Jury: Munich Piano Competitions

Jury 2026

Zoran Imširović

Zoran Imširović was born in 1979 in Yugoslavia. At the age of fourteen, he started his music education in Niš in Svetlana Korunović’s class, while simultaneously being tutored by Miroslava Lila Petrović in Belgrade. In 1997, Zoran was accepted in the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, his main professors having been distinguished pianists such as Vadim Sukhanov, Michael Leslie, Gernot Sieber, Roxana Steubing and Olaf Dressler. Pivotal musical impulses arose from the longtime work with Klaus Schilde and Eliso Virsaladze and from master classes with Rudolf Kehrer, Michail Voskresensky, Amadeus Vebersinke, Georg Sava, Karl Betz, Naum Starkman, Eliso Virsaladze, Klaus Schilde, Konrad Richter and Menahem Pressler.
After completing his studies, he started an international concert career by presenting his work in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Malta and the former Yugoslavian countries.
Especially noteworthy is his FRANZ LISZT SUPERSTAR tour, which took place on the occasion of the composer’s 200th birth anniversary and was also showcased on German public television. Among other awards and distinctions, he has won the Golden Lion of Veneto in Italy.

As an artist, Zoran in constant search for new ways to bring music closer to the audiences and for this reason he initiated in 2014 the PIANO SUMMER project. Other examples of his search for new forms of expression in classical music are his participation in the project MUSIC FOR SIX PIANOS by the composer Steve Reich in collaboration with the museum Pinakothek der Moderne and a performance with the Spanish pop artist José María Cano. By having a piano concert in the Munich night club Bob Beaman he was also the first performer in the series KLASSIK IM CLUB. Other unexpected venues for his concerts have been places like Bahnwärter Thiel and Wannda Cirkus. In addition to his great affection towards the German Romanticism, especially the works of Schumann and Brahms, Zoran is very keen on promoting the music of the composers from former Yugoslavia.

Zoran has participated in festivals such as Kammermusik Festival Nürnberg, Klavierfestival Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Musikherbst Radolfzell, The Flower of Tisa, Chopin Fest Belgrade, Brahms Festival Heide. He is also a regular performer at concerts organized by the Goethe-Institut, Heinrich Böhl Stiftung, Pinakothek der Moderne Munich, Konzerthaus Berlin, Konzerthaus Bleibach, Richard Strauss Villa Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Palazzo Del Gran Guardia Verona, Hubert Burda Hall Munich, Nymphenburg Palace, the Munich Residence, Ars Bosnae, Centre Culturel de Serbie Paris, Balkannet, Sarajevo Art and SANU.

Michael Leslie

During his studies at the Conservatorium of Sydney he made several appearances with leading Australian orchestras. As a student of Rosl Schmid at the Munich Hochschule für Musik he won 1st prize in the Competition of the West German Hochschulen and 3rd prize in the International Competition of the Bavarian Radio.

His repertoire ranges from William Byrd to Lutoslawsky and includes the Bach Goldberg Variations and The Art of Fugue, all the Beethoven Piano Sonatas and the complete piano works of Schönberg.

His concert activity includes tours of Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Sicily, Norway, Ghana, Serbia, Sweden and Australia.

Gernot Sieber

His musical foundation was built upon Viennese Classicism, Bach, and Schubert. Through his father—an expressive, though not professional, pianist—Gernot Sieber came to know and love many Beethoven sonatas, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and Schubert’s Impromptus from early childhood. Together, they performed four-hand arrangements of symphonies ranging from Haydn to Bruckner, as well as a large portion of the original literature for four hands—a tradition they maintained for nearly three decades until his father’s passing. This early immersion allowed Sieber to be accepted into the Mozarteum University in Salzburg at the age of nine (following three years of piano, theory, and choral studies at the Hallen music school). There, his composition lessons with the Austrian theorist and composer Friedrich Neumann sparked an early phase of original composition that extended into moderate modernism. His piano studies were led by the Salzburg pianist, chamber musician, and Mozart specialist Kurt Neumüller.

