Jury
ICMC 2027
Jury
Adriana Paler
Romania/Austria
Adriana Paler
Romanian-born and Vienna-based pianist Adriana Paler has built an outstanding international career as a concert pianist, educator, researcher, and cultural leader. She is currently Director of Musikschule Region Wagram in Lower Austria, where she combines artistic excellence with innovative music education.
Adriana studied Piano Performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) under Professor Noël Flores and later continued postgraduate concert studies while pursuing doctoral research in music aesthetics. Her PhD project explores the piano concerto as an aesthetic dialogue between performer and audience.
An internationally awarded pianist, she has won more than 25 international piano prizes, including First Prizes in Austria and Italy, and has performed in Austria, Germany, Romania, Italy, France, England, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, Cuba, and the Middle East.
Alongside her performing career, Adriana is deeply committed to music education and cultural management. As Director of Musikschule Region Wagram, she leads one of Lower Austria's largest regional music schools while actively mentoring young musicians and developing innovative educational projects.
She is also an active researcher. Within the CHORAL - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Horizon Europe) programme, Adriana is currently working on transcriptions of Renaissance masterpieces by Palestrina and Monteverdi, creating new artistic bridges between historical music and contemporary concert performance.
In recent years, she released her debut album FREE and recorded the world premiere of Ryan McNally's Piano Concerto at the Vienna Konzerthaus, followed by the album HoraQuadrille, dedicated to Romanian-Austrian musical heritage.
Anna Smekhova
Ukraine
Anna Smekhova
Graduated from the R.M. Glier Kyiv College of Music and the P.I. Tchaikovsky Kyiv State Conservatory. She studied with outstanding musicians: Lydia Shur, Aza Roshchina, and Boris Arkhimovich.
From 1975 to 2021, she taught at the R.M. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music. Anna currently works as a visiting professor at the P.I. Tchaikovsky International Academy of Music and Art at Hengshui University, a joint Chinese-Ukrainian joint educational institution with the National Music Academy of Ukraine.
Anna is active in public and educational activities and has received state awards.
Many of her students have won international competitions. Her graduates work in various countries.
From 1995 to 2009 Anna served as the Director of International Relations at the Vladimir Horowitz International Young Pianists' Competition. She has extensive experience organizing concert tours.
She regularly conducts master classes in China, the USA, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Korea, Iran, Croatia, and Montenegro. She has served as a jury member at Ukrainian and international competitions in Austria, Turkey, the USA, Montenegro, Lithuania, the UK, and the UAE
She teaches her own online lecture course, "From Pedagogy to Management in Musical Art," "Secrets of Teaching Excellence," and "Psychology of Music." She has her own YouTube channel and is the founder of the KYIV FORTE International Online Piano Music Festival.
Goady Green
Australia
Goady Green
One of Australia’s most sought-after concert pianists, Coady Green has established a reputation as a major talent on the international stage. After winning many of Australia’s most prestigious awards, he relocated to London in 2005, where he spent over a decade performing at leading UK venues and teaching at both the University of London and the Royal College of Music.
Green has since appeared in major concert halls across more than 20 countries, including Wigmore Hall, the Royal Festival and Queen Elizabeth Halls, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly, the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, and numerous prominent venues across Europe, Africa, Asia and the US. A frequent guest lecturer at leading tertiary institutions worldwide, he has also contributed significantly to international piano culture, founding the International Liszt Society Piano Prize (UK) and serving as Artistic Director of the International Open Piano Competition in the UK and Italy.
Currently Lecturer in Music Performance, Piano Pedagogy, and Keyboard Repertoire at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, Green is engaged in major recording projects with the UK label Toccata Classics: the complete solo and chamber music of Australian composer Linda Kouvaras (eight albums) and the complete Etudes and Preludes of Anton Rubinstein. The first Kouvaras album was released internationally in May 2024, with the second following in January 2025. Green is now curating an ongoing series focusing on Australian composers for Toccata Classics.
He is Artistic Director of the annual fortyfivedownstairs Chamber Music Festival, the Queer Nights at Nightingale Festival, and the Friends of Music at St George’s, and serves on the boards of several key arts organisations, including fortyfivedownstairs.
