The Hans Gál Soloist Prize will be awarded this year to cellist Arne Zeller. The Mainz Academy of Sciences and Literature announced on Thursday that this award recognizes "not only the impressive instrumental mastery of this young musician, but above all the artistic personality that is revealed in his playing.".

Arne Zeller

The prize supports outstanding young musicians at the beginning of their careers and recognizes artistic excellence as well as exceptional potential for development. The award includes a prize of €5,000. It is scheduled to be presented on June 30, 2026, during a concert by the prize winner in Mainz.

Born in 2006, Zeller made his solo debut at the age of 13. A year later, he became a junior student at the Leipzig University of Music. This was followed by solo appearances with orchestras such as the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Kremerata Baltica, and the Budapest National Philharmonic. Since October 2024, he has been studying at the Kronberg Academy.

The Hans Gál Soloist Prize, established in 2025, and the Ensemble Prize, awarded since 2020, are made possible by the Hans Gál Foundation. These awards commemorate the composer, musicologist, and educator (1890–1987), who served as director of the Mainz Conservatory from 1929 to 1933. Due to his Hungarian-Jewish heritage, he was suspended after the Nazis seized power and initially emigrated to Austria, then to Great Britain in 1938. He became a British citizen in 1945 and taught at the University of Edinburgh until 1955.

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