The then-director of the Mozarteum—conductor, composer, and musicologist Bernhard Paumgartner—soon recognized the young musician’s talent and frequently engaged him as a soloist for Mozart and Beethoven concertos. Encountering such a distinguished artistic personality was the most pivotal experience of Sieber’s childhood. At sixteen, seeking to expand his repertoire, he changed his place of study. After winning the Cultural Award of German Industry (Kulturpreis der Deutschen Industrie), he studied at the Munich Academy of Music under Friedrich Wührer, a Viennese pianist of immense international stature at the time.

Choosing this high-ranking artist proved to be only a partial success. While Sieber recalls with gratitude learning to master the cyclic works of Schumann and Brahms and the great sonatas of Schubert and Beethoven under Wührer’s guidance, he was left entirely to his own devices regarding technical instruction. In this respect, Sieber soon became self-taught. He proceeded to study Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Bartók independently, yet remained in Friedrich Wührer’s masterclass for four years after completing his final exams at the age of twenty. A decisive impulse for his further development occurred at thirty, when he discovered the music of the Second Viennese School—particularly the piano works of Arnold Schönberg. These represented a necessary “other side” of the repertoire for him, and he has performed them repeatedly in concert.

Highlights of his performing career include tours with Hans Stadlmair and the Munich Chamber Orchestra, as well as duos with pianist Ansgar Janke, cellist Wilfried Rehm, flautist Irena Grafenauer, and soprano Edith Urbanczyk. His dedication to Early Music with his late wife, the recorder player Beatrix Sieber, may explain why Gernot Sieber, who is a passionate harpsichord and clavichord player, prefers these instruments for the works of Bach and Scarlatti. Furthermore, a long-standing collaboration with the singer and educator Ingrid Bettag connected him to courses in Lieder interpretation.

He has recorded works by composers such as C.P.E. Bach, Dittersdorf, Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Schubert, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Weber, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Stravinsky, Schönberg, Webern, Hindemith, Ludmilla, Krenek, and Bresgen for broadcasters including BR, ORF, and Radio Luxembourg. He currently maintains a duo with violinist Gudrun Maria Schaumann, with a repertoire spanning from Bach to Bartók. A project of particular importance to him is the performance of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas in chronological order of their composition, paired with other significant piano works.

As a teacher, Gernot Sieber has over 25 years of experience, and like many before him, he finds: “I have learned the most from my students.”

Baris Büyükyildirim

Barış Büyükyıldırım is a multifaceted musician whose career seamlessly integrates composition, solo piano, chamber music, and jazz, with a specialized focus on 20th-century and contemporary repertoire. Currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Istanbul University State Conservatory, Büyükyıldırım has established a significant international presence, performing across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Turkey. His recital credits include prestigious stages such as New York’s Steinway Hall, PianoSummer Salento and Munich, the Istanbul Music Festival, the Gümüşlük International Music Festival, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra Hall (CSO) in Ankara, and Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) in Istanbul.

As a composer, Büyükyıldırım’s recent works reflect a deep engagement with both solo and orchestral textures. His composition 4P, written for cellist Poyraz Baltacıgil, was performed by the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Other notable commissions include Aeolia for two pianos (commissioned by PianoSummer Munich), Teke for the Semplice Quartet, Inverso for the Gedik Philharmonic Orchestra, and Wasserreise for the Gümüşlük Music Festival. His versatility as a soloist is further evidenced by his concerto appearances, which include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Bursa State Symphony, Ravel’s Piano Concerto with the Antalya State Symphony, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm Variations with the Theater Kiel Orchestra.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of Büyükyıldırım’s professional identity. During his studies at both the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the Manhattan School of Music (MSM), he served as a graduate accompanist, providing a foundation for his later work as a répétiteur at Cincinnati Opera, a coach at Akademi BİFO, and an instructor at the BASOTI Festival. His fluid musicality also extends into the realm of jazz, leading to collaborations with artists such as Rolando Matias and David Sanchez. Throughout his career, he has worked under the baton of distinguished conductors, including Sascha Goetzel, Richard Buckley, Jorge Parodi, Cem Mansur, and Mark Gibson.

A highly decorated artist, Büyükyıldırım is a recipient of the DAAD Award, the Sedat-Güzin Gürel Service Award, and the First Prize at the Maritim Competition. He began his formal training at the Ankara State Conservatory before continuing his studies at the Musikhochschule Lübeck under Konstanze Eickhorst and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with James Tocco.

