The competition culminated on September 14th with the grand prize-winners' concert at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The finalists performed with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, led by conductor Euan Shields. The programme showcased a diverse repertoire: Alexander Kronbichler performed Richard Strauss's Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, Dimitri Pinchuk captivated the jury with Henri Tomasi's Saxophone Concerto, and Jin Zhicheng presented Carl Maria von Weber's Concertino op. 45 for Horn and Orchestra.
A special highlight was the recognition of 15-year-old Chinese oboist Guo Yu, who received a special prize for the best interpretation of contemporary music. He won over the jury with his own composition, Shan Li – The Dual Paths of Benevolence and Propriety for oboe.
Organised by the Sieghardt Rometsch Foundation and hosted annually since 2006 at the Robert Schumann Hochschule, the Aeolus Competition is one of the very few international competitions offering brass and wind instrument categories. The 2025 jury comprised esteemed professors and performers such as Szabolcs Zempléni and Ricardo Lopes.
