Tuba final round - the prize winners have been chosen

(cs) After three selection tests had already been held, the final in the tuba section of this year's International Instrumental Competition was held in the Markneukirchen Music Hall on Thursday, 12 May 2022. The three finalists, Igor Martinez (Venezuela), Richard Bence Masa (Hungary) and Florian Wielgosik (France), performed for the last time in front of the seven-member international jury and competed for the prizes. The three finalists demonstrated their exceptional skills with the Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra (1978) by Edward Gregson. The participants were accompanied by the Clara-Schumann-Philharmoniker Plauen-Zwickau conducted by Vladimir Yaskorski.
At the end of the evening, the president of the competition, Prof. Christian Lampert, announced the jury's decision to award first, second and third prizes:

1st prize winner ......................................................... Florian Wielgosik (France)
2nd prize winner............................................................. Richárd Bence Masa (Hungary)
3rd prize winner ............................................................ Igor Martinez (Venezuela)

The three best performers will once again perform a cross-section of works from the various rounds of the competition at the prize-winners' concert on Saturday, 14 May 2022. The first prize-winner Florian Wiegosik will perform the work of the final round, the Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra (1978) by Edward Gregson. The second and third prize winners, Richárd Bence Masa and Igor Martinez, will once again present themselves to the audience with Elizabeth Raum, Sweet Dances, as well as Willi März, Aubade for tuba and piano, the commissioned work of this year's competition in tuba. Tickets for the prize-winners' concert are available at the box office for 12 euros.

Already tomorrow, Friday, 13 May 2022, the three finalists in the horn section will perform at 7 pm in the Musikhalle Markneukirchen. Achille Fait (Italy), Thomas Adrian Mittler (Germany), Damien Muller (Luxembourg/France) and Felipe Santos Freitas da Silva (Brazil) will perform the Concerto for horn op. 150 by York Bowen. The finalists will also be accompanied by the Clara-Schumann-Philharmoniker Plauen-Zwickau under the direction of GMD Leo Siberski. Tickets for the horn final can be purchased at the box office for 3 euros.

The prize winners in the tuba category

Florian Wielgosik (France), born 02.05.1995
Florian Wielgosik studied at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Dirk Hirthe, at the CNSM in Paris with Gérard Buquet and André GiIbert and at the CRR of Amiens Métropole in the subjects tuba and chamber music with François Thuillier.
Since January 2015 Florian Wielgosik has been principal tuba of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo. Prior to this appointment, he gained orchestral experience with the Franco-German Philharmonic Orchestra, the French Youth Orchestra, the Orchestra Philharmonique de Marseille, the Intercontemporary Ensemble, the Picardy Orchestra, the Paris Brass Band and the Copper Orchestra of Amiens.
In addition to his orchestral activities, Florian Wielgosik teaches regularly. At the request of Gérard Buquet, he gave a master class at the CNSMDP, held a workshop on breathing at the Rainier III Academy in Monte Carlo, taught at the summer course "Cuivre Attitude" and acted as a substitute at the conservatories of Nice, Antibes and Amiens.
Florian Wielgosik can already look back on numerous competition successes, including first prizes at the "Jeju International Brass & Percussion Competition" in South Korea and at the international "ConcoursTubaTours" Prestige Class 2017. In July 2019 he was a participant in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia.
His CD "HOME" was released under the label Klarthe.

Richárd Bence Masa (Hungary), born 16.08.1998
Richárd Bence Masa began his musical education at the Vántus István Music High School in Szeged and has been continuing it at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe since 2018. He also took part in master classes with Dirk Hirthe and Roland Szentpáli.
Richárd Bence Masa has already won several first prizes at international competitions. These include the 27th Leoš Janáček Tuba Competition in Brno, the 41st International Tuba Competition Debrecen and the 14th International Tuba Competition in Brno. He also received a first prize at the 12th National Tuba Competition in Budapest.

Igor Martinez (Venezuela), geb. 07.06.1994
Igor Martinez began his musical training in Jose Antonio Abreu's "el Sistema" programme. At the Propatria School of "el Sistema", he gained his first experience in the children's choir at the age of 11 before switching to the tuba a few weeks later. As a soloist, he performed the Venezuelan premiere of Frank Bencriscutto's Tuba Concertino (2011), and the South American premiere of the tuba concerto "BANDSTERIX & TUBELIX" for tuba and wind orchestra by the Spanish composer Ferrer Ferran under his direction (2012). This version is the first ever recorded and released on CD. He also performed R.V. Williams' Concerto for Bass Tuba with Canadian-Venezuelan conductor David Cubek (2018) and his Concerto for Brass Trio and Symphony Orchestra with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and the Bolivar Brass Trio conducted by Gonzalo Hidalgo (2018). For six years Igor Martinez was principal tuba and leader of the Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Band, where he participated in various tours in Venezuela, Colombia and Europe, and can also be heard as principal tuba on the SBYSB's debut album "Mambos y Fanfarrias" (2012), conducted by Thomas Clamor. In 2014, he won the audition for the position of principal tuba with the Municipal Symphony Symphony Orchestra of Caracas conducted by Rodolfo Saglimbeni before joining the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela a year later and began touring the world under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. He studied tuba and composition at the Simon Bolivar Conservatory of Music. He is currently completing his Master's degree in Performance at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva (Switzerland) with Fabien Wallerand and was recently awarded 2nd prize at the Concours Tuba Paris - Prestige category.