Hyun Sook Tekin

was born in Daegu and completed her initial musical education in South Korea.

In 2000, she moved to Germany, where she studied in Berlin under Prof. Erber. From 2001 to 2004, she continued her training with Prof. Klaus Schilde in Weimar. During this period, she also studied chamber music with Prof. Beetz (Abegg Trio). Her education was further enriched by masterclasses with distinguished professors, including Prof. Karajewa (Vienna), Prof. Schirmer (Mannheim), Prof. Kehrer (Zurich), and Prof. Mia Paul (University of North Texas).

Between 2004 and 2010, she pursued doctoral studies at the Center for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Turkey, studying under State Artist Ayşegül Sarıca. she completed her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Cihat Aşkın and Prof. Judith Uluğ.

Dr. Tekin has been a frequent guest at the Afyon Music Festival, where she has given numerous performances. In 2013, she performed U. C. Erkin’s piano concerto with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra for the Turkey-Korea Goodwill Concert, an official event organized by both governments. Since 2013, she has been regularly invited as a guest professor to lead masterclasses and seminars at the conservatories of Bologna, Salerno, and Lecce in Italy. She is also a frequent performer at various international festivals and prestigious concert halls.

As a recording artist, Dr. Tekin has released four CD albums: Triole (2010), Romance (2016), Winter Sonata (2019), and Piano Duo – Hungarian Dances of Brahms (2021).

In her academic career, she served as a Professor (Dr.) in the Music Department of Marmara University from 2008 to 2021. Since 2021, she has held the position of Professor (Dr.) at Bahcesehir University.

Liubov Gromoglasova

Is a Pianist, graduated with honours from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in the class of Prof. Elena Kuznetsova. She has participated in international masterclasses with some of the instrument’s leading professors, including Christopher Elton and Ruth Harte (Royal Academy of Music, London), William Fong (Purcell School of Music, London), Aglika Genova and Liuben Dimitrov (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media), Konstantin Lifshitz (Lucerne School of Music), and Norma Fisher (Royal College of Music, London). She is a winner of numerous prizes at international music competitions and festivals in Russia, Great Britain, and Italy.

She performs successfully with various solo and chamber music programs as a soloist, with orchestras, in a piano duo with her sister Anastasia, and in various musical ensembles including the Trio Gioconda de Vito and Trio Toscanini. She has collaborated with the Quartetto Adorno, the Camerata Musica ensemble (Estonia), and Mihaela Costea (concertmaster of the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini).

In 2009, she performed the world premiere of Mendelssohn-Moscheles’ “Brilliant Variations” for two pianos and orchestra in the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. From 2010 to 2014, as part of the piano duo with her sister, she participated in the subscription concerts of the Moscow Conservatory with an annual recital in the Small Hall. Between 2007 and 2016, she worked at the Taneyev Music School and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

Since 2015, she has collaborated regularly with the prestigious Festival della Valle d’Itria. Since 2016, she has resided in Italy. She works as a pianist-in-residence at the Fondazione Paolo Grassi in Martina Franca and as a piano teacher at the foundation’s music school. She also teaches various masterclasses (including Triolab with the Trio Gioconda De Vito and the piano specialization course under the direction of Francesco Libetta at the Accademia del Belcanto Rodolfo Celletti).

She collaborates with the Fondazione Paolo Grassi as the musical director of concert projects. In 2020, she created her own piano series, “Pianists of the 21st Century.” She is also the creator of the “Stravinsky & Friends” project for the Fondazione Paolo Grassi, which was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as one of the top 25 special music projects in Italy for 2021.

In 2020, she recorded the complete Tchaikovsky Symphonies arranged for piano four-hands in a duo with her sister Anastasia for the label “Tobu Recordings” (Japan). In 2021, she recorded the complete Beethoven Symphonies for the same label, and in 2023, she began a project dedicated to the Shostakovich Symphonies.

