Jury

Simon Gaudenz

Chair

Simon Gaudenz, born on September 14th 1974 in Basel, is a swiss conductor.

Since 2012, Simon Gaudenz has been the chief conductor of the Hamburger Camerata.[3] Since the 2018/19 season, he has also been General Music Director of the Jena Philharmonic.

He initially studied clarinet at the Music Academy Lucern with Anthony Morf and later at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. He completed his training with a soloist diploma.

This was followed by conducting studies at the Freiburg University of Music with Scott Sandmeier and at the Mozarteum Salzburg with Dennis Russell Davies.

As a guest conductor, he has conducted numerous orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Nürnberger Philharmonic, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, etc.

Simon Gaudenz made his debut as an opera conductor in Freiburg in 2003.

Jury overview

Hélène Devilleneuve

Oboe

Hélène Devilleneuve, born 1969 in Avignon, is one of the most distinguished oboists of her time.

She combines her orchestral career as principal oboist with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France with intensive teaching at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Saint-Maur.

Hélène Devilleneuve studied at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM) in the classes of Maurice Bourgue and David Walter and is a prize winner of several international competitions.

In October 1994 she won the fourth Tokyo International Oboe Competition. She is a founding member of various chamber music ensembles and is deeply dedicated to contemporary music.

Jury overview

Thomas Leander

Rector of the Robert Schumann Hochschule

Thomas Leander, a German pianist and university professor, has been rector of the Robert Schumann Academy of Music in Düsseldorf since 1 April 2023.

Born in 1960 as the son of an opera singer, he was educated at the music academies in Düsseldorf, Vienna and London and passed his concert exam with distinction.

He has given concerts as a soloist in San Francisco, Washington, New York, London and Warsaw, among others. He has performed in important venues such as La Scala in Milan, the Festspielhaus Salzburg, the Cuvilliéstheater in Munich and the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, as well as at music festivals in Verbier, Salzburg and Moscow. Thomas Leander has also been engaged as song accompanist to Hermann Prey, Karl Ridderbusch, Robert Gambill and Mario Hoff.

Since 1995 Thomas Leander has been professor for piano and chamber music at the Robert Schumann Academy of Music in Düsseldorf, where he has held the post of pro-rector since 2010.

He was the initiator of the project „Entartete Musik – Willkommen in Deutschland” (Degenerate Music – Welcome to Germany) of the Robert Schumann Academy Düsseldorf together with the band Die Toten Hosen, and in October 2014 he was awarded the Josef-Neuberger Medal of the Jewish community of Düsseldorf together with the musicians of the band.

Jury overview

Dag Jensen

Bassoon

Dag Jensen was born in Horten, Norway, and began bassoon lessons at the age of 11 with Robert Rønnes. He was principal bassoonist at the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 1988 and held the same position at the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1997.

Dag Jensen won the 1st prize at the Norwegian Youth Music Competition and twice won the prestigious ARD Music Competition in Munich, in 1984 and 1990.

His numerous solo appearances with renowned orchestras have taken him throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. In 2003 he was principal bassoonist in the newly founded Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Claudio Abbado. Seiji Ozawa asked him to join the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra as principal bassoonist.

Chamber music plays an important part in his musical life; he is a member of the Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble and the Ensemble Villa Musica and is a regular guest at several national and international music festivals.

His artistic career is well documented on CD. Dag Jensen has been professor at the Hannover Academy of Music and Theatre since 1997, and since 2011 he has been professor for bassoon at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. Many of his students have won prizes at national and international music competitions.

Jury overview

Christian Wetzel

Oboe

Since 2007 Christian Wetzel has been Professor for Oboe at the University of Music in Cologne. In addition to teaching, he tours as a soloist and chamber musician, giving concerts at renowned festivals such as the „Rheingau Music Festival”, the „Spannungen” Festival in Heimbach and the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw.

He is an oboist and founding member of the renowned Ma’alot Wind Quintet, which has been awarded numerous prizes at various international competitions, including the ARD Competition in Munich. The ensemble has performed worldwide for more than 20 years and has won a number of important prizes for its recordings.

He studied oboe with Ingo Goritzki at the University of Music and Theatre Hannover, was a scholarship holder of the „Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes” and played in the European Community Youth Orchestra under Claudio Abbado.

After his studies he was solo oboist at the National Theatre Orchestra in Mannheim. From 1997 to 2007 he was full-time Professor for Oboe at the University of Music and Theatre „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig. He is a worldwide teacher at masterclasses and guest professor at music universities such as the Royal Academy of Music in London and the University of Music in Vienna.

Premieres at international music festivals and close collaboration with important contemporary composers demonstrate his commitment to „New Music”.

His students have won prizes at national and international music competitions.

Jury overview

Nicolas Baldeyrou

Clarinet

Nicolas Baldeyrou, born 31 May 1979 in Paris, is one of the most remarkable clarinettists of his time. He studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (class of Michel Arrignon and Jérôme Julien-Laferrière), having entered at the age of 14.

He is the winner of three major international competitions: the prestigious ARD Competition (1998), the Dos Hermanas International Competition (Spain) and the ICA Young Artist Competition (USA) in 2001.

For many years he served as principal clarinettist in renowned orchestras and is regularly invited to perform as a soloist worldwide.

Since 2006 he has taught as professor at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon.

Jury overview

Laura Ruiz Ferreres

Clarinet

Laura Ruiz Ferreres is one of the most versatile and brilliant clarinettists of her generation. She currently serves as Professor for clarinet at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main (HfMD) and was previously principal clarinettist of the Komische Oper in Berlin.

She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at major international festivals and venues. Her artistic career is marked by a deep commitment to both the classical repertoire and contemporary music.

Jury overview