Since 2017, he has received over 25 awards and grants for commissioning new Australian works.
Dr. Diego Caetano
Brasil
Dr. Diego Caetano
Hailed by the Italian newspaper La Stampa as “a gifted pianist with a brilliant technique and musicality,” Brazilian-American pianist Diego Caetano has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He has been invited to appear at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Yokohama’s Philia Hall, Lisbon’s Palácio da Foz, Rio de Janeiro’s Sala Cecília Meireles, and London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Caetano has worked with conductors such as Michael Palmer, Paul Hostetter, Neil Thomson, Rodrigo de Carvalho, Guilherme Bernstein, Joaquim Jayme, and Daniel Guedes. He has been featured in performances at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Louisiana International Piano Series,Durango’s Conservatory Music of the Mountains, Bangkok’s Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy, and Brasília’s International Music Festival. An advocate of contemporary music, he has premiered compositions by Robert Spillman, Anne Guzzo, Marlos Nobre, Roger Goeb, and Guilherme Bernstein.
Caetano has received top prizes in more than fifty national and international piano competitions, most notably from the Città di Massa Concorso per Giovani Musicisti, Bonn Prize International Music Competition, Bucharest Pro Piano International Piano Competition, International Piano Competition HR Princess Lalla Meryem, MTNA Young Artist – Steinway & Sons, and the “Arnaldo Estrella” Piano Competition. He has also won special awards, including Best Interpreter of Brazilian Composers, Best Interpreter of Spanish Composers, and the Prix d’Excellence in Performance.
He is a member of Duo Lispector with Russian violinist Evgeny Zvonnikov and of the Resch–
Caetano Duo with German tenor Richard Resch. His discography includes French Connection: Violin Sonatas of the 20th Century with violinist Evgeny Zvonnikov, Schubert’s Winterreise with German tenor Richard Resch, the solo album Chansons et mélodies for the Italian-Japanese label DaVinci Classics, 20th Century Brazilian Works for Solo Piano, and Nuances Françaises: 20th-Century French Flute Sonatas with flutist Lana Kuščer. In 2025, he received a Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards for one of his album releases.
Diego Caetano maintains an active schedule as an educator. He has served as a masterclass clinician and competition adjudicator at educational institutions around the globe. His presentations at national and international conferences have included topics such as pedagogical works by Brazilian composers, effective practicing techniques, and performance anxiety. Under his guidance, his students have won prizes at national and international piano competitions.
Caetano earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of Music degree from the University of Wyoming, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Universidade Federal de Goiás (Brazil). His principal teachers have included Dr. David Korevaar, Bob Spillman, Dr. Theresa Bogard, Dr. Maria Helena Jayme, and Lílian Carneiro de Mendonça. He also studied with Dr. Nadezhda Eismont at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia.
He is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Ávila International Music Festival in Ávila, Spain.
From 2016 to 2021, he served as President of the World Piano Teachers Association – Texas Chapter, and was a piano faculty member at Casper College and Amarillo College. Currently, he is Associate Professor of Piano at Sam Houston State University and a Shigeru Kawai Artist.
Jena Chun-Wah Pang
United Kingdom/Hong Kong
Jena Chun-Wah Pang
Based in the United Kingdom, Jena Chun-Wah Pang is celebrated for his exceptional teaching and judging in international music competitions. His students, hailing from diverse global cities, have consistently garnered top honours and multiple first prizes in prestigious international competitions, demonstrating his impactful pedagogical approach and showcasing their talents in both piano and violin.
Recognised for his pedagogical skills, he has lectured on competition preparation and given piano and violin masterclasses for the Alberta Piano Teachers Association, the Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association in Canada, IMPACT Piano Competition New York, Clavis International Music Competition Bavaria Germany, Amigdala International Music Competition Italy, Windsor International Piano Competition, Maidenhead Music Festival in the UK and for the Singapore Music Teachers Association at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
His musical journey was nurtured through an instrumental scholarship at St Peter’s College, Oxford University, he studied violin with Lydia Mordkovitch and piano with Lora Dimitrova. As a child he appeared on British and Hong Kong television playing both piano and violin, at the Purcell Room South Bank, and with English Orchestras for concertos. Recent concerts have been with Dennis Lee, Chee Hung Toh and Graeme Humphrey. Jena is Piano Convenor and a trustee of the Southend Festival of Performing Arts, trustee of the Freda Parry Scholarship Fund Competition, on the juries of several international piano and strings competitions and adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech and has recently been elected Chairman of the BIFF Music Adjudicators Council.
