving winner... he showed immense qualities from the start and is able to communicate with the audience his joy of music-making. His technical skill and warm sound will make him stand out as a true individual." With the Odense Symphony Orchestra, Blaž Šparovec performs four masterpieces: Debussy's breathtaking Première rhapsodie, written as a competition piece for the Paris Conservatoire; Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto, often described as the greatest of the 20th century; Lutoslawski's folk-like Dance Preludes; and Copland's demanding, jazzy Clarinet Concerto, performed in it's original state - unaltered by simplifications made by it's dedicatee, Benny Goodman.