Six International Finalists Advance to 12th Solo Sax Competition at Andorra Sax Fest

Six international finalists from Hungary, Spain, Russia, and Japan have advanced to the final of the 12th Solo Sax Competition, part of the 13th Andorra Sax Fest.

The competitors are Kristóf Havasi from Hungary, Juan David Toro Martín and Javier Janeiro Sánchez from Spain, Sofiia Petrash and Arsenii Budanov from Russia, and Takaya Minami from Japan. They will perform on Saturday, April 4, at 3 p.m. in a public session at the Centre de Congressos in Andorra la Vella. The winner will be revealed that evening during the festival's closing gala, which features the Sax Awards presentation starting at 8 p.m.

The second round on Thursday involved 18 semifinalists from 13 nationalities. These musicians, chosen from 129 initial entrants, performed the required piece *Sonatine* by Claude Pascal alongside a work of their choice. A 12-member jury of leading saxophonists, chaired by Lars Mlekusch and including Mikhail Kazakov, Jan Gricar, and Mariano García, made the selections.

The first round ran from March 28 to 31, with entrants playing mandatory works *Brillance* by Ida Gotkovsky and *Bibioles* by Marc Monnet.

Now in its third edition, the Andorra Sax Fest has attracted young saxophonists from around 30 nationalities over nearly a week at the Centre de Congressos auditorium. Event director Efrem Roca described it as one of the world's top contests, drawing participants from distant countries including China, Japan, Colombia, and Mexico. "Winning it guarantees a worldwide reputation," he said.

Competitors echoed that view. Colombian participant Juan Camilo Trujillo called it "a major challenge and an honour." Mexican saxophonist Santiago Ortiz Lira described the event as "super well-known in the classical saxophone world" and "mandatory to experience at least once."

Roca noted a record turnout of 130 professionals and 60 in the youth category across 37 nationalities.