Winner of the Bertold Hummel Competition 2017 in the saxophone category
Würzburg 24 to 26 November
1st prize (€2500)
Andreas Mader
Andreas Mader (born 1993) initially attended the Innsbruck Music High School with preparatory studies at the Tyrolean State Conservatory, where he laid the foundations for a professional artistic career. He is currently studying for his bachelor's degree in the saxophone class of Arno Bornkamp, one of the most sought-after classical saxophonists of our time, at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. There he also works regularly with other musicians such as Sven Arne Tepl and Walter van Hauwe to expand the possibilities of the saxophone into other styles and to find new ways of expression. He also spent some time in Paris as part of the Erasmus exchange programme, where he studied at the Conservatoire National supérieur de Musique de Paris in the world-renowned saxophone class of Claude Delangle. In 2015, Andreas Mader won 3rd prize at the international Aeolus competition in Düsseldorf after winning the saxophone category. In 2016, he was a prizewinner at the SAXFEST international saxophone competition in Andorra. In masterclasses, he has worked with other greats of the classical saxophone such as Vincent David (Versailles), Jan Schulte-Bunert, Daniel Gauthier (Cologne), Kenneth Tse (University of Iowa), Otis Murphy (Indiana University), Jean-Denis Michat (Lyon), Lars Mlekusch (Vienna Conservatory Private University), Pawel Gusnar (Warsaw) and Christian Wirth (Paris).
2. Price (1.500 €)
Joaquín Sáez Belmonte
Joaquín Sáez Belmonte (born 1988) lives in Germany after completing his Bachelor's degree in Mallorca (Prof. Rodrigo Vila and Prof. Andrés Gomis) and his Master's degree in Basel (Prof. Marcus Weiss), where he completed his Master's degree in New Music in 2016. His artistic practice encompasses the most current issues in contemporary music. In addition to his membership of the prestigious Fukio Ensemble, he specialises in interpretation and conceptual performance practice and has performed both as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles at many major international institutions. He has won prizes and scholarships at several national and international competitions, including a scholarship prize from the Kiefer Hablitzel Foundation, a concert scholarship from the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation, first prize from the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation and first prize from the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation. Carl Dörken Foundation, first prize at the UGDA International Chamber Competition in Luxembourg, second prize at the Spanish Youth Music Competition, third prize at the Intercentros Melómano University Competition, second prize at the Yamaha International Saxophone Competition, first prize at the Felix Mendelssohn University Competition in Berlin, first prize at the Karlsruhe Competition for the Interpretation of New Music, first prize at the Coop Music Awards and the Absolute Prize "Antonio Bertolini" in Milan, first prize at the 19th Illzak International Chamber Music Competition in France. Joaquín Sáez Belmonte has performed with the Palma de Mallorca Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Salvador Brotons. In 2007 he toured Spain with the OJRM Youth Orchestra. He made his debut as a soloist in 2013 with the saxophone concerto by Henri Tomasi with the Basel Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Peter Rundel. In 2017, he performed as a guest musician with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra.Joaquín Sáez Belmonte has already taught at various music schools in Germany and Spain and has given masterclasses for young professional saxophonists (Econtro Galego do Saxophon, Mallorca Saxophone Festival). He currently teaches at the conservatory in Palma de Mallorca.
3rd prizes (700 € each)
Christina Bernard / Carlos Gimenez Martinez
Christina Bernard (born 1995) received her first saxophone lessons from Sandra Engel in her home town of Neunkirchen am Brand. She began her studies as a young student at the Würzburg University of Music, where she has been studying in Prof Lutz Koppetsch's Bachelor class since 2013. Even at a young age, her great commitment to solo and chamber music was rewarded with numerous successes at regional competitions and 1st national prizes at Jugend Musiziert. She won the Conrad von der Goltz Scholarship at the Hochschule für Musik and the Fischer-Flach Prize with her saxophone quartet 4-Karat. Christina Bernard attracted international attention when she won second prize at the J. Pakalnis Competition in Lithuania in 2016. Christina is a scholarship holder of the German Foundation for Musical Life and the Deutschlandstipendium. In a duo with Kevin Sauer (accordion), she is one of the scholarship holders of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Franken e.V. - and has also been a member of the Züngelnder Saitenwind trio (saxophone, accordion, violoncello) since 2015. She gained orchestral experience in the German National Youth Orchestra, the Bavarian Orchestra Academy, the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, the Würzburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Thuringian Symphony Orchestra and as a soloist with renowned orchestras in Kyrgyzstan and Lithuania. She has also received musical inspiration from Arno Bornkamp, Joonatan Rautiola, Jan Schulte-Bunert, Vincent David and Lars Mlekusch.
Carlos Gimenez Martinez (born 1993) comes from Benimodo near Valencia (Spain). He has been playing the saxophone since the age of 9. In 2012/2016 he studied with Jose Garrido Antequera at the "Salvador seguí Castelló" Conservatory. In 2015 he won 2nd prize at the saxophone competition "Exigentia, Gessopalena" (Italy) and in 2016 2nd prize at the international competition of the "China Internantional Saxophone Festival". He has attended masterclasses with Arno Bornkamp, Mariano Garcia, Vincent David, Antonio Felipe Belijar, Tomas Jerez, Jose Garrido, Claude Delangle, Juan Dominguez, Jean Dennis Michat, Femke Ijlistra, Peter Stam, Alberto Saez, Juana Palop Willem van Merwijk and others. Since 2016 he has been studying at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam with Arno Bornkamp.