Valentin Kovalev - Saxophone
Saxophonist, composer, educator, and content creator Valentin Kovalev is an ebullient and highly eclectic performer whose unique style was developed following studies in Russia, France, and the United States. Mr. Kovalev is the winner of several international competitions such as Manhattan International Music Competition (US), MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition (US), Classic Winds Competition (Israel), AndorraSaxFest (Andorra), Anches Simples de Toulouse (France), EkaterinburgSaxFest (Russia), GoldenSax (Ukraine). He is also the recipient of significant awards from foundations in France, where he performed in a live-broadcast concert on the radio station “France Musique.” Valentin Kovalev has performed at the Carnegie Hall, soloed with many prestigious orchestras in his native Russia and the US, toured ten cities in China, and performed in several countries in Europe through the Rostropovich Foundation. Mr. Kovalev is a Henri Selmer, Paris artist, and is a Winner of the 2021 Astral National Competition.
In response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Mr. Kovalev organized a Benefit Concert in Ann Arbor, MI which raised over $17,000. This financial help went to purchase life-saving medical backpacks shipped to Ukraine through RAZOM and to resettle Ukrainian refugees arriving in Michigan through the Jewish Family Service of Washtenaw County. Upon completion of his graduate work at the University of Michigan, Mr. Kovalev relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he currently resides.