Claus Hierluksch (*1987 in Erding) began piano lessons at the age of six under Gerold Huber, later with Prof. Friedemann Berger. His saxophone training started in 1997, and in 2004, he entered a junior program at the Richard-Strauss-Conservatory in Munich for classical saxophone. After graduating in 2007 (with distinction), he studied School Music and Saxophone at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. Claus received numerous awards, including first prizes as a piano accompanist in the “Jugend musiziert” competition and, with his ensemble Arcis Saxophon Quartett in 2013, the 1st Prize and Audience Award at the Kulturkreis Gasteig music competition.

His accolades continued, winning the 1st Prize at the International Music Competition Concorso Argento in Italy, a Special Prize at the First Classical Music International Internet Festival “Chance Music” in Moscow, and the 3rd Prize at the 13th Chieri International Music Competition. Claus also achieved success with the Arcis Saxophon Quartett, winning the 1st Prize at the 4th International Contest of Chamber Ensemble Performance in Magnitogorsk, Russia, and the 1st Prize at the 1st Rising Stars Grand Prix in 2016.

His orchestral experience includes playing with various ensembles and orchestras, such as the Bad Reichenhaller Philharmonie and the Nuremberg Philharmonic. Claus, a recipient of multiple scholarships and awards, completed his saxophone master’s studies with Koryun Asatryan in 2016 and has since pursued an international career with the Arcis Saxophon Quartett, earning recognition and support from prestigious foundations and organizations.

Ricarda Fuss studied classical saxophone with Koryun Asatryan and music education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. In 2008 she founded together with Claus Hierluksch the Arcis Saxophon Quartett. She continued her studies doing master’s degrees in saxophone and chamber music in the class of Artemis Quartet at the University of Arts Berlin and the HMT Munich with Prof. Friedemann Berger.

She has taken master classes with Claus Olesen, Sebastian Pottmeier, Daniel Gauthier, Christophe Grèzes, Jean Yves Fourmeau, the Armida Quartet and the Artemis Quartet.

She was scholarship holder of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now and of the “PE-Förderungen für Studierende der Musik e.V.”. In 2016 and 2023 she was awarded with a scholarship for music of the city of Munich and 2016 with Bayerischer Kunstförderpreis. Furthermore, she is a member of ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) since January 2015.

Together with her ensemble Arcis Saxophon Quartett she won First prize and Audience Prize at the “Music Competition of Kulturkreis Gasteig” (Munich, Germany), First Prize at the “International Music Competition Concorso Argento” (Italy), Laureate and Special Prize of the “First Classical Music International Internet Festival “Chance Music”” (Moscow, Russia), First Prize at the “4th international Contest – Festival of Chamber Ensemble Performance named after T.A. Gaidamovich” in Magnitogorsk (Russia) and First Prize at the “1. Rising Stars Grand Prix 2016 – International Music Competition Berlin”.

2013 they released their first album “Arcis Saxophon Quartett spielt Enjott Schneider” on the label Ambiente Audio. Their CD “Rasch” followed in 2017 on Genuin.

Touring activities with the Arcis Saxophon Quartett brought her to the United States, Ecuador, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, Kuwait, India, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Pakistan.

Jure Knez, born in 1995 in Celje, Slovenia, began playing the saxophone at the age of 9. After graduating in 2014 from the Conservatory for Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he pursued classical saxophone studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, Germany, under the guidance of Prof. Koryun Asatryan.

Additionally, he delved into chamber music as a guest student with his ensemble, Arcis Saxophon Quartett, under the Artemis Quartett at the Berlin University of the Arts and with Prof. Friedemann Berger at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. Jure is an alumnus of the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy).

Since 2015, he has been a scholarship holder of “Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now” and, from 2016 onward, of the “Regional Development Agency Posavje.” For the academic year 2019/20, he received a scholarship from the “Orlandus Lassus Stiftung.” Alongside his ensemble, Arcis Saxophon Quartett, he received the Bavarian State Award for Arts in 2016. In April 2017, their CD “Rasch” was released by Genuin. In 2021, Jure founded the record label “arcis records.”

Jure has earned several first prizes and golden plaques at national and international competitions such as TEMSIG, Emona, the International Competition Davorin Jenko, the Festival of Chamber Ensemble Performance named after T.A. Gaidamovich, and the International Music Competition Berlin. He has graced stages in the USA, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and throughout Europe, performing in prestigious concert halls like the Berlin Philharmonie, Gasteig Munich, and Wigmore Hall in London.

Anna-Marie Schäfer is a versatile saxophonist and chamber musician. Since 2023, she has been the tenor saxophonist of the Arcis Saxophon Quartett and holds a teaching position for saxophone at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (HMTM).

In 2022, she completed the Meisterklasse certificate program with Prof. Koryun Asatryan at the HMTM. Prior to that, she graduated with distinction from her bachelor’s and master’s studies with Prof. Daniel Gauthier, as well as chamber music studies with Prof. Han-An Liu at the University of Music and Dance Cologne.

Playing contemporary music and collaborating with composers is an important part of her work. The female composers Konstantia Gourzi and Helena Canovás i Parés wrote solo pieces as well as chamber music for her.

As a soloist, she has performed with the Bergische Symphoniker, the Chamber Orchestra Bonn-Röttgen, and the EUROPERA Orchestra. Since 2020, she has been a substitute player with the Bergische Symphoniker, the Cologne Opera, and the Gürzenich Orchestra. She has been a prize winner in numerous competitions, including the 1st Prize at Jugend spielt Klassik 2019 and the 2nd Prize at the August Everding Competition2020/21 for saxophone quartet.

Anna-Marie Schäfer has received support from various foundations, including the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation, the Kölner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds, Freunde junger Musiker München, Deutschen Orchesterstiftung, and the Deutschlandstipendium. In the chamber music sector, she won scholarships from Live Music Now Cologne e.V., the Werner Richard – Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation, and was selected for the Best of NRW concert series in 2020.

Degree of oriental languages and literatures (hebrew-german) at Venice University Ca’ Foscari (110/110).

Worked as dancer for: EmanueleSoavi Incompany, Staatstheater Darmstadt, Venice Biennale, Theater Duisburg, Opera Koln, Malibran-Fenice Theater, Pfalzbau Ludwighafen, Koln Alte Feuerwache, Aachen Festival, Theater an der Rott, Bregenzer Festspiele, Spellbound Dance Company.

He worked with the choreographers: Emanuele Soavi, Susanne Linke, Johan Kresnik (Main role in the play Ulrike Meinhof), Didy Veldman, Richard Siegel, Mei Hong Lin, Mauro Astolfi, Ron Howell and Graham Vick’s. For Emanuele Soavi she has also been rehearsal assistant for the production “Paradisus”.

She worked as a choreographer in the project Recorder Rewrite, Biennale arte 2019 Pavilion Singapore with the artist: Song-Ming Ang.

Since 2015 she has been the curator of the Lago Dance, dance section of the Lago Film Fest International Film Festival.

Since 2020 she collaborates with the choreographer Roberta Pisu as a performer and assistant (at the Münchner Philharmoniker Gasteig München and Reithalle).