Jury of the competition
Matej Bonin, born in 1986 in Koper, graduated in composition under the mentorship of Prof. Uroš Rojko at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He continued his education at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, majoring in composition-musical theatre, under the mentorship of Prof. Beat Furrer. For his studies abroad, he was a recipient of a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
He has received several awards for his works, including the Prešeren Prize of the University of Ljubljana in 2008 and, on the recommendation of conductor and composer Peter Eötvös, the Gargonza Arts Award in 2014. In 2015 he won the "under 30" category with his composition Cancro (for symphony orchestra) at the 62nd Rostrum International Rostrum in Tallinn. In 2016 he was awarded a working grant from the Ministry of Culture. In 2017, he presented his work Shimmer II at the "cresc...Biennale für Moderne Musik Frankfurt Rhein Main", as part of a composition seminar organised by Ensemble Modern. In September 2021, the short opera Lunarium, for which Bonin contributed music, was premiered at the Cologne Opera House.
Recent works include Gymnastics of non/sense II - for voice and 6 percussion players (2021), Eppur si muove IV - concerto for saxophone, percussion and orchestra (2022), Gymnastics of non/sense III - musical theatre for five percussionists (2023).
In 2025, a new youth opera Fox's Moon, based on the literary proposal of the book of the same name by Maša Ogrizek, with libretto and direction by Ana Pandur, has been premiered, as well as the opening of the musical installation Forest Symphony, created in collaboration with the Dresden Symphoniker and the European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica - Gorizia 2025, which opened on 7 May 2025 in the renovated Rafut Park at the Slovenian-Italian border.
His works have been performed at numerous festivals at home and abroad (Musica Viva Festival Munich, Warsaw Autumn, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Budapest Music Center, New Directions Festival, Gare du Nord Basel, Cankarjev dom, Slovenian Music Days, Slowind festival, New Music Forum, etc.).
He regularly collaborates with internationally renowned soloists and ensembles (Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, RTV Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Symphoniker, Ensemble Modern, Norrbotten NEO, percussionist Simon Klavžar, accordionist Luka Juhart, violist Megumi Kasakawa, horn player Saar Berger, Savasa Trio, Shanghai Sinfonietta, Slowind Ensemble, Divertimento Ensemble and many other performers).
Martin Belič is an internationally acclaimed Slovenian flutist whose artistry combines technical brilliance with a distinctive lyrical sound. Since 2007 he has been based in Munich, where he serves as Co-Principal Flutist of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under Lahav Shani and as Professor at the Leopold Mozart College of Music, University of Augsburg.
Born in Maribor, Slovenia, Belič began his musical education with Prof. Violeta Ozvatič before continuing his studies at the University Mozarteum Salzburg. He graduated with distinction under the guidance of Prof. Irena Grafenauer, completed further studies in music pedagogy with Prof. Herta Mergl, and later earned a master’s degree and pursued postgraduate studies with Prof. Michael Martin Kofler. His artistic development was further enriched through masterclasses with leading flutists including Michael Martin Kofler, Matej Zupan, Janne Thomsen, and Eckart Haupt.
Belič has received numerous awards at national and international competitions in Slovenia, Italy, Austria, and Germany. Among his distinctions are First Prizes at the TEMSIG Competition, the International Competition Città di Pietra Ligure, the Intermusica Birkfeld Competition, and the 2nd International Theobald Böhm Competition for Flute and Alto Flute, where he now regularly serves as jury member and chairman. He has also been awarded scholarships from the Slovenian Ministry of Culture and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation “Live Music Now,” and in 2023 became the first official ambassador of the Gallus Foundation.
Alongside his work with the Munich Philharmonic, Belič has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, collaborating with ensembles including the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the National Theatre Maribor, Chamber Orchestra of the Munich Philharmonic, Ensemble Dissonance, and Academia Maestro. As a guest musician, he has also performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian State Opera, SWR Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.
His discography includes the recordings Zelenci (2005), Young Virtuosos 1 (2009), Music from the Fire (2011), and OPUS (2018), reflecting both his versatility and his commitment to expanding the flute repertoire.
A dedicated pedagogue, Belič was assistant to Prof. Michael Martin Kofler at the International Masterclass in Klagenfurt from 2010 to 2021 and has led his own masterclasses in Slovenia since 2012. He is a frequent guest professor at international masterclasses across Europe and Asia and has been actively involved in the Music Association of Upper and Lower Bavaria (MON) since 2016.
With nearly two decades of experience as a performer and teacher, Martin Belič continues to shape the international flute scene through his artistry, passion, and commitment to musical excellence.
Matic Kuder (1994) began his musical education under the guidance of his uncle, Peter Kuder. He continued his studies at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana with Prof. Dušan Sodja before enrolling at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana. He later completed his Master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where he studied with Prof. Gerald Pachinger.
From 2017 to 2021, Kuder served as Principal Clarinet of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. In December 2021, he joined the Berlin Philharmonic as E-flat Clarinetist.