She serves as a jury member for several international music competitions, including the “Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition” (2021, 2023), the “Don Vincenzo Vitti International Performance Competition” (2022, 2023), the “European Piano Competition – Don Enrico Smaldone Special Prize” (2022, 2023, 2024), the “Recondite Armonie” Piano Competition (2024), the “Emilia and Elsa Gubitosi International Piano Competition” (2024), and the 1st edition of the “Aldo Ciccolini Prize” (2024).

Mimoza Keka

Mimoza Keka is a classical pianist based in Munich, working across solo recital, chamber music and artistic collaboration. Her programmes are shaped with a curator’s ear—linking Baroque architecture, Romantic intensity and contemporary sound worlds into a single, coherent musical narrative.

Her artistic profile is closely linked to research. She completed her doctoral degree in Musical Arts at the age of 26 with the dissertation “The Use of Digital Technologies in Quantitative Analysis of Piano Performance,” recognised for its originality and interdisciplinary significance. This work unfolded on stage through premiere performances of Samuel Barber’s Sonata Op. 26, Maurice Ravel’s Miroirs and Leoš Janáček’s In the Mists—approached with a performer’s intuition and an analyst’s precision.

Keka has appeared in venues and festivals across Europe and the United States, with engagements in cities including Paris, Rome, Prague, Bristol, Milan, Trieste, Siena, Istanbul and New York City. Festival appearances include Siena Summer Festival, Ohrid Summer Festival, Francophone Festival Soleil, Days of Macedonian Music, Golden Lyre Festival and Autumn Musical Festivities.

As a soloist with orchestra, she has collaborated with conductors including Sasha Nikolovski‑Gjumar, performing Saint‑Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2. At the Faculty of Music in Skopje she worked with appointed conductors and contributed to projects with the Chamber and Symphonic Orchestra of the Faculty. She also served as an artistic collaborator in the Opera Studio programme, supporting undergraduate and postgraduate vocal students in their operatic training.

She earned her Master of Arts Diploma under the mentorship of Prof. Lilya Zilberstein and continued her formation at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (2015–2017). Additional artistic encounters include masterclasses with Alexei Volodin and Alexander Ghindin.

In 2022 she released her recording Non‑Fungible (Bach · Scriabin · Barber). Alongside concerts and recordings, she curates international projects in solo, chamber and lecture‑concert formats, remaining open to new artistic directions and collaborations. A central project is her lecture‑concert From Shadows to Light (concept 2025), scheduled for its first presentation in 2026 at the Bayerische Musikakademie Schloss Alteglofsheim.

Jury 2025

Zoran Imširović

Zoran Imširović was born in 1979 in Yugoslavia. He finished his music education in Munich, his main professors having been distinguished pianists and pivotal musical impulses arose from the longtime work with Klaus Schilde and Eliso Virsaladze and from master classes with diverse prominent artists; Rudolf Kehrer, Michail Voskresensky, Amadeus Vebersinke, Georg Sava, Karl Betz, Naum Starkman, Konrad Richter and Menahem Pressler.

After completing his studies, he started an international concert career.

Among other awards and distinctions, he has won the Golden Lion of Veneto in Italy.

As an artist, Zoran in constant search for new ways to bring music closer to the audiences and for this reason he initiated in 2014 the PIANO SUMMER project. Zoran has participated in many international festivals.

Joseph Paratore

a distinguished pianist, has been a prominent figure in the world of duo piano

for over 40 years. He studied at Boston University, Berklee College of Music, and the Juilliard School, where he trained under the guidance of renowned pedagogue Rosina Levinne. Joseph and his brother Anthony formed one of the most acclaimed piano duos, gaining international recognition after winning First Prize at the Munich International Music Competition in 1974.Throughout his career, Joseph has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Vienna Philharmonic, collaborating with conductors like Pierre Boulez and Seiji Ozawa.

His duo performances with Anthony have garnered praise for their exceptional ensemble playing and musical chemistry.In addition to his classical repertoire, Joseph has worked with jazz legend Dave Brubeck, premiering his two-piano pieces and recording albums with him. His discography includes several releases on the Four Winds Label, featuring works by Brahms, Schubert, and French composers.Joseph’s contributions to the music world have earned him numerous accolades, including the George Washington Medal of Honour. He has also appeared on major television programs such as NBC’s The Today Show and The Tonight

Ritva Sjöstedt

Born in Helsinki, pianist Ritva Sjöstedt first studied at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, where she completed her concert diploma and Magister degree with distinction. She then moved to the Northern Royal College of Music in England in the piano class of Prof. F.P. Welton and subsequently completed the master class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich with Prof. Klaus Schilde. She supplemented her studies with numerous international master classes, including with György Sebök (Indiana University), Dimitri Baschkirov (Moscow Conservatory) and Istvan Lantos (Liszt Academy Budapest).

