Christian Wirth

Christian Wirth divides his activity between his position as solo saxophone of the Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Garde Républicaine, chamber music, soprano saxophone within the Habanera Quartet, and the Conservatoire de Mulhouse, where he has been teaching since autumn 2020.

After having obtained the 1^st Prizes unanimously in saxophone (class of Claude Delangle) and chamber music (class of Laszlo Hadady and Michel Moraguès) at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, he then passed the entrance exams for the classes of improvement of these same disciplines.

In 1995, he passed the entrance competition for the prestigious Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Garde Républicaine, of which he became solo saxophone in 2013.

He then won numerous national and international prizes (1st Grand Prize at the Adolphe Sax International Competition in Saint-Nom La Bretêche; 1st Prize at the Autumn Music Festival for Young Performers…), as well as First Prize at the international chamber music competitions in Osaka, Bordeaux, Düsseldorf, Illzach, Sanguinetto…).

Passionate about chamber music, he founded in 1993 the Habanera Saxophone Quartet, sponsor and dedicatee of numerous works (P. Eötvös, P. Leroux, F. Tanada, B. Mantovani, A. Markeas, F. Levy, L. Bord, F. Motsch…), with whom he recorded for the Alpha-Productions label: Mysterious Morning (Diapason d'Or), Grieg-Glazounov-Dvorak, l'Engrenage, Ravel-Debussy-Chausson.

He also recorded, under the artistic direction of the composer, the Sequenza IXb of L. Bério for Deustche Grammophon, rewarded by the critics (Diapason d'Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, 10 de Répertoire, ffff of Télérama…).

He currently teaches at the Mulhouse Conservatory, and also in master classes in different countries (Japan, China, Taiwan, Spain, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, England, Austria, USA, Slovenia, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Italy, Ukraine, Russia, etc....), or in summer universities such as the European Saxophone University in Gap, Arosa Music Academy…

Christian Wirth collaborates closely with Henri SELMER Paris within the Research and Development team.