He was a member of the renowned Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and has collaborated with numerous distinguished orchestras and ensembles, including the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (hr-Sinfonieorchester), Ensemble Mini, Spira Mirabilis, Orchestra Leonore, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mainfranken Theater Würzburg.
As a chamber musician, he has performed alongside leading artists such as Mate Bekavac, Sergio Azzolini, and members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
As a soloist, he has appeared with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the Euphony Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber String Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, and the Symphony Orchestra of the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
Kuder has further refined his artistry through studies and masterclasses with distinguished clarinetists including François Benda, Wenzel Fuchs, Mate Bekavac, Harri Mäki, Paolo Beltramini, and Michel Lethiec.
Daniel Gauthier studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal (Canada) and the Conservatoire de Bordeaux (France) before completing his studies at the Université de Montréal, where he earned a doctoral degree.
At the age of twenty-four, Gauthier became the first saxophonist to win the Grand Prize at the Canadian Music Competition’s International Stepping Stone category. He was also a prizewinner at the International Music Competition of Ancona, Italy.
As a performer, Gauthier has appeared throughout the world, including in Washington, D.C., Newport, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Buenos Aires, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Verona, Rome, Turin, Madrid, Athens, Ljubljana, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Moscow, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Salzburg.
He has presented masterclasses in major European music centres and has served as a jury member for many of the world's leading international saxophone competitions.
In 1997, Gauthier was appointed Professor of Saxophone at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold (Germany), before joining the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in 2003. His former students now hold teaching positions at leading conservatories and universities, including those in Munich, Hamburg, Lübeck, Berlin, Stuttgart, Essen, Helsinki, Brussels, and elsewhere.
Gauthier was elected twice to the International Saxophone Committee, serving as a member in 2000 and again in 2006.
As a soloist, he has performed with numerous distinguished orchestras, including the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Staatskapelle Weimar, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Köln, WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne, Südwestfalen Philharmonic Orchestra, Folkwang Chamber Orchestra Essen, and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn.
Over the past two decades, Gauthier has enjoyed particular success with the Alliage Quintett. With this ensemble, he has appeared repeatedly on major European television networks.
The ensemble has recorded five CDs for Sony Classical and additional recordings for MDG, Hyperion, and Prospero. Their collaborators have included renowned artists such as Sabine Meyer, Alban Gerhardt, Simone Kermes, József Lendvay, and Daniel Behle.
Gauthier has received the prestigious German Echo Klassik Award three times: with the Alliage Quintett in 2005 for Una voce poco fa and in 2014 for Dancing Paris, and as a soloist in 2006 for Spirito Latino.
Cristina Monticoli began her musical journey at the age of four, studying piano. Through her piano training, she developed a profound interest in opera and dreamed of becoming an opera singer.
At the age of thirteen, however, she discovered her passion for the oboe. Captivated by the instrument’s vocal quality and expressive sound, she found in it her preferred means of conveying emotions and personal expression. Only a few months later, she was admitted to the Conservatory in her hometown of Udine.
In 2002, she graduated with honours from the Conservatory of Udine, where she studied with Maestro Paolo Pellarin. She subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Oboe from the same institution, graduating with the highest distinction (110/110 cum laude).
Since 1999, Cristina has studied with Maestro Luca Vignali, Principal Oboe of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. She has also participated in masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Albrecht Mayer, Nicholas Daniel, Stefano Rava and Sergio Azzolini, as well as with renowned wind ensembles such as the Quintetto Bibiena (Italy) and Slowind (Slovenia).
In 2004, as a member of the Kalamos Wind Quintet, she won the Absolute First Prize at the Città di Grosseto National Competition for Wind Instruments.
As a soloist, Cristina has performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Malmö Symphony Orchestra (MSO), the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra del Festival Pianistico Internazionale, Solisti in Villa, the Orchestra San Marco of Pordenone, the Gruppo Strumentale Veneto “Malipiero”, and the Accademia Vivaldiana of Venice.
In November 2015, she gave the world premiere of Magic Allusions, a Concertino for Oboe and Orchestra composed for her by Swedish composer Albert Schnelzer, at Malmö Live Concert Hall.
She regularly collaborates with leading orchestras and opera houses, including the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano “La Verdi”, I Virtuosi Italiani, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, and Festival Strings Lucerne.
Cristina has performed under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Daniele Gatti, Riccardo Muti, Marc Soustrot, Vassily Sinaisky, Pinchas Steinberg, Omer Meir Wellber, Bruno Campanella, Mario Venzago, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Will Humburg, Stefan Anton Reck, Ha-na Chang, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Xian Zhang, Carl St. Clair, Hansjörg Schellenberger, Wayne Marshall, David Coleman, Ivor Bolton, John Axelrod, and many others.
Her recordings have been released by Decca, Naxos, Brilliant Classics, RAI, AudioTime, and Artemia.
