Mari Ángeles del Valle

Mari Ángeles del Valle is an Andalusian concert saxophonist based in Cologne. She has received many awards and prizes in various competitions, including Adolphe Sax Competition of Paris, SaxoVoce Competition of Paris, Competition of the Cologne University for Music and Dance and the Prize for the Best Woodwind Player in the Spanish Intercentros Melómano Competition, which is considered the most important award for this instrument.

During her studies in Sevilla and Cologne del Valle has received Master Degrees in Music performance (2014), Saxophone Solo (2017), Contemporary Music (2019) and Concert Examination (2020). For her achievements, she was awarded Distinction from all of her professors, Claude Delangle, David Smeyers and Daniel Gauthier.

After performing in Huelva, Sevilla and other cities in Spain, del Valle made her debut as a professional chamber music saxophonist at the age of 22 in Cologne, Germany. Starting in 2016 she performed in regular concerts tours in Germany as a soloist working with conductors such as John Axelrod, Hernández Silva, Alexander Rumpf and Juan García, and in chamber music formations. She has been supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Dörken Foundation & Live Music Now Cologne.

In 2018, planning began with the Odelya Trio, a joint project developed with a French mezzo-soprano and an Italian pianist. The formation features an unconventional combination of voice and wind instruments. Due to her reputation as a specialist for contemporary music, she was invited to play with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt and the Berlin Philharmonie and alongside the Notabu Ensemble for new music at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf.

In 2022, along with her ensemble Odelya, she played the opening concert of the Muziek Bienale for New Music, which took place in The Netherlands and Germany. During that summer she was named semifinalist of the most important German competition for classical music.

In October 2022 del Valle made her Opera debut with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie performing John Adams Nixon in China at the Theater Koblenz and will play along them until summer 2023. In November 2022 the Funny Mendelssohn Foundation has pronounced Mari Ángeles del Valle Jury Member for the upcoming Competitions.

Starting from January 2023 del Valle will teach the Saxophone Class in the Music Conservatory in the city of Moers. Futhermore, she will continue teaching as Daniel Gauthier's assistant at the Conservatory for Music and Dance in Cologne.

Photo credit: Ana Tena