Juliana Reinat
Colombia
Juliana Reinat
Pianist, Pedagogue, and Orchestrator
A graduate with honors from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, where she was awarded the Order of Academic Merit in 2015, Juliana Reinat has built a distinguished career that merges interpretive excellence with a transformative pedagogical vision. As a key figure in the dissemination of the renowned pedagogue Irina Gorin’s methodology, she leads the promotion of the "Tales of a Musical Journey" series across Ibero-America, establishing herself as a leading authority in early childhood piano education.
In her role as a composer and arranger, she serves as the Orchestrator for the world-renowned Ukrainian-American pianist Alexander Peskanov. Her symphonic works and orchestrations have been performed on prestigious global stages, including the Fabio Lozano Auditorium in Bogotá and the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City, showcasing an artistic versatility that transcends borders.
As the Founder and Director of Juliana Reinat Piano Studio, she has designed a unique educational ecosystem in Colombia. Under her leadership, the studio, with more than 230 students, has become the first institution in the country with an active and successful presence in the international youth competition circuit. Her methodology, based on the "Leadership Triad" (Prestige, Methodology, and Results), focuses not only on technical perfection but also on forging the character and discipline of the next generation of pianists.
Under her mentorship, her students have earned top prizes in the United States, Mexico, England, Italy, UK, Spain, and Germany, performing at the world's most demanding venues, such as London’s Royal Albert Hall, Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle, the Musikverein in Vienna, among others.
DISTINGUISHED RECOGNITIONS
Her excellence in teaching has been recognized with numerous international awards, highlighting her commitment to high-performance musical training:
Excellence in Teaching Award: Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition, Indiana (2017, 2018, 2019, 2024).
Teacher Distinction Award: Elena Cobb Star Prize, London (2018, 2019, 2022, 2024).
Rosalia and Emil Molodietzky Teacher Award: BMTG Intercontinental Piano Competition, New York (2018, 2019).
Excellence and Achievement in Music Education: Florida Keys Competition, Miami (2020).
Liezl-Marét Jacobs
South Africa
Liezl-Marét Jacobs
Liezl-Marét Jacobs is an accomplished pianist, chamber musician, accompanist, and piano pedagogue with more than 30 years of professional experience. She is widely recognised for her work in performance, piano pedagogy, workshops, and masterclasses, and for the consistent success of her students at festivals and competitions in South Africa and Ireland.
She holds BMus, BMus (Hon), and MMus degrees, all awarded cum laude, from Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town, where she studied under Philip Levy, Catharina Struthers, Albie van Schalkwyk, John Antoniades, and Hendrik Hofmeyr. In 2003, she completed a Doctorate in Music (Performance) at the University of Cape Town. During her studies, she also participated in masterclasses with distinguished international artists including Anton Nel, Martino Tirimo, Vladimir Viardo, Melvyn Tan, Graham Fitch, and Graham Johnson.
Jacobs began her academic teaching career at the University of Cape Town in 1996 and served as a piano lecturer at Stellenbosch University from 2002 to 2004. From 2005 to 2013, she was appointed Head of Keyboard Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. She has also been frequently invited to adjudicate at eisteddfods and music competitions, served as an examiner for UNISA music examinations from 2005 to 2016, and contributed to the development of the UNISA piano examination syllabus in 2016. In addition, she has been a regular speaker at conferences, workshops, and symposia, and served on the faculty of the International Piano Symposium at Stellenbosch University from 2004 to 2016.