In 2012, she won the audition for the position of Principal Oboe with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, a post she held until 2020. During this period, she also served as an oboe lecturer at the Malmö Academy of Music, Lund University.
Since 2022, Cristina Monticoli has held the position of Principal Oboe of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra.
Paolo Calligaris was born in Palmanova, Italy, where he grew up and got his first experience in music. In 1993, he attended the class of G. Grassi at Udine Music Conservatory for three years before continuing his bassoon studies first in Turin with Vincenzo Menghini and then in Castelfranco Veneto with Stefano Canuti. He has also studied with other important Italian teachers such as Ovidio Danzi and Marco Costantini. Paolo came in Slovenia as a solo bassoonist to work with the Slovenian radio Symphony Orchestra. He collaborates with some other orchestras such as L’ Orchestra da camera di Mantova, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Camerata Bern, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and others. As a member of the Slowind quintet he won the Župančič Award and one of the most prestigious Slovenian national awards, the award of the Prešeren Fund. In 1997, he was named the first bassoonist of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Paolo taught bassoon and chamber music at Klagenfurt Music Conservatorium and at Udine's Conservatory of music; he still teaches at numerous summer workshops and music schools abroad. Currently, he teaches young bassoonists at the GCEW music school in Ljubljana. He founded Ensemble 1781, a wind ensemble with original instruments from the Classical period.
Una Košir completed her Master’s degree in recorder performance at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana under Prof. Mateja Bajt, graduating summa cum laude. She pursued further training through seminars in recorder and chamber music with renowned teachers and has received several top awards at national and international competitions. As a soloist and ensemble musician, she has collaborated several times with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, performs with renowned Slovenian early music ensembles, and is also active in the field of contemporary music performance.
In 2014 she obtained the Willems® Pedagogical Diploma at the International Willems Congress in Rome. As the first former student of the Edgar Willems Music Centre to become a teacher there, she takes great joy in teaching early childhood music education, as well as solfège and recorder to older students. Her students achieve notable results at national and international competitions in recorder, chamber music, and solfège. In 2025 she completed the Willems Didactic Diploma and, with her in-depth knowledge of Willems pedagogical principles, is also involved in the education and training of teachers.
Jürgen Bruns is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Kammersymphonie Berlin, as well as Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Preußisches Kammerorchester. Since 2025, he has also served as Artistic Director of the Putbus Festival together with his wife, Tatjana Blome.
Following several years as Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra (KOS Ljubljana) and an intensive engagement with contemporary music, he has become one of the most sought-after conductors in Europe and Asia.
His concerts are regularly broadcast on radio and television. Over the past decade, more than 40 live broadcasts and artist portraits have been featured by broadcasters including D'Kultur, rbb, NDR, MDR, Ö1, Radio Slovenia, Polish Radio, Radio Bleu, TRT, Japanese Radio and Television, and Korean Broadcasting.
Jürgen Bruns's discography is remarkably diverse. As a German conductor, he is particularly committed to recording works by composers once suppressed or neglected, as well as music from the Expressionist movement and Classical Modernism. To date, nearly 30 recordings have been released on labels such as DGG, Capriccio, Naxos, Sony, EDA, and Hänssler.
The concert formats and programmes he develops offer audiences a distinctive, innovative, and enlightening listening experience. He also places strong emphasis on working with young musicians and on a wide range of educational initiatives.
In recent years, Bruns has conducted more than 80 world premieres, while his interpretations of the Classical and Romantic repertoire have earned widespread acclaim. He gained particular recognition for his performances and recordings of rediscovered works from Classical Modernism, Expressionism, and music once banned or marginalized. As a German conductor, this artistic mission remains especially close to his heart.
He has received the Siemens Sponsorship Award on several occasions and is a recipient of the “Förderpreis Musik” awarded by the Rheinsberg Music Academy and the State of Brandenburg. For his interpretations of the works of Leoš Janáček, he was honoured by the IMFC.
As a child, Jürgen Bruns studied several instruments and made his first solo appearance with an orchestra at the age of nine. He later studied violin at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin and became a member of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin in 1988. At the same time, he began conducting studies with Rolf Reuter in Berlin, complemented by further studies with Gilbert Varga in Florence, Charles Bruck in Paris, and at the Pierre Monteux School in Maine, USA, from 1991 to 1992. In 1991, he left the Konzerthausorchester to devote himself entirely to conducting.
That same year, he founded the Kammersymphonie Berlin, which has since become one of Germany’s most distinguished chamber orchestras.
He has frequently collaborated with renowned theatre directors, including Peter Zadek, with whom he maintained a particularly close artistic partnership, as well as with actors such as Dieter Mann, Eberhard Esche, Martina Gedeck, and Corinna Harfouch.
Jürgen Bruns is a regular guest at leading international festivals, including the Festival International de Musique Sion, Kurt Weill Festival Dessau, Usedom Music Festival, Dresden Music Festival, Kanazawa Spring Festival, Carinthian Summer, Turkcell Platinum Istanbul Night Flight, and the Ravello Festival.