Spain's Juan David Toro Martín Wins Solo Sax Competition at Andorra Sax Fest 2026

Six international saxophonists from Hungary, Spain, Russia, and Japan competed in the Solo Sax Competition 2026 final at the Andorra Sax Fest, with Spain's Juan David Toro Martín emerging as the winner.

Toro, a 25-year-old from Andalusia, received an 8,000-euro cheque from Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Mònica Bonell, along with a Selmer Paris Supreme saxophone, a recital slot in next year's festival, a jury position in the 2027 youth competition, and a performance in the ClàssicAND series. He finished ahead of Japan's Takaya Minami in second and fellow Spaniard Javier Janeiro Sánchez in third, with Hungary's Kristóf Havasi and Russians Arsenii Budanov and Sofiia Petrash rounding out the top six. The public final took place on Saturday, April 4, at 3pm in the Centre de Congressos in Andorra la Vella, followed by the winner's announcement at 8pm during the Sax Awards gala and festival closing.

The six had advanced from Thursday's semifinals, where 18 players performed Claude Pascal's mandatory "Sonatine" and a free-choice piece. Festival director Efrem Roca described the 13th edition—running March 28 to April 4—as "intense," with high competition levels making jury decisions challenging. The event drew 185 participants from 36 countries, hitting logistical capacity limits, and featured innovations like virtual reality sessions to combat stage fright and "Meet the Pro" workshops, both well-received. Roca praised positive feedback from distant participants, including from China, Japan, Colombia, and Mexico, and highlighted the Orquestra Nacional Clàssica d’Andorra (ONCA)'s involvement as crucial.

On Friday evening, ONCA under conductor Àlex Sansó performed the festival's orchestral finale at 9pm, with around 20 musicians, percussion, harpsichord, and up to six soloists in a programme of French works, Vivaldi adaptations for saxophone, and wind-friendly keys outside the orchestra's usual repertoire. ONCA concertino violinist Gabriel Coll called the preparation demanding yet rewarding, noting short rehearsal times and the challenge of wind tonalities for strings. "The Sax Fest level is always very high, with participants from everywhere," he said.

In the Solo Sax Youth Competition 2026, Russia's Alexandr Dolgov won category D with David Salleras's "Danse Folle" and Karol Beffa's "Tel un serpent qui danse," earning a Selmer saxophone, 250 euros in Saxtienda.com vouchers, a one-year adlibitumclass.com subscription, and a fully funded saxophone-piano concert spot at next year's festival. Other youth winners included Franciszek Wójcik (A), Mateo Pérez Blanco (B), and Xiaocheng Qin (C), drawn from 39 entrants across four age groups with category-specific mandatory pieces such as Alain Crespin's "Résonances" for A.