Aeolus Bläserwettbewerb

Competitions

2027

Bassoon Clarinet Oboe

The Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments

2006 – 2026

20Years

4,601Competitors

75Nations

9Instruments

Click a country for details

1–14 competitors 15–49 50–99 100–499 over 500 no competitors

As of May 2026 · Source: Aeolus world map “20 Years | 4.601 Competitors | 75 Nations”

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.

News reports

13. January 2026

Compositions for the 2nd Round released

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”; Alternative version in Eb: “Journey of a Gentle Giant Eb”

Trombone: “The Promise of the Uncertain Path”

Echo-Klassik and Hamburg Jazz Award winner Wolf Kerschek works internationally as a composer, conductor and arranger. In addition to the who’s who of jazz (HR, WDR, NDR Big Band, Metropole Orkest etc.), his spectrum also includes classical music (Tokyo Symphony, Salzburg Camerata, Utah / Nashville Symphony etc.) and national and international pop (from Helene Fischer to Rammstein & from Michael Bolton to Rick Springfield). He conducted and orchestrated the FIFA anthem that sounds before every soccer World Cup game, composed the official songs for the German Television for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the World Athletics Championships in London and the European Women’s Football Championship 2016, the draw for the 2018 World Cup, which he also conducted in the Kremlin and received the titles for the world records as conductor of the largest orchestra in the world (2016) and the largest rock band in the world (2019).

Since 2004 he has been the head of jazz department and professor of jazz composition and ensemble directing at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama.

As a film composer and producer trained in the USA, he has a large network of studio musicians who specialise in large productions with orchestras and big bands. further Information: > see Wolf Kerschek`s Homepage

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 Lefèvre – 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 – Saxophone
Professor Utrecht Conservatory

2014

Claire Wickes – Solo Flute
English National Opera, London

Blas Sparovec – Solo Clarinet
Gürzenich-Orchester, Köln

2013

Sebastian Kemner – 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, Poland

Theo Plath – Bassoon
Professor at Hochschule für Musik Frankfurt

Ivan Kobilskij – 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

Nikita Zimin – Saxophone
Professor at Moskau State College of Musical Performance
Professor at Lomonossow University Moskau

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

Balazs 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