Prize-winning students 2006

Student Morris Kliphuis, jazz French horn, has won the first prize at the National Prinses Christina Concours in Category 3 (ensembles and soloists from a conservatory). TheAM Sextet (Thomas Meijaard, piano; Xander Vrienten, bass guitar; Gidon Nunes Vaz, trumpet; Aischa Schut, vocals; Gideon Hamburger, guitar; Kagan Han, drums) won the second prize in Category 2 (ensembles and soloists age 16 - 20). (19-12-06).

Singer/songwriter Signe Tollefsen has won the audience prize as well as the prize for Best Musician at the 'Grolsch Grote Prijs' national pop music competition. (12-12-06)

CvA student Joris van den Berg has won the first prize at the first National Cello Competition. The second prize was awarded to CvA student Maartje-Maria den Herder, who also won the audience prize and the prize for the best performance of the commissioned composition. The National Cello Competition forms a part of the first Amsterdam Cello Biennale, which took place from October 27 - November 4 2006  in Amsterdam.

Jazz singer Marleen van Emmerik has been awarded the 2006 prize of the Stichting Jazztalent. The prize amounts to EUR 2500 and a concert. (18-10-06)

Former student Merlijn Twaalfhoven has been appointed to be City Composer of Zaanstad for the 2006-2007 season. Merlijn will not only compose works for the many musical and choral societies, but also for the buildings, streeds and waters of Zaanstad. More information (4-10-06)

Former student Vladimir Nikolov has won the first prize for original composition for jazz orchestra for his composition In between at the international competition Scrivere in Jazz in Sassari, Italy. (3-10-06)

Singer-songrwriter Signe Tollefsen, third-year pop music, has reached the finals of the 'Grote Prijs van Nederland'. More information: www.grolschgroteprijs.nl. (30-8-06)

Baroque oboists Molly Marsh and Josep Domènech, both CvA graduates, have won the first prize and the audience prize with their group Xacona at the Brugge International Early Music Competition, in the category 'Baroque ensembles'. Mathieu Loux and Rodrigo Gutierrez, both Baroque oboe students at the CvA, reached the finals and received a 'mention honorable'. (30-8-06)

The Franz von Chossy Trio (Franz von Chossy, piano; Sean Fasciani, bas; Flin van Hemmen, drums), has won the Sena Prize Best Group 2006 at the Dutch Jazz Competition. Pianist and composer Franz von Chossy also won the prize for Best Soloist 2006. (22-8-06)

Fortepianist Keiko Shichijo and violinist Yukie Yamaguchi won the first prize in the Mozart ensemble category of the Brugge International Early Music Competition in August. (15-8-06)

On July 15, harpsichordist Francesco Corti, who studies with Bob van Asperen, won the first prize at the International Bach Wettbewerb Leipzig 2006. (15-8-06)

On June 5th, the Amsterdam Jazz Orchestra, which consists of CvA students and graduates, won the Dutch Big Band Festival. All three nominees for the soloist prize were AJO members; Floris van der Vlugt eventually won the prize. The rhythm and saxophone sections were nominated for the section prize.

The Amsterdam Jazz Orchestra has been formed with the aim to bring various 'generations' of musicians together. Since January 2006 Yaniv Nachum has been the conductor. (7-6-06)

The Aertsen Duo (Junko Kurimoto, soprano saxophone; Monica Colominas, guitar) has won at the L'Arjau Competition in Barcelona the prize for contemporary music with the composition At one's elbow by Chicage Imai.(1-6-06)

Trio Lumaka (Jana Machalett, flute; Martina Forni, viola; Miriam Overlach, harp), has won the audience prize and the jury prize at the National Chamber Music Competition Almere. The trio played the New Gates Trio by K. Saariaho, Sonate by C. Debussy and Terzettino by T. Dubuois.(30-5-06)

Former student violinist Jeffrey Bruinsma, has won the Deloitte Jazz Award 2006 (20.000 euros and a number of concerts at the Concertgebouw). The other finalists were former students Timucin Sahin, guitar, and Robert Rook, piano. (23-5-06)

On April 17th, first-year jazz piano student Sri Hanuraga has won the Univé Music Award for soloists at the East of Easter Festival in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) . (19-4-06).

