Carlos Giménez Martínez is a Spanish virtuoso saxophonist, recognized as one of the most promising rising stars of his generation. His exceptional talent and musicianship have led to performances as both a soloist and an orchestral musician with world-renowned ensembles. As a soloist, he has won prestigious international competitions in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and China, distinguishing himself as one of the brightest saxophonists of his generation.

He made his solo orchestral debut at the Palau de la Música de València in 2012 at the age of 19 and has since performed as a soloist with both orchestras and wind ensembles. In 2018, he performed Concertino da Camera by Jacques Ibert and Verdiana by A.Schor with a chamber orchestra in Hamburg. In 2021, he recorded Debussy’s Rhapsody for Saxophone and Orchestra with the Zemlinsky Chamber Orchestra, and he has also performed Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto with several Philharmonic Wind Orchestras in Spain.

Continuously expanding his soloist engagements, he is actively working towards further collaborations with orchestras across Europe and beyond.

Alongside his solo career, Carlos has collaborated as an orchestral musician with some of the world's leading ensembles, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, with which he made his debut in 2024, the Staatskapelle Berlin, and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. He has also performed with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, the Bremer Philharmoniker, and the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, among others. These collaborations have established him as a versatile and in-demand performer on the international music scene

Carlos has received numerous international prizes, including:

2nd Prize – I Fernande Decruck International Saxophone Competition, Paris (2022)
2nd Prize – XXI Benidorm Saxophone Music Competition, Benidorm (2021)
1st Prize – Tribuna Sax-Ensemble de Jóvenes Intérpretes, Madrid (2020)
Finalist (Top 100) – Classic Winds International Saxophone and Clarinet Competition, Hamburg (2018)
3rd Prize – Bertold Hummel Wettbewerb, Würzburg (2017)
2nd Prize & Audience Prize – International Saxophone Competition "Exigentia," Gessopalena (2015)
2nd Prize – Jimbao Festival & 1st International Chinese Saxophone Competition, Tianjin (2015)


Born in 1993 in Benimodo, Valencia, Carlos began his musical education at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Salvador Seguí in Castellón, studying under José Luis Garrido. He continued his training at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Arno Bornkamp, earning a master’s degree in classical saxophone performance, and is currently completing a second master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin under the guidance of Johannes Ernst.

Passionate about expanding the saxophone’s presence in classical music, Carlos actively collaborates with contemporary composers, exploring the instrument’s role in different ensemble settings, from string quartets to choir-saxophone combinations. His artistic mission is to blend tradition and innovation, ensuring that the saxophone earns its place alongside more established classical instruments while reaching and inspiring audiences worldwide.

Since 2023, he has been the soprano saxophonist of the Clair Obscur Saxophonquartett. In addition to performing, he is committed to education, having served as a guest professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castellón and regularly giving masterclasses in Spain and Germany. He also runs his own private saxophone studio in Berlin.

He performs on a Buffet Crampon Prestige S1 alto saxophone (1987) and a Yanagisawa Elimona soprano saxophone (1991).