JURY 2024

The Netherlands

Arnold Marinissen (chairman of the jury) composes, performs, teaches and gives masterclasses around the world. He is a praised percussionist, and as a composer he wrote for the Residentie Orkest, La Biënnale di Venezia, Asko|Schönberg and Slagwerk Den Haag, among many others. Marinissen holds a PhD from Bournemouth University after his research on conceptual, musical and aesthetic aspects of music creation. He was artist in residence at De Doelen Rotterdam, programmer for Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam and curator for various festivals. He is faculty member at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Poland

Marta Klimasara is a highly acknowledged percussionist; her international renown rests not only on her tournées in France, Sweden, Japan and South Africa but also on her many successes in international contests. Before winning the ARD contest – one of the most famed competitions in its field – she had already been awarded the first prize in the 2nd World Marimba Competition in Japan in 1999 as well as the second prize in the 3rd Krzystof Penderecki International Competition of Contemporary Music in Krakow. The young artist holds scholarships from the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe and the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg and was commended by the European Cultural Foundation in Strasburg for her outstanding musical and artistic personality.

Taiwan

In 2006 Yi-Ping Yang won 1st prize, the audience award and the prize of the youth jury in the TROMP competition in addition to a list of impressive achievements in renown competitions and a scholarship of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. She has taken part in numerous premieres with the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain and regularly performs recitals throughout the world. Parallel to be principal timpanist in Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, she is also soloist in collaboration with Grame. She performs as a composer, musician and actor in theatre. Yi-Ping Yang is associate professor at the Conservatoire de Lyon, guest professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and artist director for Collective RIT-Infinity (Rendez-vous Internationaux de la Timbale).

China

Ruwen Yang is a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Master Supervisor and Deputy Director of the Department of Modern Instruments and Percussion. In his leadership role he has made major contributions in subject and teaching materials development, as well as discovery and education of talent. He is renowned for being at the forefront of percussion education with his scientific and precise teaching method. Prof. Yang’s students have won more than 30 international and over 40 national awards, putting mainland Chinese percussionists on the map both in China and overseas. 

USA

Having performed in four continents and more than forty states, Michael Burritt is one of his generation’s most accomplished percussionists. He is in frequent demand performing concert tours and master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. His works for solo marimba have become standard repertoire, with commissions by The World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Nexus Percussion Ensemble and Third Coast Percussion. He holds a Distinguished Professorship and is the head of the Percussion Department at the Eastman School of Music and is the President for the Percussive Arts Society.

Japan

Momoko is a professor at Tokyo College of Music. She is also a permanent guest professor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and Elisabeth Music University, a lecturer at Kunitachi College of Music. Momoko was awarded the first prize at the International Marimba competition Luxembourg in 1995. In 2005 she was recognized for her distinguished musical activities and received the Azalea Cultural Prize. She was the first successful candidate to be accepted to Tokyo University of the Arts in its history as a marimba soloist. In the following year she entered the Juilliard School and completed the Bachelor of Music there.