From 2014 to 2019, she directed a private piano studio in Durban, South Africa, where she taught students of all ages and further developed innovative approaches to piano teaching. Building on her extensive tertiary-level experience in piano and instrumental pedagogy, she collaborated with the ATKV (Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging) to present instrumental music teacher workshops across South Africa. During this period, she also regularly visited the United States to broaden her pedagogical expertise and remained committed to sharing new knowledge and best practice with fellow piano teachers.
Between 2005 and 2019, Jacobs was involved in the organisation of a wide range of workshops, concerts, and innovative music education projects in South Africa, including initiatives in rhythm, sight singing, piano pedagogy, and music reading skills. In 2018, she published two workbooks arising from her Music Reading Skills for Pianists workshops.
Since relocating to Ireland in 2019, Jacobs has continued to expand her international profile. She has served as collaborative pianist on the faculty of the annual Crescendo Summer Institute in Hungary since 2019 and joined the faculty of the Artepiano International Piano Festival in Castelnuovo di Farfa, Italy, in 2023, returning for subsequent editions in 2024, 2025, and 2026. She has also contributed to professional development initiatives in Ireland through lectures and workshops for EPTA Ireland, Technological University Dublin, and The Piano Academy of Ireland. In March 2024, she was appointed Lecturer in Piano at Technological University Dublin.
Marina Obukovky
USA
Marina Obukovky
Marina Obukovsky lives and works in New York City where she is a sought-after piano teacher, performer, and clinician. According to the American Suzuki Journal, “Marina is a true musician and passionate about music, with the ear of a superhuman, able to distinguish the most nuanced of nuances.”
Among recent honors:
- Inducted into the prestigious Steinway and Sons Music Teachers Hall of Fame (2025)
- Awarded the Top Piano Teacher Award by Steinway and Sons (2024)
Ms. Obukovsky currently holds faculty positions at the School for Strings, where she is a Head of Piano Department and the Director of Piano Seminar at Teacher Training Suzuki Pedagogy Program, as well as at the New School University’ Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division.
A certified and accomplished Suzuki Teacher Trainer, she brings a distinctive artistic vision to her teaching, seamlessly uniting the Suzuki philosophy with depth and rigor of European piano school. As a dedicated and inspiring teacher, Ms. Obukovsky maintains a full studio of pianists, ranging from beginner to pre-college level.
Many of her students go on to pursue professional training at leading conservatories and to major in music at distinguished colleges and universities.
Her students frequently participate in master classes with renowned pianists and have won of many of New York’s prestigious competitions, performing at venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Symphony Space.
In demand as a clinician and teacher, Ms. Obukovsky has given numerous workshops and masterclasses nationally and internationally: in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Maine, Vermont, Texas, and Bermuda. At the 15th Biennial Suzuki Conference (May 2012), she was invited to give a master class on new piano repertoire in the revised Suzuki piano books. She has taught at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Germany, the InterHarmony Festival in Arcidosso, Tuscany, Italy, at the “Accademia di Musica Lorenzo Perosi” in Biella, Italy, and at the Suzuki in the Dolomites Music Academy International, in Dolomites region, Italy. A longtime faculty member at the Hartt Suzuki Institute in Connecticut, she additionally joined the faculty of the Berkshire Summer Music Camp in Massachusetts in 2014.
Ms. Obukovsky received her Master of Music degree (cum laude) in performance, chamber music, collaborative piano and pedagogy from Kharkov Conservatory, Ukraine. She studied piano with Professor Tatyana Verkina (former student of Stanislav Neuhaus and Vladimir Malinin at Moscow Conservatory). An accomplished pianist, she has performed chamber music recitals throughout Ukraine, Russia, and has served as an accompanist for the National Opera Competitions in Moscow, Odessa, Lvov, and Kiev. She was a former faculty of the Kharkov Conservatory, Ukraine (currently Kharkov National University of Arts).
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Obukovsky frequently collaborates with fellow musicians in cello–piano duos, as well as in 4–8 hands piano ensembles. Ms. Obukovsky is currently a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Associated Music Teachers League, Piano Teachers Congress, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Philippa Greenwood
South Africa
Philippa Greenwood
Philippa Greenwood is an accomplished music educator and pianist at Crawford International La Lucia, with extensive experience in music teaching and performance. Passionate about developing young musicians, she has successfully prepared students for examinations, competitions, concerts, and public performances. Through her school music programmes and individual instruction, supported by the outstanding facilities and opportunities provided by Crawford International La Lucia, she has helped many students cultivate confidence, artistry, and technical proficiency. Philippa is honoured to serve as a jury member and is committed to encouraging excellence in the next generation of musicians.
