Jury 2023

Hendrik Vestmann is an Estonian conductor born 30 April 1974.

Born in Tartu, Vestmann studied choral direction drom 1992 to 1996 at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn, He was subsequently employed as a conductor at the Vanemuine Theatre and Opera House in Tartu, southern Estonia.

At the turn of the millennium, Vestmann went to Germanz. From 2000 to 2002, he studied with Wolf/Dieter Hauschild at the Hochschule f[r Musik Karlsruhe. From 2002 to 2004, Vestmann was Solo repetiteur and conductor at the Theater & Orchester Heidelberg.

in 2004/2005, Vestmann was General Music Director at the Vanemuine Theatre and Opera House in Tartu. Since September 2006, Vestmann has been first Kapellmeister and deputy General Music Director at the Städtische Bühnen Münster.

Since the 2013/2014 season, Vestmann has been chief conductor of the Bonn Opera. Since 2016/2017 season, he has been appointed General Music Director of the Staatstheater in Oldenburg.

In May 2006 Vestmann won he Hermann Abendroth Prize in Weimar. In the same year he was awarded the special prize pf the Dirigentenforum

Ian Bousfield, born 16 February 1964, York, UK, is an English musician, who has held positions as Principal Trombone with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra. Also a pedagogue, Bousfield is an instructor in the music division at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern, Switzerland. In 1979, Bousfield became the youngest winner of the Shell / London Symphony Orchestra Music Scholarship.

In 1980 Bousfield joined the European Union Youth Orchestra, where he spent two years under the baton of Claudio Abbado. In 1988 at the age of 24 years Bousfield was appointed principal trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra.

In 1999 he won an audition for the principal trombone position with the Vienne State Opera / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where he performed until leaving in 2012 to devote more time to his teaching and solo careers.

Bousfield was appointed professor for trombone at the Royal Academy of Music in 1992, and has since been awarded Honorary Membership. In 2011, he began teaching at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern, Switzerland.

Dietmar Küblböck, born 8th of June 1963 in Linz, is principal trombonist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Professor at the University for music and performing arts Vienna.

At the age of 14 Dietmar Küblböck began his trombone studies with his father Horst Küblböck at the conservatory of Vienna. Four years later in 1981 he became solo trombonist with the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra but only remained there for one year in order to accept the same position with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. This engagement ended after 17 years. Since February 1999 he is solo trombonist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

He is furthermore a member of the ensemble Concentus Musicus Vienna, of the Vienna trombone quartet as well as of the Clemencic Consort. He also plays with the Richard Österreicher Big Band and with Jazz musicians at the project Trombone Odyssee.

In 1997 he took over a guest professorship for trombone at the University of music and performing Graz, where he became a full professor in October 1999. On July 1st 2002 he joined the University of Music and performing arts Vienna.

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.