Winners of the Bertold Hummel Competition 2017 in the saxophone category
Würzburg, 24th to 26th November
1st prize (€2,500)
Andreas Mader
Andreas Mader ( born 1993) first attended the Music High School in Innsbruck with preparatory studies at the Tyrolean State Conservatory, where the foundation for a professional artistic career was laid. He is currently pursuing 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 regularly collaborates with other musicians such as Sven Arne Tepl and Walter van Hauwe to expand the possibilities of the saxophone into other styles and 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 Claude Delangle's world-renowned saxophone class. In 2015, Andreas Mader won third prize at the international Aeolus Competition in Düsseldorf after impressing in the saxophone category. In 2016, he was a prize winner at the SAXFEST International Saxophone Competition in Andorra. In masterclasses, he was able to work 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 (Conservatory-Private University Vienna), Pawel Gusnar (Warsaw), and Christian Wirth (Paris).
2nd prize (€1,500)
Joaquín Sáez Belmonte
Joaquín Sáez Belmonte ( born 1988) lives in Germany, where he completed his master's degree in new music in 2016, 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). His artistic practice encompasses the most current issues in contemporary music. In addition to his membership in the renowned Fukio Ensemble, he focuses on interpretation and conceptual performance practice. He has performed as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles at many important international institutions. He has won prizes and scholarships at several national and international competitions, including a scholarship from the Kiefer Hablitzel Foundation, a concert scholarship from the Werner Richard - Dr. 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 Absolut Prize "Antonio Bertolini" in Milan, and first prize at the 19th Illzak International Chamber Music Competition in France. Under the baton of Salvador Brotons, Joaquín Sáez Belmonte performed with the Palma de Mallorca Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, he toured Spain with the OJRM Youth Orchestra. He made his debut as a soloist in 2013 with Henri Tomasi's saxophone concerto with the Basel Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Peter Rundel. In 2017, he will perform as a guest musician with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra. Joaquín Sáez Belmonte has taught at various music schools in Germany and Spain and has given masterclasses for young professional saxophonists (Econtro Galego do Saxophone, Mallorca Saxophone Festival). He currently teaches at the Conservatory of Music in Palma de Mallorca.
3. Prizes (€700 each)
Christina Bernard / Carlos Gimenez Martinez
Christina Bernard ( born 1995) received her first saxophone lessons from Sandra Engel in her hometown of Neunkirchen am Brand. She began her studies at the University of Music Würzburg as a junior student, where she has been studying in Prof. Lutz Koppetsch's bachelor's class since 2013. Even at a young age, her great commitment to solo and chamber music was rewarded with numerous successes in regional competitions and first prizes at Jugend Musiziert. At the University of Music, she was awarded the Conrad von der Goltz Scholarship and, with her saxophone quartet 4-Karat, the Fischer-Flach Prize. 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 Musikleben Foundation 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. – since 2015 also in the trio Züngelnder Saitenwind (saxophone, accordion, violoncello). 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 also drew 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. From 2012 to 2016, he studied with Jose Garrido Antequera at the Conservatorium "Salvador seguí Castelló". In 2015, he won second prize at the "Exigentia, Gessopalena" saxophone competition (Italy) and in 2016, second prize at the international competition of the "China International 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 and Willem van Merwijk, among others. Since 2016, he has been studying at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam with Arno Bornkamp.