Samir Mirzoev
Azerbaijan/Turkey
Samir Mirzoev
Samir Mirzoev completed his postgraduate training at the Baku Music Academy (1996). Concert pianist, winner of international competitions, PhD in Art History (2017), Associate Professor at the Baku Music Academy (Azerbaijan, 2007), Associate Professor at the Mediterranean (Akdeniz) University (Turkiye, 2021).
One of the founders of the SoNoR Contemporary Music Ensemble (Azerbaijan, 1995–2005), author of three books (in the field of contemporary music: 2018, 2020, 2021), teaching guides and academic articles in six languages.
One of the founders of the Piano Department at the Antalya State Conservatory of Akdeniz University (Antalya, Turkiye, 2002).
He has conducted seminars in Azerbaijan, Austria, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Turkey.
Chair of the jury at an international competition in Austria (Vienna, “Edelweiss” 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023);
- served as Chairman of the jury at the 43’rd National Music Competition in Kazakhstan (Astana, 2022);
- served as a member of the jury at international competitions in Turkiye (“Pera-Piano”, Istanbul, 2007–2026; “Akdeniz Sounds”, Antalya, 2022, 2025);
- in the USA (“Carmel-Clavier”, Indianapolis, 2015);
- in Italy (“Città di Ostuni”, Ostuni, 2012; “Suoni di Venezia”, Venice, 2024);
- in Russia (“This Song is Yours and Mine”, Makhachkala, 2014, 2018);
- in the UAE (“Jumeirah Sounds”, Dubai, 2023)
- and in Ukraine (“Dniprovski Khvili”, Dnipro, 2020, 2022 online; “Kyivsky Kolorit”, Kyiv, 2021 online).
Founder and director of the “Pianists of the Turkic States” project (2025-2026).
Prof. Snezana Panovska
Malaysia
Prof. Snezana Panovska
Professor Snezana Panovska, a highly acclaimed piano professor, was born in the Republic of Macedonia. After having graduated from the Academy of Music in Belgrade, she went on to specialize in Piano Performance at the Frederic Chopin State Conservatoire in Warsaw, Poland. She has performed as soloist with reputed orchestras and chamber ensembles.
In her homeland, Macedonia, Professor Panovska had the distinction of serving as Deputy Minister of Culture, President of the Music Pedagogues Association, and Artistic Director of the Summer International Master School in Ohrid. For her wide professional piano teaching experience and performances, Professor Panovska has often been invited to serve as member of the jury for international piano competitions in countries such as Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Hong Kong ....
She has also conducted numerous master classes in several European and Asian countries.
Professor Panovska took up residence in Malaysia in 1993 and has since continued to conduct piano classes among local students with great success. Many of her students have won prizes and awards at international piano competitions in Europe and Asia. They have represented Malaysia in 19 foreign countries in Europe, America, Australia and Asia.
Malaysian pianists under Professor Panovska’s tutelage gained places at prestigious music Conservatoires in Europe - Paris, London, Moscow, Freiburg, USA - New York (Juilliard School), Peabody, Yale, Curtis, Australia – Melbourne, Japan - Tokyo.
In her 26 years of teaching in Malaysia, Professor Panovska has established a reputation for rigorous academic standards both in piano practice and performance. Her main professional work is focused on discovering young talents and nurturing their interests and aspirations. The exposure to international competitions and concert performances, to Professor Panovska is not only for the challenges of striving for high international standards and for cultural enrichment, but most importantly to enhance Malaysia’s young talents image at the highest level of the international music stage.
Professor Panovska is a founder of the Persatuan Chopin Malaysia and (CHOPIN Society Malaysia), Music Director for the past seven ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competitions held biennially since 2004, as well for the highly successful 1st Asia Grand Piano Concert in June 2009 and Five International Festivals for Classical music as well many workshops and Master classes conducted with world renowned maestros helping young Malaysian musicians to learn and improve.