Ritva Sjöstedt lives in Munich and performs as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. Her concert activities have taken her to the Prague Philharmonic, the Young Prague Festival, the Sibelius Weeks in London, the EUREGIO Music Festival, the Settembre musicale in Piemonte, the Helsinki Festival Weeks and the Turku Music Festival.

Numerous television and radio broadcasts, for example on BR, WDR and NDR, document her musical work, including her solo concerts with the Josef Suk Chamber Orchestra of the Czech Philharmonic and the Bergische Symphoniker.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote about her CD recordings of works by Jean Sibelius and Franz Schubert: “Ritva Sjöstedt’s recording impresses with its stylistic confidence, subtle nuances of touch, gripping musical impulse and crystal-clear understanding of structure.”

Goara Nona Lazić

An expert with more than 30 years of work experience in the field of music education. She graduated from an 11-year special music school for talents named Prof. Stalarsky in the city of Odessa, Ukraine. She studied in the class of Professor Nikolai I. Krizanovski, who is a representative of the well-known piano school of Vladimir Nielsen. She graduated from the National Academy of Music in Odessa in the class of E.D. Kovalenko and received the following qualifications: concert performer, pedagogue, soloist of the chamber ensemble, concertmaster. She started her pedagogical activity as a student in the music school at the state academy. In 1992, he moved to Serbia, where she worked at a music high school and began to develop her personal pedagogical method based on the best tradition of piano schools. In 2005, she moved to work in Slovenia and returned to Serbia, where she works today.

The collection of awards of Goara Lazić and her students is rich in numerous significant awards from national and international competitions in the country and abroad (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Czech Republic, France, Italy). She has developed many talented students who continued their education at the academy and still work across Serbia and perform concert activities. She has given master classes in Serbia and a seminar in Slovenia. She performed both in chamber ensembles and as a soloist with the school symphony orchestra. In addition to pedagogical work, she also participated as a jury at numerous competitions in the country and abroad. Goara is the ldea initiator of the competition in Šabac, which has a tradition of 25 years and which has grown into an international competition, where she is a permanent member in the organization committee, and in 2020 she was the artistic director of the competition.

Goara Lazić received the award for long-term results and commitment to musical talents from the Association of Music and Ballet Schools.

Ema Jedlicka Gogova

She is a Czech-Macedonian pianist and teacher, a member of the SVA, a member of the Club of Moravian Composers, and an artistic director and chairwoman of the Intercultural Creative Life Association. She finished her studies at FMU in Skopje in Macedonia, in the class of Professor Stela Slejanská, and at JAMU in Brno in the Czech Republic, under the leadership of professor Zdenek Hnát. Norma Fisher, her professor from London’s Royal College of Music, instructed her even further.

Jury 2024

Zoran Imširović

After completing his studies, he started an international concert career.

Among other awards and distinctions, he has won the Golden Lion of Veneto in Italy.

Baris Büyükyildirim

is a distinguished musician renowned for his expertise in composition, solo piano performance, chamber music, jazz, and 20th-century music. His illustrious career has seen him grace renowned venues across America, Canada, Europe, and Turkey, including esteemed locales such as New York’s Steinway Hall and the Istanbul Music Festival.

Among his notable achievements are commissioned works like “Teke” for the Semplice Quartet and “Inverso” for the Gedik Philharmonic Orchestra.

Baris has collaborated with prestigious orchestras worldwide, interpreting a diverse repertoire ranging from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 to Gershwin’s Variations on “I Got Rhythm.”

In addition to his solo endeavors, Baris is an active participant in chamber music concerts, performing with esteemed ensembles like Trio Likya and the Diskant Ensemble. His commitment to music education is evidenced by his roles as a rehearsal pianist and instructor at reputable institutions such as the Istanbul University State Conservatory.

