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The 52nd International Music Competition of the ARD 2003 took place in Munich, Germany from September 2nd to 19th with categories for voice, clarinet, trumpet and double bass: these categories change each year and the trumpet will next feature in 2009. This major competition has featured among its past prizewinners such luminaries as Jessye Norman, Yuri Bashmet, Heinz Holliger and Maurice André. The ARD is an association of German broadcasting companies.

Two hundred and eight young musicians across the four categories, from an initial 467 applicants, made it to Munich and the start of a further three rounds leading to the finals. Among the mainly European trumpet entry were also players from as far afield as Japan, Russia, Korea and the Phillipines.

The trumpet final, held in the Herkulessaal, was accompanied by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) conducted by Gabriel Feltz. Finalists had a choice between Tomasi's Concerto and Alfred Desenclos' Incantation, Threne et Danse. It took place on September 13th and resulted in these placings:

• 1st Prize David Guerrier, France (Tomasi)

• 2nd Prize Giuliano Sommerhalder, Switzerland/Germany (Desenclos) and Audience Prize

• 3rd Prize Gabor Richter, Hungary (Tomasi)

• 3rd Prize Guillaume Couloumy, France (Tomasi) and Audience Prize

The Audience Prize, awarded by the Theodor-Rogler-Foundation, is a new innovation for this year's competition, voted on by the audience at the final. Other trumpet prizes in the competition were:

• Grants by the Theodor-Rogler-Foundation: Manuel Lichtenwöhrer, Nenad Markovic

• Special prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned piece, offered by the Theodor-Rogler-Foundation: Uchafu by Thomas Larcher to David Guerrier

• The "Wilhelm-Weichsler" Prize of the City of Osnabrück: Giuliano Sommerhalder

Biographical notes

David Guerrier Born 1984. Started playing trumpet at seven under Serge Vivarès. Graduated with distinction from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyons, France, where he had been studying with Pierre Dutot and Jean-François Madeuf, from 1997 to 2000. Post-graduate studies with Hans Gansch at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Scholarship from the Mécénat Musical Société Générale. Performed with the European Union Youth Orchestra and with the Académie de Musique du XXème Siècle under Pierre Boulez. David, who also professionally performs on the French Horn, has appeared as a soloist throughout Europe, in the US, in Mexico and many other countries, with orchestras such as the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève and the Orchestre National de Bordeaux. With his partner Olivier Moulin he regularly appears at the major French chamber music festivals. Winner of many competitions, such as the Markneukirchen and the Città di Porcia international competitions (1999) and the Maurice André Competition in Paris (2000). As a laureate of the 2000 Ellsworth-Smith Trumpet Competition, he performed at the 2001 and 2002 ITG Conferences.

Giuliano Sommerhalder Born 1985. Started playing at seven. Has been studying with Max Sommerhalder at the Detmold Hochschule für Musik since 1996 and with Pierluigi Salvi at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Como, Italy, since 2000. Attended master classes with Maurice André, Stephen Burns, Jan Roller, Pierre Thibaud, James Thompson and many others and studied at the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts in 1999. Has performed throughout Europe, in Asia and in the US in recitals and as a soloist with many internationally known orchestras. Member of the 2002 Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra and the 2003 World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen, Michigan. Giuliano won, among others, the 2nd International Trumpet Competition at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (1997), the Concertino Praga Competition of the European Broadcast Union (2001), the 1st "Timofei Dokshitzer" Trumpet Competition (2002) in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the 55th International Music Competition "Prague Spring". Performed at the 2001 ITG Conference in Evansville, Indiana.

Gábor Richter Born 1981. Student of Frigyes Várásdy at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, since 1999. In 2000 attended master classes by Reinhold Friedrich, Max Sommerhalder. and Gábor Tarkövi. Holder of a Yamaha Foundation scholarship. Won his first competition, aged 13, in Ajka, Hungary. In 2001 won a Gold Medal at the International Trumpet Competition in Luxemburg, and in 2002, the 3rd prize at the 2nd International Trumpet Competition in Pilisvörösvár, Hungary. In 2003, he was awarded the 1st prize at the 2nd International Competition for Winds in Jeju, South Korea.

Guillaume Couloumy Born 1979, studied with Bruno Gorce at the Conservatoire National de Région in Limoges, France, and graduated from this school at the age of seventeen. In 2002 he graduated from the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany, where he had studied with Max Sommerhalder since 1997. He is currently a post-graduate student of Hannes Läubin at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. Germany. He played principal trumpet with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the orchestra of the Aix-en-Provence Festival under Pierre Boulez, the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra and many others. He regularly performs with the Basler Sinfonieorchester, Basle, Switzerland, the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks (SWR) in Freiburg and the Sinfonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks (BR) in Munich. He has appeared as a soloist with the Rundfunkorchester of the Bavarian Radio in Munich and with the Orchestra of the Munich Hochschule. Guillaume was awarded the 2nd prize at the "Epsival" competition in 2001 and a European Cultural Award of the Pro Europa Foundation.

Website:
Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD (German)
International Music Competition of the ARD (English)