13th Andorra Sax Festival Opens with 185 Competitors from 37 Countries

The 13th Andorra Sax Festival opened on Saturday at the Andorra la Vella Congress Centre, drawing 185 competitors from 37 countries and more than 300 accredited participants including professors and staff.

Saxophonists from around the world filled the corridors early, handling registrations and testing the stage amid high energy. Asian players made up the biggest group, with many still wearing masks, underscoring the event's broad international appeal. Festival director Efrem Roca highlighted the steady growth, noting representatives from 37 nations as proof of global recognition. "We're very pleased with the progress in quality and consolidation," he said. "What we do is understood and acknowledged worldwide."

Running from March 28 to April 4, the festival centres on the Solo Sax competition—widely seen as the premier classical saxophone event—and the Solo Youth Sax category for ages 10 to 18. Roca described Solo Sax as a launchpad for young talents: "If you win here, you're super-known on a world level." He credited the prestige to strong execution and smart promotion: "You can have a superb product, but if you don't know how to explain it, you won't sell it."

New features aim to deliver a full experience. "Meet the Pro" sessions offer 15-minute expert talks followed by 30 minutes of audience questions. A virtual reality workshop lets participants don headsets to rehearse in a digital replica of the Auditori hall, easing stage fright by building familiarity with the space. Roca called it a valuable training tool.

Masterclasses have surged, with over 160 sold—a 90% increase—as musicians return for lessons with top instructors, some attending five times. Andorra contributes four Youth competitors, all Roca's students, balancing school with intense preparation in a small nation.

Performances spotlight rising stars: last year's winner, Japanese saxophonist Wataru Hirai with a Paris master's, opens with a classical saxophone-piano recital. Others include a professors' concert of original works, the young Efel Quartet from Brussels, prodigy Arsenii Budanov (Youth winner last year), jazz from Congé Spatial, and a closing show with the ONCA orchestra.

Roca, a saxophone teacher himself, attributed success to passion and effort: "You just roll up your sleeves and work." He views the event as a global gauge for classical saxophone while elevating Andorra's profile after 13 years.