High honors for HfMT organists

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Alfonso Torres, a student on the BA Organ course in Prof. Wolfgang Zerer's class, was awarded 2nd prize at the XV International Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition. No 1st prize was awarded, the 2nd prize was shared.

The best young organists from all over the world compete every two years at the International Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition. It is held in honour of the great Saxon organ builder and is the only competition that is only held on the original baroque instruments of Gottfried Silbermann and his pupils.
The International Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition was first organized by the Gottfried Silbermann Society in 1993 and has been held parallel to the music festival in and around Freiberg ever since. It has since developed into one of the most important competitions for historical organs. The jurors - all internationally renowned organ specialists - can also be experienced as artists at the Silbermann Days. Participants are not only attracted by the attractive prize money, but above all by the unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills on the historic Silbermann organs from the 18th century. For many, the competition is also a career springboard, as the prizewinners are given the opportunity to give concerts on Silbermann organs and other famous historical instruments throughout Germany and beyond. It is not uncommon for them to return to the Silbermann Days as jurors.

Afonso Torres was born in 2000 in Paredes, Portugal, where he received his first music lessons. He studied piano with Prof. Marco Oliveira and Prof. Joana Moreira and organ with Prof. Rui Soares.
In 2015 he was admitted to the conservatory in Porto, where he continued to study organ under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Paulo Alvim. Since 2018 he has been a student in the organ class of Prof. Wolfgang Zerer at the HfMT Hamburg.
He has taken part in masterclasses with Pavel Černý, Tobias Willi, Jisung Kim, Erwin Wiersinga, Theo Jellema, Jörg Hallubek, Guy Bovet, Ludger Lohmann, Olivier Latry and others.