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Vier gelukkige artiesten springen op een podium, elk met een bloempot en een bord met "Award 2023". Emad Mshalwat

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Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet wins Dutch Classical Talent Award 2026

On Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2026, the candidates of this season, mezzo-soprano Ana-Carmen Balestra, the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet, and pianists Alexandra Kaptein and Gianmarco Moneti, showcased to the jury and the audience during the final at TivoliVredenburg why they deserve the Dutch Classical Talent Award. The Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet took home both the professional jury prize and the audience prize 2026. The jury stated: “Boisterous and energetic, that characterizes the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet! The interesting composition of personalities creates a diverse dynamic where the quartet does not compromise on intonation, timing, and technique. The tasteful and well-thought-out program remains captivating from start to finish.”

Vier gelukkige artiesten springen op een podium, elk met een bloempot en een bord met "Award 2023". Emad Mshalwat Emad Mshalwat

The Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet comes from four different parts of the world: Germany, Taiwan, Italy, and Portugal. Lisa Schreiber, Jen-Hong Wu, Ileana Termini, and Pedro Silva met in Amsterdam and founded the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet in 2019. The saxophonists seek inner peace and connection in their philosophically themed program 'No man is an island'. They do this through a fascinating journey through diverse works by Glass, Widmann, Henderickx, and Tafreshi, where virtuosity and contemplation alternate. They will use the prize money to record their music.

The talent development program

The Dutch Classical Talent Tour & Award is an 18-month program that helps young musicians develop. It is intended for talents up to 28 years old (up to 30 for singers) who study or have graduated from a Dutch conservatory. This competition offers young chamber musicians a unique opportunity to showcase themselves. A professional jury selects four talents through auditions. Under professional guidance, they create an engaging and contemporary program. They perform in fourteen concert halls in the Netherlands. The tour concludes with a festive finale where the Dutch Classical Talent Award and Audience Prize are awarded.

Unique programs from the finalists

Cécile Gouder de Beauregard, project leader and jury chair of Dutch Classical Talent: “For almost twenty-five years, the level of the finalists of Dutch Classical Talent has remained consistently high. This year, it was once again amazing to follow and support four talents for a year and a half. We are proud to add them to the impressive list of laureates. With enormous eagerness and an open mind, they have gone through the program and worked alongside lyricists, arrangers, lighting technicians, and directors to create their own unique program. This has also led to impressive new compositions by David Dramm and Nuno Lobo.”

Groep van twaalf personen poseert op een podium met piano, houdend award-borden voor de Publieksprijs 2020. Emad Mshalwat Emad Mshalwat

Dutch Classical Talent 2027 in Tilburg

In the 2025–2026 season, you could enjoy Ana-Carmen Balestra, Alexandra Kaptein, Gianmarco Moneti, and the winners Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet in one of our halls. In the upcoming season, the finalists of the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2027 will also be touring various concert halls in the Netherlands, and Concertzaal Tilburg is proud to be a part of it. Discover the future of classical music in Tilburg for just €12.50.

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