For her professional contributions and achievements, Professor Panovska was awarded with several high awards from the Republic of Macedonia.
In December 2007, she was appointed Macedonia’s Ambassador for Culture to Malaysia.
In conjunction with the 200 years worldwide of F. Chopin’s birthday celebration in November 2010 among 100 personalities from all over the World Professor Panovska was awarded with the "CHOPIN Passport",
a high Award from the Government of the Republic of Poland and Institute F. Chopin in Warsaw for her contribution in promoting the music of the great composer.
Prof. S. Panovska is nominated as a World’s Art Citizen.
Present, Prof. S. Panovska is a Director of the newly established Sunway Conservatoire of Music the first Institution of this kind in Malaysia.
Urszula Gruszewski
Australia
Urszula Gruszewski
Urszula Gruszewski leads a distinguished and multifaceted career across Australia as a piano pedagogue, concert pianist, accompanist, examiner, adjudicator, and artistic director.
Widely recognised for her exceptional contribution to music education, Urszula has earned considerable acclaim for her work with young musicians, including gifted and highly talented students, as well as for mentoring fellow teachers. Her outstanding achievements have led to numerous national and international engagements. Her students have performed extensively both within Australia and abroad, appearing in concerts, competitions, prestigious state and international concert halls, corporate events, CD launches, and television documentaries. Many have been awarded major scholarships, competition prizes, and placements at leading universities and conservatories.
As an accomplished accompanist, Urszula has collaborated with a wide range of artists, recorded professionally, and is regularly featured on radio. As a soloist, she has performed throughout Australia and internationally, including appearances in China in Beijing and Xi’an, at the Shanghai Conservatorium, and at the Australian Embassy.
Urszula is also the director of a documentary showcasing her innovative and holistic approach to music education. She served in influential roles on several prominent committees, including the Piano Pedagogy Council of Australia, the Australian Music Examinations Board (federal level), and the SACE Board of Music. She has also held a teaching position at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide.
Her numerous accolades include First Prize at the National Beale Piano Festival and the Bicentennial Eisteddfod Piano Concerto Finals, as well as the Australian Society for Keyboard Music Award. She has been the recipient of a Postgraduate Scholarship at the University of Adelaide, the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Scholarship, and a Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship, for which she also received the Medal for Best National Report and Documentary.
Through her Churchill Fellowship, Urszula engaged with eminent musicians and institutions across Russia, Ukraine, Poland, England, and the Juilliard School in New York. She was further honoured with the Teachers’ Award at the Młodietsky International Piano Competition (2019), alongside numerous additional distinctions.
Since 2013, Urszula has served as Artistic Director of Freinds of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and was awarded the Don Burrows Award in 2024 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the arts.
LÊ PHI PHI
Vietnam
LÊ PHI PHI
Conductor Lê Phi Phi is one of the most successful and internationally established Vietnamese conductors today. Born on April 15, 1967, in Hanoi into a family with a strong cultural and artistic tradition, he was introduced to music at an early age under the influence of his father, the late composer Hoàng Vân, one of the great figures of Vietnamese music.
After studying orchestral conducting at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music), he continued his training at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (Russian Federation), where he completed his Master of Music degree in 1993, majoring in Symphony Orchestra, Choral, and Opera Conducting.
Immediately after graduation, he was invited to work in the Republic of North Macedonia, where he quickly established himself within the European music scene. Over more than three decades of artistic activity, he has conducted numerous renowned symphony orchestras, choirs, and opera houses across Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and many other countries.
In addition to his international performance career, Conductor Lê Phi Phi is also actively engaged in music education. He currently teaches at the National Music and Ballet Centre “Ilia Nikolovski-Luj” in the Republic of North Macedonia and is frequently invited to serve as a jury member for international music competitions.
