15 Jan VALENTINE WINS CREDIT SUISSE YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2020!

It’s hard to describe all the feelings that are taking over me at the moment… but above all I am soooo happy to share this incredible news from the Wiener Musikverein: as the winner of the 2020 Credit Suisse Young Artist Award, I will be the first saxophone player ever to play as a soloist with the Vienna Philarmonic under the baton of maestro Gustavo Dudamel at the Lucerne Festival this summer!!

It was an honor to play for such a prestigious jury (Dr. Thomas Angyan, Director of the Society for the Friends of Music in Vienna; Pamela Rosenberg, Director Emeritus of the Berliner Philharmoniker; Michael Haefliger, Director of Lucerne Festival; Professor Alexander Steinberger (Vice-Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic / Wiener Philharmoniker; Manuel Rybach, Credit Suisse and Music critic Dr. Peter Hagmann.) and to stand next to these beautiful artists that won this major prize in the 10 past editions The cash prize of 75,000 swiss francs will also allow me to create new projects and promote my instrument through new commissions. This inaugurates a new step in my career and I am extremely excited about all what will come next!!

I am incredibly thankful for all the people who support me every day, trust me, push me to be a better musician and a better human: friends, family, teachers, and of course a very special shout out to Akvilé Sileikaité without whom nothing would be possible!