Jury 2025

Georg Fritzsch
Katy Woolley
Szabolcs Zempléni
Ricardo Lopes
Viola Wilmsen
Vincent David
Kayle Horch
Prof. Thomas Leander

Georg Fritzsch

Chair

Georg Fritzsch, born in Meißen in 1963, has been general music director of the Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe since 2020.

Fritzsch initially studied cello at the “Carl Maria von Weber” University of Music in Dresden and completed conducting studies in Dresden and Leipzig in 1993.

In 1991 he won a prize at the Conductors' Forum of the German Music Council in Halle. Engagements as general music director of the South Westphalia Philharmonic and from 2003 to 2019 as general music director of the Kiel Theater followed.

From 1999 to 2003, Fritzsch was professor of conducting at the Tillberg University of Music (Netherlands). In 2017 he took over a professorship for orchestra conducting at the University of Music and Theater in Munich.

As a guest conductor, he has conducted, among others, the German Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Weimar as well as international orchestras in Israel, Korea, China, Taiwan, South Africa and the USA.eorg Fritzsch, geboren 1963 in Meißen ist seit 2020 Generalmusikdirektor der Badischen Staatskapelle Karlsruhe.

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Katy Woolley

Horn

Katy Woolley was born in Exeter and began playing horn at age ten. Her early teachers include Sue Dent and Simon Rayner.

She studied at the Royal College of Music, London and graduated with a first class degree and was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal from the Prince of Wales. She was the principal horn of the European Union Youth Orchestra for two years. She also studied with Christian-Friedrich Dallmann at the ‘Universität der

Künste’ in Berlin.

At the age of 22 Woolley was appointed Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Having previously worked with them as an extra player, in 2019 she was appointed the Principal Horn of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

Outside of her orchestral career, Woolley performed solo with many famous orchestras. As a visiting professor, Woolley has given classes at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, as well giving masterclasses across Europe, South America, and Asia.

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Szabolcs Zempléni

Horn

Szabolcs Zempléni, born on 8th January 1981 in Budapest, is a Hungarian horn player and professor for horn at the ‘Universität für Künste’ in Berlin.

Zempléni studied at the ‘Franz-Liszt-Musikakademie’ with Ferenc Tarjáni and at the music Academy ‘Hanns Eisler’ Berlin with Christian Friedrich Dallmann and Markus Bruggaier.

Szabolcs Zempléni was only 17 years old when he won the Concertino Prag Horn Competition besides being awarded a special prize. In the following years he won many international competitions: Markneukirchen 2000, Békés 2000, Brno 2001.

He was the first Hungarian awarded the 1st prize of ARD international competition in Munich in 2005. Since then, he has performed as a soloist in countries such as the Czech Republic, Japan, China, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States conducted by Ivan Fischer, Yakov Kreizberg, Jonathan Nott, Daniel Raiskin and Michael Sanderling. He has already debuted in some of the greatest concert halls, such as the Auditorium in Rome, Carnegie Hall in New York and in the Bartók Hall in Budapest etc.. Szabolcs Zempléni is a visiting professor at the Trinity Music College in London and at the Tokyo Music College in Japan.

His first CD (Colours of the French Horn) has been released in 2011 by Oehems Classics.

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Ricardo Lopes

Oboe

Ricardo Lopes has been principal oboist of the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years. He performs regularly as a soloist with many of Portugals leading Orchestras playing works

by composers such as Mozart, Martinu?, Haydn, Donizetti Jorge Peixinho, Bruno Maderna and others.

He has been teaching at the Porto University of Music and Performing Arts since 1995 and has developed a teaching project that is now widely recognized.

He is regularly invited to give master classes throughout thecountry and to some of the most prestigious oboe classes in Germany. Ricardo Lopes frequently performs in recitals and chamber music repertoire and has performed in Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Macau and

Japan.

Ricardo Lopes holds a Master‘s degree in Music Performance and is currently pursuing a PhD in Musicology at the NOVA University of Lisbon.

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Viola Wilmsen

Oboe

Viola Wilmsen is since 2022 professor for Oboe at the music academy Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Viola Wilmsen studied with Diethelm Jonas in Lübeck, Jaques Tys in Paris and Dominik Wollenweber in Berlin.

Ever since winning one of the most renowned international oboe competitions in 2009, Viola Wilmsen has been performing as a soloist and chamber musician all over the world.

Since 2012 she has been principal oboist of the Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, having previously held the same position for three years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

In 2009 Viola Wilmsen won the first prize at the International Sony Oboe Competition in Japan. In the 30-year history of the competition, she was the first woman and the first German to win this award. She won further first prizes at various competitions.

She played under cunductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Chailly, Zubin Mehta, Andris Nelsons etc.

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Vincent David

Saxophone

Vincent David was born in Paris in 1974 and graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 1996 with a first prize with unanimity, class of

Claude Delangle. He finished his studies where he distinguishes himself in international competitions such as the 1st Grand prize at the International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant (Belgium), 1994, 3rd prize at the international Competition of musical execution of Geneva (Switzerland), 1995 and the

2nd prize at the International Jean-Marie Londeix Competition of Bordeaux (France), 1996.

Vincent David is one of the most recognized saxophonist-composer in the world as he develops the musical abilities of his instrument. He closely collaborated with Pierre Boulez and created in Paris in 2001 a new version for saxophone of Dialogue de l’ombre double.

Vincent David gave numerous master classes throughout the world. He is a recognized teacher and attaches importance to the transmission of his experience and his passion for music. Generous musician he is very attached to the opening and promotes artistic curiosity in his class at the Conservaroire Royal of Bruxelles.

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Kayle Horch

Saxophone

Kayle Horch is classical saxophonist and since 1993 he has been a saxophone professor at the Royal College of Music in London.

Horch studied at Northernwestern University in Chicago, U.S. with Frederick Hemke. He then won a BP North America Scholarship to pursue post-graduate study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stephen Trier.

As a young musician he was a prizewinner at many solo and chamber music competitions in Britain, Europe, and the USA. He has performed as a recitalist at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, World Saxophone Congress, and many other venues in Britain and abroad.

Much in demand as a freelance musician, Kyle has also performed in concerts, broadcasts, and CD recordings with a wide variety of ensembles.

Kyle contributed chapters on saxophone technique and teaching to The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone and has also written numerous articles and reviews for Music Teacher and Clarinet and Saxophone magazines.

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Prof. Thomas Leander

Rektor of the Robert Schumann Hochschule

A german pianist and university professor is since of April 1st 2023 rector of the Robert Schumann Academy of Music in Duesseldorf.

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

He gave concerts as a solist amongst others in San Francisco, Washington, New York, London and Warsaw. He has performed in important venues like Scala in Milano, Festspielhaus Salzburg, Cuvilliéstheater in Munich, and the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and at music festivals in Verbier, Salzburg and Moscow. Thomas Leander was also engaged as song accompanist of von 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 Duesseldorf where he has held the post of pro rector since 2010.

He was the initiator of the project “the degenerated art – welcome in Germany” of the Robert Schumann Academy Duesseldorf and the band “Toten Hosen” (“The Deadbeats”) and was together with the musicians of the band awarded the Josef-Neuberger-Medal of the Jewish community Duesseldorf in October 2014.

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