The International Aeolus Competition for Wind Instruments has firmly established itself as a worldwide recognized stage for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone and Tuba. It takes place once a year in Düsseldorf since 1995.

Aeolus Competition is open to young musicians of all nationalities younger than 28 years. Each year three of the Instrument groups are opened for competition: In 2026, it will be the Trombone, Trumpet and Tuba. The total prize money is € 60,000, the first prize wins € 20,000.

13. January 2026

Applications open on February 1, 2026

Applicants can submit their registration for the instruments Trombone, Trumpet and Tuba from February 2026. Applications are made via MUVAC

Please check the information about previous competitive successes and positions held in your Muvac profile for relevance and completeness, as these represent an important criterion for selection.

Application deadline: April 30th

no payment is required when applying. The participation fee is only due after an invitation has been issued.

13. January 2026

Compositions for the 2nd Round released

(c)Wolfkerschek.info

The commissioned compositions by composer Wolf Kerschek, which will be performed in the second round of the competition, are now complete.

Participants can download the sheet music here:

Trumpet: "A Stranger`s Passage"

Tuba: "Journey of a Gentle Giant"

Trombone: "The Promise of the Uncertain Path"


13. January 2026

What has become of the prize-winners ?

2024

Minju Kim – Solo Flute

Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg 

Victor Diaz Guera – Solo Clarinet

Madrid Community Orchestra

2023

Polina Tarasenko – Solo Trombone

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

James Vaughen – Solo Trumpet

Philadelphia Orchestra USA

Xianhua Liu – Solo Tuba

Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven

2022

Karsten Hoffmann - Solo Horn

Gürzenich Orchester Köln

2021

Traian Sturza - Solo Bassoon

Düsseldorfer Symphoniker

Anna Komarova – Solo flute

Music Aeterna Orchestra, Russia

Gioele Coco - Solo Oboe

Neue Philharmonie Westfalen

2020

COVID - no Competition

2019

Lennard Czakaj - Solo Trumpet

Staatstheater Stuttgart

Jonathan Ramsay - Solo Trombone

Berliner Philharmoniker

Ross Knight - Solo Tuba

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande 

Professor for Tuba at Haute Ecole de Musique Geneve

Philippe Stier - Solo Trombone

MDR Sinfonieorchester

2018

Bora Demir – Solo Horn

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Ilyes Boufadden – Solo Oboe

Orchestre de Chambre de Paris

Pascal Deuber – Solo Horn

Bayerische Staatsoper

Marceau Lefévre – Solo Bassoon

Brüsseler Philharmonie

2017

Eudes Bernstein – Saxophone

Professor at the conservatory of Aulnay Sous Bois

Matvey Demin – Solo Flute

SWR Symphonie Orchester

Christoph Schneider – Solo Clarinet

Duisburger Philharmoniker

2016

Louise Pollock – Trombone

Professor at Hochschule Hanns Eisler, Berlin

Constantin Hartwig – Solo Tuba

Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

Roeland Henkens – Solo Trumpet

Nationaloper Oslo

2015

Christopher Koppitz – Solo Oboe

Norwegian Opera & Ballett Orchestra, Oslo

Andrea Cellacchi – Solo Bassoon

Concertgebouw Orchester Amsterdam

Professor at Conservatory of Amsterdam

Andreas Mader – Saxophon

Professor Utrecht Conservatory

2014

Claire Wickes – Solo Flute

English National Opera, London

Blas Sparovec – Solo Clarinet

Gürzenich-Orchester, Köln

2013

Sebastian Kemmer – Trombone

Professor at Royal Conservatory Netherlands

Tom Paulson – Trumpet

Professor at Royal College of Music Stockholm

2012

Bartek Dus- Saxophone

Professor at Academy of Music in Katowice, Polen

Theo Plath – Bassoon

Professor at Hochschule für Musik Frankfurt

Ivan Kobilskiy – Solo Oboe

Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra

2011

Sergey Elecky – Solo Clarinet

National Orchestra Russia

Alec Frank Gemmill – Solo Horn

Göteburg Symphony Orchestra

2010

Fabian Neuhaus – Solo Trumpet

NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover

Lars Karlin – Solo Bassoon

Berliner Konzerthaus Orchester

Vikentios Gionanidis – Solo Tuba

Deutsche Oper Berlin

2009

Jonatan Rautiola – Saxophone

Professor at Sibelius Academy Helsinki

Professor at Tampere Music Academy

2008

Angelos Kritikos – Solo Trombone

Bamberger Sinfoniker

2007

Zoltán Mácsai – Solo Horn

Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

Lukas Beno – Solo Trumpet

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Paolo Mendes – Solo Horn 

Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Balazc Toth – Solo Trumpet

Dortmunder Philharmoniker

2006

Philipp Tutzer – Solo Bassoon 

Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg

Professor at Anton Bruckner University Linz

Matthias Schorn- Solo Clarinet

Wiener Philharmoniker 

Professor at University for Music Vienna

Koryun Asatryan – Saxophone

Professor at Musikhochschule München

14. September 2025

Prizes have been announced!

Dimitri Pinchuk (C) Susanne Diesner

1. Prize: Dimitri Pinchuk, Saxophon

2. Prize: Alexander Kronbichler, Oboe

3. Prize: Jin Zhicheng, Horn

 

Audience Award: Jin Zhicheng, Horn

 

Special Prize for best interpretation of a contemporary piece: Guo Yu, Oboe