Yo Kitamura, Arne Jesper Zeller, Luís Dias Canali, Gabriel Guignier, and Ruoxi Jing are the recipients of the Pablo Casals International Award for Young Cellists 2024.
Yo Kitamura (Japan) and Arne Jesper Zeller (Germany) have jointly won the First Prize ex aequo. Luís Dias Canali (Portugal/Italy) and Gabriel Guignier (France) have both been awarded the AENA Special Prize ex aequo, while Ruoxi Jing (China) has received the Third Prize.
The jury has also decided to grant honorary mentions to the finalists Yewon Cho (South Korea) and Klaudio Zoto (Albania).
The final audition of the 2024 International Award took place last Saturday, November 16, at the Tívoli Auditorium of the Pau Casals Municipal School of Music in El Vendrell (EMMPAC). The jury was composed of internationally renowned cellists Ophélie Gaillard, Danjulo Ishizaka, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, and Arnau Tomàs. Bernard Meillat, the Foundation’s musical advisor, served as the jury’s secretary.
The Pablo Casals International Award aims to support and enhance the training of young cellists, with special support from AENA and in collaboration with the Fundación Banco Sabadell.
First Prize ex aequo – Yo Kitamura (Japan)
Yo Kitamura (Japan, 2004) began playing the cello at the age of four.
He studied with Professor Jens Peter Maintz at the University of the Arts in Berlin and with Professor Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi at the Toho Gakuen College of Music. He won the First Prize and the Special Prize at the 29th Johannes Brahms International Competition, as well as the First Prize and five special prizes at the 92nd Japan Music Competition, the most prestigious in Japan, in 2023. He won the unanimous First Prize at the 10th Tchaikovsky International Competition for Young Musicians in 2017 and the Second Prize at the Khachaturian International Competition in 2022. In September 2024, he was awarded the First Prize at the George Enescu International Competition.
He made his orchestral debut at the age of nine and his recital debut at ten. He has attended masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Jens-Peter Maintz, Mischa Maisky, Philippe Muller, and Wolfgang Boettcher.
First Prize ex aequo – Arne Jesper Zeller (Germany)
Arne Jesper Zeller (Germany, 2006) began playing the cello at the age of six. Initially, he was trained by Moritz Reutlinger (Trier) and Daniel Geiss (Music Department of the University of Mainz), and at the age of fourteen, he joined the pre-university class of Professor Peter Bruns at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig.
He is a prize winner in national and international competitions, including the First Prize at the Anna Kull International Cello Competition in Graz (2020), the First Prize at the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition (2022), and the Second Prize at the 29th Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach (2023).
At the age of fifteen, Arne was selected as an active participant in cello masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy with Professor Frans Helmerson and received a scholarship for further lessons there. In 2024, he was chosen to participate as a Junior in the “Chamber Music Connects the World” Festival.
He is currently studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig (Germany) with Professor Peter Bruns.
AENA Special Prize ex aequo – Luís Dias Canali (Portugal/Italy)
Luís Dias Canali (Italy, 2009) began playing the cello at the age of four, introduced by cellist and teacher Alba Page (Hochschule für Musik und Theater Zürich). He was soon admitted to the Emanuel Feuermann Konservatorium in Kronberg, Germany, under the guidance of Erik Richter.
In 2021, Luís was admitted to the Young Talents Program of the École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot (France), where he studied with cellist Henri Demarquette.
He has attended masterclasses with Joris van den Berg, Philippe Muller, Nadine Pierre, Jens Peter Maintz, and Emanuel Wolfgang Schmidt, among others.
Some of his main awards include the First Prize at the Vatelot-Rampal Prodige Art (2024), the First Prize at the International Stars at Tenerife Competition (2019), and the First Prize at the International Bach Festival Competition for Young Musicians (2018).
AENA Special Prize ex aequo – Gabriel Guignier (France)
Gabriel Guignier (France, 2006) began learning cello at the age of four under the tutelage of Veronique Álvarez in Aulnay-Sous-Bois.
From 2017 to 2020, he participated in Proquartett, a Chamber Music course with the “Voce Quartet”. In 2021, he joined the class of Jérôme Pernoo at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris. Currently, he studies with Edgar Moreau at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris, where he enthusiastically follows the entire curriculum while also taking optional courses in theatre and piano. He is also deeply involved in chamber music, studying with Luc-Marie Aguera and Emmanuel Strosser.
In 2022, he was selected to participate in the Kronberg Academy Masterclasses in Germany.
Among his most notable awards are the First Prize at the Klaipeda David Geringas International Cello Competition 2023 (Category C), Third Prize at the Tremplin International Cello Competition in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France (2021), Second Prize at the Prodiges Arts Competition 2021 (Advanced Level), and First Prize at the Vatelot-Rampal Prodiges Arts Competition 2018 in Paris, France.
Third Prize – Ruoxi Jing (China)
Ruoxi Jing (China, 2008) began learning the cello at the age of five and was admitted to the Middle School of the Central Conservatory of Music with excellent grades at the age of twelve, under the supervision of Associate Professor Jia Yu from the Central Conservatory of Music. She has received lessons from masters like Liwei Qin, Mingqing Yu, Young Song, Joanna Sachryn, Martti Rousi, Michel Strauss, and Ø yvind Gimse.
Her main awards include the First Prize at the X David Popper International Cello Competition (October 2023), the Gold Prize at the Prokofiev International Music Competition (October 2021), First Place in the IV Egea Cup International Cello Competition (September 2021), and the First Prize at the Rudolf Barshai International String Competition (March 2021).
She is currently studying at the Middle School of the Central Conservatory of Music with Jia Yu.
Honourable Mentions
Yewon Cho (South Korea)
Klaudio Zoto (Albania)