In Vietnam, he is a familiar figure to classical music audiences through his long-term collaborations with the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, the Hanoi Symphony Orchestra and the Vietnam Military Symphonic Orchestra. He is also the principal conductor of the national concert series “Điều còn mãi” (Forever Lasting Melodies) and regularly participates in major artistic programs such as “Xuân Quê Hương” (Homeland Spring), “Giai điệu Tự hào” (Proud Melody), “Thắp sáng niềm tin” (Lighting Up Faith), as well as large-scale contemporary symphonic projects.
In 2004, Conductor Lê Phi Phi was awarded the “Vinh danh nước Việt” (Vietnam Glory) Award, becoming the youngest recipient in the program’s inaugural edition, alongside pianist Dang Thai Son and musicologist Tran Van Khe.
With an expressive conducting style, solid technique, and a unique ability to connect cultures through music, Conductor Lê Phi Phi has made and continues to make significant contributions to promoting Vietnamese music on the international stage, while fostering cultural and artistic exchange between Vietnam and the world.
Natalia Delacroix
Canada
Natalia Delacroix
Natalia Delacroix is a violist, violin and viola teacher with more than 30 years of international experience in Russia, Germany, and Canada.
She graduated from the Central Music School and the Moscow State Conservatory, followed by postgraduate studies under Professor Galina Odinets. She later joined the faculties of both institutions, teaching the next generation of young musicians.
Natalia Delacroix performed with the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia under Yevgeny Svetlanov, while also maintaining an active solo and chamber music career.
During her years in Germany, she appeared with ensembles including Magdalenen Trio, Sylter Solisten, and Hamburger Camerata. She collaborated with Justus Frantz, participated in international festivals, and founded the organization Klassische Musik für Kinder. She also established and led the Musica Classica Lanzarote for six years as both Artistic Director and Executive Director.
In Canada, she continued her teaching and performing career, including work at the University of New Brunswick Conservatory. Her students have become prizewinners at major competitions; one of her pupils won a national Canadian competition and continued studies at the Manhattan School of Music.
Natalia Delacroix has given masterclasses in Spain and served on the juries of international competitions in Russia, Armenia, Spain, Canada, and Germany. She is also the author of the teaching method and book My Magic Violin.
Oksana Agapova
Ukraine/Germany
Oksana Agapova
Oksana Ahapova (b. 1976) is a violinist and dedicated pedagogue. She received her musical education at the N. Lysenko Special Music School in Kyiv and later at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.
As a performer, she has appeared extensively both as a soloist and chamber musician. Alongside her concert career, she has been deeply committed to teaching, working for over 20 years at the D. Shostakovich Children’s Music School. Many of her students have become prizewinners at national and international competitions.
For many years, she served as Vice-President of the ESTA-Ukraine Association of String Teachers, playing a key role in organizing conferences, competitions, and masterclasses that brought together hundreds of teachers from across Ukraine.
Oksana Ahapova is the founder of the string ensemble “SKRIPALI.ua”, with which she has been actively involved in concerts and competition projects. She is also the author of numerous collections of ensemble arrangements for string instruments.
Since 2022, she has been based in Hamburg, Germany, where she continues her active work as both a teacher and performer, having built a large and thriving class of students.
Yuri Torchinsky
United Kingdom
Yuri Torchinsky
Yuri Torchinsky is Professor of Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music and served as Leader of the BBC Philharmonic from 1996 to 2025.
Born in Kharkiv in 1955, he began playing the violin at the age of six and later studied at the Moscow State Conservatory under Professor Maya Glezarova. At just twenty-four, he became the youngest ever Concertmaster of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, where he spent twelve years performing internationally both as Leader and as a soloist.
As a prizewinner of major international competitions, Yuri Torchinsky received First Prize and the Special Jury Award at the Humla International Violin Competition in 1981, followed by Second Prize at the Tokyo International Violin Competition in 1983.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has collaborated with leading conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Sir Georg Solti, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and Mstislav Rostropovich. He has also appeared as guest leader with major orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
During nearly three decades with the BBC Philharmonic, he performed regularly as soloist and contributed to more than two hundred recordings with Chandos Records.
Following his retirement from the BBC Philharmonic in 2025, Yuri Torchinsky continues his international career as professor, jury member, chamber musician, and mentor for young violinists worldwide.
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