Acknowledged for his musical excellence, Baris has been the recipient of esteemed awards, including the DAAD Prize in Germany and the Sedat-Güzin Gürel Foundation Service Award in Turkey. He holds degrees from prestigious institutions such as the Musikhochschule Lübeck and the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Bars Büyükyldirm’s contributions to the musical landscape are characterized by professionalism, artistry, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, cementing his status as a luminary in the world of music.

Ritva Sjöstedt

Goara Nona Lazić

Goara Lazić received the award for long-term results and commitment to musical talents from the Association of Music and Ballet Schools.

Jury 2023

Professionals Category

Yuka Imamine (Japan)

Yuka Imamine was born in Kobe / Japan.

From 1988 to 1992 she was studying western history and moved to Germany in 1992 in order to study piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts (Hochschule für Musik und Theater) in Munich, first under Prof. Klaus Schilde followed by Prof. Margarita Höhenrieder and Prof. Michael Schäfer. In 1995 she was nominated for a DAAD-scholarship (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst). After her graduation in 1996 with her Concert Diploma, she took up further studies under Prof. Sergio Perticaroli at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome.

Being highly succesful in various inernational competitions, Yuka Imamine won the first prize at the International Schubert Competition 1993 in Dortmund, was prize-winner at the E.Porrini Piano Competition in Cagliari and Premio Jaen, won first prize in 1996 at the A. Casagrande Competition in Terni and the third prize at the Conours Geza Anda in 1997 in Zürich.

Yuka Imamine has played with international top orchestras such as the Münchner Symphoniker and the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra. Many recitals in Europe and Asia e.g. in Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and Japan have proved Yuka Imamine´s stylistic authenticity in wide repertoire and have filled her audience with enthusiasm by her brillant technique and her inspring play. Imamine has been regularly solist at various festivals such as at the “Festival dei Due Mondi” in Spoleto or the “Stresa International Festival”. With Lorin Maazel she collaborated in the field of chamber music.

Many of Yuka Imamine´s concerts and recordings have been broadcast on the radio and TV e.g. by the Swiss Radio DRS, the Luxembourg Radio and the German Radio SDR. Her recording of works by Schubert and Ravel on CD ranks as an outstanding contribution to the world of piano music.

In May 2002 Yuka Imamine was appointed to a professorship for piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts (Hochschule für Musik und Theater) in Munich.

Prof. Yuka Imamine gives piano master classes in Italy and Japan as well.

Konrad Richter

„Her performances are riveting in the true sense of the word: they mesmerize the listener and do not let go. This may well be due to her extraordinarily subtle and delicate touch, which allows her to play with every imaginable nuance of colour.” Pizzicato Magazine

Pianist Elena Margolina, born in Lemberg (Ukraine), enjoyed a highly distinguished musical education, graduating with a piano concert diploma from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory and, summa cum laude, from the University of Music in Detmold in 1996.

Elena Margolina has won prizes at renowned piano and chamber music competitions, including First Prize at the Fifth International Schubert Piano Competition in Dortmund in 1995. She has taught at the University of Music, Media and Drama in Hanover and at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart and offers master classes world-wide, including in Germany, Italy, South Korea, Canada, China, Albania, Russia, the Ukraine, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
In 2014 Elena Margolina joined the faculty of the University of Music in Detmold as professor of piano.

Many of her students have launched successful international careers and won prizes at piano competitions around the world, and Elena Margolina is sought after as a juror at international music competitions.

Margolina’s busy international career has taken her to venues all across Europe and worldwide. She has performed with conductors such as Heinz Holliger, Bryden Thompson, Doron Salomon, Ravil Martynov, Jiří Malát, Stefan Fraas, Siegfried Köhler and Lior Shambadal and with renowned orchestras including the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish National Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Russian State Academy Orchestra St. Petersburg, the Philharmonic Orchestra Dortmund, North West German Philharmonic and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.

She has appeared at prestigious concert venues including Philharmonie Berlin, L’Auditori Barcelona, St. Petersburg Philharmonia, City Hall Glasgow, the Henry Crown Symphony Hall in Jerusalem, Konzerthaus Dortmund, UBC Vancouver Recital Hall, Casa da Música Porto, Pamplona City Hall, the Academy of Arts Concert Hall in Tirana and the Lemberg Philharmony.

