Biographies of the prizewinners:
1st prize: Fernanda von Sachsen
Surrounded by music and as the daughter of an opera singer, Fernanda von Sachsen started playing the piano and singing in the choir at the age of five. Her singing style is influenced by the traditions of vocal jazz and her classical training. Lyrical melodies, expressive harmonies and edgy rhythms characterise her style of arranging and composing. It is important to her to give voice to her opinions and feelings. She is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Vocals with Sanni Orasmaa and Enkhjargal Erkhembayar at the HMTM. Fernanda von Sachsen has already performed in several European countries, as well as in Brazil and soon in Korea; among others at the International Jazz Week Burghausen, at the Jazzclub Unterfahrt and at the Jazzfestival Craiova (Romania). She is a scholarship holder of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now and also received scholarships to participate in workshops such as the New York Voices International Vocal Camp.
2nd Prize: Edi May
The German-English saxophonist, clarinettist, improviser, composer and teacher Edi May moved with his family from Germany to England at the age of eight. In England, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Clarinet at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. For the past three years, Edi May has been living in Germany again, where he completed his master’s degree in Jazz Saxophone under Prof. Florian Trübsbach at the HMTM and is currently studying Jazz Composition under Prof. Gregor Hübner. He performs with his international jazz trio, which includes Californian drummer Nate Carruthers and New York bassist Ilan Gold. With his rock/free-jazz main project »Three and a Half« he has been playing often in Germany for two years and most recently toured England and Mongolia. His debut album with »Three and a Half« called ‘3.5’ was released in August 2023.
3rd prize: Katharina Pfeifer
Katharina Pfeifer has been studying Jazz Saxophone with Prof. Florian Trübsbach at the HMTM since 2023. During her childhood, she received classical piano, clarinet and trumpet lessons. The latter led her to the school big band and thus also to jazz. At the age of 16, she turned her attention to the saxophone and began her bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorium Maastricht (NL) three years later.
During her studies, Katharina Pfeifer had the opportunity to perform with the »Fringe Orchestrav« (conducted by Jesse Passenier) at renowned festivals such as the Nijmegen Music Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. The young tenor saxophonist founded her own quartet in 2021 and writes her own modern jazz compositions. In the same year, she completed her bachelor’s degree cum laude under Reiner Witzel and won the Henriëtte Hustinxprijs for him.
In addition to her own project, she plays with musicians and bands such as the »Jazzrausch Bigband«, Henning Sieverts, Sebastian Pfeifer, Samuel Restle Oktett and Karoline Weidt.
About the Kurt Maas Jazz Award
The Kurt Maas Jazz Award was established in 2012 at the Jazz Institute of the University of Music and Theatre Munich on the initiative of the entrepreneur and jazz promoter Camilo Dornier and the director of the Jazz Institute, Prof. Claus Reichstaller. The competition serves both to support jazz students at the HMTM and to commemorate the jazz musician, educator and entrepreneur Kurt Maas, who died in 2011. The award honours the lifetime achievements of this artist, particularly in connection with the establishment and direction of the jazz department at the Richard Strauss Conservatory, the nucleus of today’s Jazz Institute of the HMTM.
Details of the award concert
Friday, 4 July 2025, 8:00 pm
Gasteig HP8: Isarphilharmonie
Prize winners’ concert of the Kurt Maas Jazz Award 2025
Special Guest: Danilo Perez
Musical Director: Prof. Claus Reichstaller
Tickets: €10 / conc. (reduced rate) €7 (Advance ticket sales via München Ticket from April 2025)
