German cellist Arne Zeller, 19, receives the first prize of €18,000
The final round of the Budapest International Cello Competition took place on 13 September at the Great Hall of the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. The three finalists each performed a concerto from a preset list, followed by a movement from the Bach Cello Suites of their own choice. They were accompanied by the Hungarian National Philharmonic, conducted by György Vashegyi.
The first prize of €18,000 was awarded to German cellist Arne Zeller (b.2006), who also won the €2,000 audience prize. The second prize of €12,000 went to German cellist Michael Wehrmeyer (b.2002), and the third prize of €6,000 to German cellist Lionel Martin (b.2003). The €1,000 Kodály Prize was won by Korean–Hungarian cellist Jinseok Jeong (b.2006).
Special prizes were also awarded by the National, Pannon, Győr, St Stephen’s, and Cluj Napoca Transilvania philharmonic orchestras; the Szeged, Savaria, Miskolc, Szolnok, and MÁV symphony orchestras; as well as Concerto Budapest, MÜPA Budapest, Papageno, Greek National Opera, the Philharmonic of Hungary, the Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.
Zeller has studied with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy since 2024, and has attended regular masterclasses with Jens Peter Maintz since 2021. He previously studied with Peter Bruns at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy College of Music in Leipzig.
Zeller has won the first prizes at the 2022 Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition, the 2020 Anna Kull International Cello Comeptition, the 2024 Pablo Casals Award, and second prize at the 2023 International Johannes Brahms Competition. He performed with the LGT Young Soloists from 2021–2024 and is currently a member of the Pantaleón Trio trio with violinist Leonhard Baumgartner and pianist Simon Haje. Zeller performs on the c.1850 ’Tortelier’ Charles Adolphe Maucotel cello, as well as an Antonio Sgarbi cello, both on loan.
This year’s jury comprised Anne Gastinel, András Keller, Jens Peter Maintz, Gwen Starker, Santiago Cañón-Valencia, and István Várdai, with Frans Helmerson as president of the jury.
The National Philharmonic lauded the results on social media:
‘Thank you to everyone who contributed to this memorable evening – it was a true celebration of the cello in Budapest!’
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