Foto: KMJA Preiskonzert 2023 c Gregory Giakis
July 4, 2025: Kurt Maas Jazz Award 2025 prize concert at the Isarphilharmonie in Gasteig HP8
Award winners Fernanda von Sachsen (vocals), Edi May (saxophone), Katharina Pfeifer (saxophone) | Special guest Danilo Pérez (Berklee Global Jazz Institute)
On Friday, July 4, 2025 at 8:00 pm, the Kurt Maas Jazz Award 2025 winners' concert will take place at the Isarphilharmonie in Gasteig HP8. Since 2013, the Jazz Institute of the University of Music and Theater Munich (HMTM) is presenting the Kurt Maas Jazz Award as a source of inspiration for Munich's jazz students. This year's award winners Fernanda von Sachsen, Edi May and Katharina Pfeifer will take center stage at the concert. Together with their bands as well as students and teachers from the Jazz Institut, they will perform with special guest Danilo Pérez from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (Berklee College of Music, Boston), with whom the Jazz Institut has a close partnership.
Tickets for the prize concert on July 4 (€ 10 /erm. € 7) are available in advance from April 1 via München Ticket. The concert will also be broadcast in a free livestream on the university's YouTube channel.
The Kurt Maas Jazz Award is taking place for the 11th time this year. In the final of the competition on February 6, 2025 in Hall X at Gasteig HP8, Fernanda von Sachsen (vocals) was able to prevail against four competitors and won 1st prize. This will send her on a summer course at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2nd prize - a four-week study trip to Brazil (EMESP Tom Jobim - Sao Paulo State School of Music and/or Souza Lima - Conservatório e Faculdade de Música, Sao Paulo) - went to Edi May (saxophone). The 3rd prize - an honored performance at the Night Club of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich with an audio live recording of the concert - went to Katharina Pfeifer (saxophone).
Details of the prize concert:
Participants: Award winners Fernanda von Sachsen (Gesang), Edi May (Saxophon), Katharina Pfeifer (Saxophon), Special Guest Danilo Pérez (Berklee Global Jazz Institute)
Gesamtleitung: Prof. Claus Reichstaller
Moderation: Annekatrin Hentschel
Time: Freitag, 04.07.2025 // Beginn: 20:00 Uhr
Place: Isarphilharmonie // Gasteig HP8 // Hans-Preißinger-Straße 8, 81379 München // Anfahrt
Tickets: 10 € // 7 € (erm.) // at München Ticket
Details of participants:
Special guest: Danilo Pérez
As a solo artist and as a collaborator with jazz giants from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter, for over three decades Grammy-Award Winning Panamanian Pianist-Composer Danilo Perez has been lauded as one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. With Jazz as the anchoring foundation, Perez’s Global Jazz music is a blend of Panamanian roots, Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, European impressionism –promoting music as a borderless and multidimensional bridge between all people.Since 1993 Pérez has released twelve albums which have earned him critical acclaim, and numerous accolades around the world. He is a recipient of theDoris Duke Artist Award in 2021,United States Fellowship 2018, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award. For nearly two decades, Pérez has been part of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, alongside bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. This latest iteration from Shorter has been known as a unique and predominant force in improvisational music both at their historic live performances and on several recordings. In 2018 Blue Note records released the highly anticipated EMANONfrom the Wayne Shorter Quartet which won a Grammy in the category of BestJazz Instrumental album in 2019.
Foto © Tito Herrera
1. Preis: Fernanda von Sachsen
Surrounded by music and as the daughter of an opera singer, Fernanda von Sachsen began playing the piano and singing in a 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 characterize her style of arrangement and composition. It is important to her to give voice to her opinions and feelings. She is currently studying jazz singing 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 Jazz Festival Craiova (Romania). She is a scholarship holder of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now and has also received scholarships to participate in workshops such as the New York Voices International Vocal Camp.
Foto © Jakob Marsmann
2. Preis: Edi May
The German-English saxophonist, clarinettist, improviser, composer and teacher Edi May moved from Germany to England with his family at the age of eight. In England, he completed a bachelor's degree in jazz clarinet at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Edi May has been living in Germany again for three years, where he completed his Master's degree in jazz saxophone with Prof. Florian Trübsbach at the HMTM and is currently studying jazz composition with Prof. Gregor Hübner. He performs with his international jazz trio with Californian drummer Nate Carruthers and New York bassist Ilan Gold. With his main rock/free-jazz project “Three and a Half”, he has been playing frequently in Germany for two years and has recently been on tour in England and Mongolia. His debut album with “Three and a Half” called “3.5” was released in August 2023.
Foto © Carolina Vogt
3. Preis: Katharina Pfeifer
Katharina Pfeifer has been studying jazz saxophone with Prof. Florian Trübsbach at HMTM since 2023. She received classical piano, clarinet and trumpet lessons as a child. The latter led her to the school big band and thus also to jazz. At the age of 16, she dedicated herself to the saxophone and three years later began her bachelor's degree at the Maastricht Conservatory (NL).
During her studies, Katharina Pfeifer had the opportunity to perform with the “Fringe Orchestra” (under the direction of Jesse Passenier) at renowned festivals such as the “Nijmegen Music Festival” and the “North See Jazz Festival”. The young tenor saxophonist founded her own quartet in 2021 and writes for her own compositions in the field of modern jazz. In the same year, she completed her bachelor's degree with Reiner Witzel cum laude and won the Henriëtte Hustinxprijs for it.
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.
Foto © Sebastian Pfeifer