Sebastian Manz

Being the grandson of the Russian violinist Boris Goldstein and the son of two pianists, born in Hanover in 1986, Manz's musical roots are in his German-Russian family background. He begins singing in a boys' choir at the age of six. He first learns the piano, which he plays very well, but soon concentrates on the clarinet after listening to Benny Goodman's recording of Carl Maria von Weber's E flat major Concerto, which fascinates him and awakes a longing for the instrument. Among his most important teachers and supporters are the acclaimed clarinetists Sabine Meyer and Reiner Wehle. His big breakthrough comes with his sensational success at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in September 2008, where he wins not only first prize in the Clarinet category, which had not been awarded for forty years, but also the coveted Audience Prize and other special prizes. With his partner Martin Klett at the piano, he had also won the German Music Competition just a few months previously. He has been solo clarinetist with the SWR Symphony Orchestra in Stuttgart since 2010. His discography includes numerous awards underscoring Manz's intuition for details and overarching concepts. Time and again, he demonstrates a unique talent for arranging and composing on his albums and at his concerts.