Edward Ahlbeck Glader (Sweden) is a Swedish pianist (b. 2007) who has already established himself as one of the most remarkable young piano talents in the Nordic region. He grew up in Stockholm and received his musical education at Lilla Akademien before continuing his studies privately with Paolo Giacometti. He currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik Basel in Switzerland in the class of Claudio Martínez Mehner and has also been a participant in the Verbier Festival Academy’s soloist programme.
Edward has achieved significant international recognition through numerous competition victories. In 2026, he won Polstjärnepriset, Sweden’s leading competition for young musicians, earning the opportunity to represent Sweden at Eurovision Young Musicians. He has also won first prize in the MozArte International Junior Piano Competition, the Nordic Junior Piano Competition, and the Gothenburg International Piano Competition, in addition to receiving several special awards and scholarships in recognition of his artistic achievements.
As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared at festivals including the Verbier Festival, Helsingborg Piano Festival, Gothenburg Piano Festival, and the Lev Natochenny Piano Festival. Alongside his solo career, he has a strong commitment to chamber music, participating in projects at institutions and festivals such as the Verbier Festival, O/Modernt Festival, and Sweden’s national talent development programmes.
In his letter of motivation, Edward expresses a desire to further develop his artistic voice and broaden his musical perspective both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. He sees Papillon as an inspiring and challenging environment in which to continue growing, learn from established musicians, and build new musical friendships. At the same time, he is eager to contribute actively to the artistic community that the programme represents.