flute, began her studies at the conservatory in Bratislava, Slovakia. From 1995 to 1996 she studied at the Ferenc Liszt conservatory in Budapest under J. Bálint and then changed to the Mozarteum University in Salzburg under M. M. Kofler. In 1996 and in 2001 she was an award winner at the competition Prague Spring as well as in 2000 at the international flute competition in Cremona. In 1995 she won first prize at the international radio competition Concertino Praga, in 1997 at the Leonardo de Lorenzo competition in Viggiano, and in 2002 at the international competition in Krakow. Her orchestral career started in 1999 at the orchestra academy of the Munich Philharmonic. From 2001 to 2002 she was made solo-flutist of the Prague Symphony. Since September 2002 Katalin Stefula has been engaged at the Gewandhaus and is a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet.
oboe, born in 1987 in Detmold, raised in Italy. The Swiss Oboist had his first lessons at the age of nine with Prof. Hans Elhorst in Lugano. Later he studied with Diethelm Jonas in Lübeck and with Francesco DiRosa in Milan. Simon attended master classes by Maurice Bourgue, Ingo Goritzki, Hansjörg Schellenberger, and others.
In 2006 he appeared as a finalist in the Eurovision Young Musicians competition in Vienna, performing W.A. Mozart’s oboe concerto with the Wiener Symphoniker, broadcast live on TV throughout Europe. A former member of Claudio Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart in Bologna, and of the Orchestra Filarmonica “Arturo Toscanini” under Lorin Maazel, who appointed him assistant principal oboe of the newly founded orchestra of the Opera of Valencia in 2006. In 2010 he held the position of principal English Horn with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome under Antonio Pappano.
As a soloist, Simon Sommerhalder has appeared with orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Strings, the Camerata Bern and many others. His recording of Amilcare Ponchielli’s Capriccio with the Staatskapelle of Mecklenburg and Matthias Foremny for the MDG label won the renowned “Echo-Klassik-Preis” award in 2012.
Since 2008 Simon Sommerhalder holds the position of principal English Horn with the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, and since 2016 he is a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet.
clarinet, received his first clarinet lesson at the Bautzen School of Music and continued his education at the Special School of Music in Dresden. In 1980 he began studying at the Carl Maria von Weber College of Music in Dresden. He was awarded a Diploma at the International Markneukirchen Music Competition. After taking his state examination in 1985 he received an engagement with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He has been a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet since 1989.
horn, received his musical training at the Gera School of Music and later at the Special School of Music in Halle/Saale. From 1979 to 1983 he studied at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy College of Music in Leipzig under Prof. Hermann Märker. He won awards at the International Markneukirchen Music Competition in 1982 und 1984. He received his engagement with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1983. He has been a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet and the Bach Orchestra since 1984.
bassoon, received his first bassoon lesson in 1980 from Fritz Goffing in Bremen. From 1989 to 1994 he studied at the College of Music in Hannover under Professor Klaus Thunemann. During this period he was also a member of the Young German Philharmonic. In 1991 he won the first prize with the Divertimento Trio at the German College Competition. Albert Kegel has been bassoonist in the Gewandhaus Orchestra since 1992. He became a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet in 1997.