Miriam Overlach, who studies harp with Erika Waardenburg, has won the Grachtenfestival Conservatory Competition 2006. The finals, in which contestants of all Dutch conservatories competed, took place on April 16th at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. (18-4-06)

Bas Jongen (13), cello student in the Young Talents Department, has won the finals of the Prinses Christina Concours 2006 in the age category 12-14 years. He also won the Audience Prize and the Press Prize.

Pianist Svjatoslav Presnyakov (18) has won the finals in the Conservatory category. He also won the International Masterclass Prize and the New York Recital Award, a concert at Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, on September 28, 2006. (11-4-06)

Trumpetist Kristin Hetland has won the first prize at the National Trumpet Competition 2006 in Washington, in the 'Historic Division'. Kristin Hetland studies with Friedemann Immer. The Baroque Trumpet Ensemble of the University of Northern Texas, conducted by Nicholas Althouse, has won the first prize in the ensemble classicfication, also in the 'Historic Division'. Nicholas Althouse is a former student of Friedemann Immer and graduated from the CvA in 2004. (5-4-06)

Sadik Ugras Durmus (Turkey, 1978) has won the Henriëtte Bosmansprijs 2006, an incentive prize for young composers, for his work Asla, Bir Dha ve Her Zaman. Postgraduate Course student Sadik Ugras Durmus studies with Theo Loevendie. Recently, the first-years' string ensemble, conducted by Lucas Vis, performed one of his other works: Seher for string orchestra and string quartet (2005). (14-3-06)

The Furies, a CvA pop student band, have reached the finals of the Winston Pop Prize 2006. During the final, on April 8th at the Melkweg, the band will compete with five other bands. (7-3-06)

On February 24th baritone Florian Just, who graduated from the CvA in 2005, and pianist Jan-Paul Grijpink, won the Schubert-Interpretation prize at the international competition 'Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne' in Graz (Austria). (28-2-06)

Saxophonist Roberto Genova, who studies with Henk van Twillert, has won the Yamaha Scholarship 2006 for wind instrument. The final round took place on February 5th at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. (28-2-06)

On February 11th young talent Kate Sebring, who is studying with Marjes Benoist, has won the Dutch preliminary round of the Eurovision Young Musician of the Year competition. Fourteen-year-old Kate was the youngest participant. Of the five candidates four are currently studying at the CvA Sweelinck Academie (Young Talents Department). Kate Sebring will represent The Netherlands at the European semifinals in Vienna. The The Dutch preliminary round will be broadcast on Wednesday February 22nd, 8.25 pm on Nederland 3. (14-2-06)

On Februari 7th Ermis Theodorakis has won several prizes at the Concours International de Piano d'Orléans: the 'Prix Sacem' and 'Prix Mention Spéciale André Boucourechliev'. The Prix Sacem amounts to 4600 euros and is awarded to the best perfornace of a contemporary work; The Prix Mention Spéciale André Boucourechliev (2500 euros) is awarded to the best performance of a work by André Boucourechliev. Andrei Soudelski has won de 'Prix Mention Spéciale Samson François' (2500 euros).(14-2-06)

In February Aksana Stahievitsj has won the second prize and a special prize at the sixth International Piano Competition Conservatoire Russe Alexandre Scriabine in Paris.

In December 2005 Vital Stahievitsj was finalist at the International Piano Competition in Minsk. (14-2-06)

At the international music fair Midem saxophonist Tineke Postma has been proclaimed International Revelation of the Year. She received a trophy and was invited to perform at the Vienne jazz festival. Additionally, she will be a special guest at a French tv music gala. (31-1-06)

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