Margolina has made numerous recordings for radio and television, including for the BBC, WDR, Radio Hessen, Danmarks Radio, Radio St. Petersburg, the Voice of Israel, and Deutschlandradio. She has also made several CD recordings. Her album with Franz Schubert’s Sonata D 959 and Moments musicaux D 780 was awarded the “Supersonic Prize 2008” by Pizzicato Magazine of Luxembourg.

Music critic Joachim Kaiser about Elena Margolina: “One can feel the power and idiosyncrasy of the Russian piano school in Elena Margolina’s playing. She possesses a wonderfully smooth tone and a very precise touch; her playing is highly romantic, effusive and beautifully controlled.

Mariann Marczi

Mariann Marczi is a Hungarian concert-pianist, soloist and chamber musician. She is professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. Her DLA / DMA dissertation deals with “György Ligeti’s Etudes for Piano” (2008).

Performing at 35-40 concerts a year, she has played in the most prestigious concert halls in Hungary and in most European countries and in the United States.

Mariann Marczi has made recordings for the Odradek Records label.

Her first album “SPLINTERS” featuring 20th Century Hungarian Works for Piano in 2013 was nominated for the BBC Music Magazine Award.

Her second album, “PAST VISIONS” paying homage to Schubert and Schumann, was released in 2019.

Zoran Imširović

After completing his studies, he started an international concert career.

Among other awards and distinctions, he has won the Golden Lion of Veneto in Italy.

Michael Leslie

His repertoire ranges from William Byrd to Lutoslawsky and includes the Bach Goldberg Variations and The Art of Fugue, all the Beethoven Piano Sonatas and the complete piano works of Schönberg.

His concert activity includes tours of Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Sicily, Norway, Ghana, Serbia, Sweden and Australia.

Danica Stojanova

Danica Stojanova completed her primary music education at OMU Boro Johnny in Strumica in the class of Sofia Veta. She finished high school at the High school “Ilija Nikolovski Luj”, Skopje in the class of Professor Snezana Panovska and in the meantime collaborated with professors Dušan Trbojević and Arbo Valdma at the Music Academy in Belgrade, Serbia. She completed her piano studies with prof. Jokut Mihailović in Serbia and received her master’s degree at FMU, Skopje with prof. E. Trpkova. She has actively participated in international piano music academies in Belgium, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, Germany, the Netherlands and has worked with world-renowned pedagogues such as Jenny Zaharieva, Achilles del Vigne, Jacques Rouvier, Lyudmila Rocchina, Heribert Koch.

Danica Stojanova became a professor at the high school “Ilija Nikolovski Luj”, Skopje. She is a member of the juries of the prestigious piano and chamber music competitions in the region (Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo). He holds piano master classes in Macedonia, Malaysia, Kosovo, as well as professional lectures at international festivals such as Chopin Fest, Epta and others.

She performed as a soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra from Bulgaria. As a piano accompanist she collaborated with the artists Blagoja Angelovski, Anastazija Nizamova, Ana Durlovski, Oleg Kontradenko, Robert Cekov and others. As a soloist she has performed semi-recitals and evening concerts in Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Malaysia, Germany, France, Kosovo, Serbia, Italy, USA.

For her work she has won the “Best Art Piano Collaborator” award at the 22nd International Music and People Competition in Sofia in 2004, an award for one year of successful work in the field of music pedagogy awarded by the Association of Music and Ballet pedagogues of Macedonia (2007), Award for excellent pedagogical achievements in 2009 in Bulgaria, Award for many years of successful work in the field of music pedagogy in Macedonia in 2011. Since 2016 she has been an honorary member of the Tomislav Zografski Foundation. He is the author of the book “Frederic Chopin – Poet of the Piano”. She has released two sound carriers with works by world and Macedonian composers.

Since 2021 she is the director of SU “Ilija Nikolovski Luj”, Skopje.

Goara Nona Lazić

Goara Lazić received the award for long-term results and commitment to musical talents from the Association of Music and Ballet Schools.