Press Release, 26 May 2025

Young oboist from Örebro wins quarter of a million

The Mogren Music Prize 2025 goes to 25-year-old oboist Josef Wijk from Örebro. The prize, SEK 250,000, is awarded in recognition of a personal and intuitive musicality and a remarkable ability to communicate with audiences.

"I never considered a Plan B. My family and every teacher I have had since I started at the Music School at the age of eight have always supported me. I now understand how much that has meant for how straightforward, enjoyable and motivating my journey to becoming a professional oboist has been. I wish that kind of support for everyone," says Josef Wijk.

Josef Wijk is awarded the Mogren Music Prize 2025, with a prize sum of SEK 250,000, for "a personal and intuitive musicality" and a rare ability to communicate with audiences. The 25-year-old oboist has recently taken up a full-time position as principal oboist and section leader of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.

"As a child I was so shy that I used to hide behind my teacher. But when I tried the oboe, the shyness simply vanished. Eight-year-old me thought I was pretty good straight away – the tones, the oboe's glittering, delicate sound, truly moved me," says Josef Wijk.

The Mogren Music Prize aims to support young, promising musicians at the start of their careers, with the goal of easing their transition into the professional arts industry.

"A vibrant cultural life is so important, both for our well-being and for the unique spaces it creates where different thoughts and emotions can meet. Josef moves his audiences deeply with his impressive stage presence and brilliant technique, and is already one of the country's foremost oboists," says Birgitta Svendén, Chair of the Mogren Foundation's nomination committee for music, court singer and former Chief Executive of the Royal Swedish Opera.

Despite being born in the 2000s, Josef Wijk has already performed on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Following his degree from the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg, he went on to study under the internationally renowned oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk at the Haute école de musique in Geneva.

From the jury's citation: "With a personal and intuitive musicality, natural stage presence and ability to communicate with audiences, oboist Josef Wijk is a worthy recipient of the Mogren Music Prize 2025. At just 25 years of age, his brilliant talent and impeccable technique have already earned him a place among the country's leading orchestras. Josef is an incredibly important role model for other young musicians and an inspiration for the oboists of the future."