JURY
FRANÇOIS-JOËL THIOLLIER
FRANCE
PRESIDENT
François-Joel Thiollier is one of today’s most versatile pianists and musicians. A Franco-American by birth, he has absorbed the best of various cultures; born in Paris, he gave his first concert in New York at the age of 5. He continued his musical studies in France under the guidance of Robert Casadesus. He later honed his skills in the United States with Sascha Gorodnitzi at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating with top honors in all academic and musical subjects at the age of 18. Thiollier has won eight “Grands Prix”—an unprecedented achievement—in international competitions, including the “Reine Elisabeth” in Belgium and the “Tchaikovsky” Competition in Moscow. His vast repertoire, exceptional musical knowledge, and mastery of the keyboard are the keys to his international success. Thiollier now performs in more than 40 countries with the most prestigious orchestras (the Leningrad and Moscow Philharmonics, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Residentie Orkest of The Hague, the RAI Orchestra of Turin, Santa Cecilia, the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, and the London Symphony Orchestra) and in the most important concert halls (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Berliner Philharmonie and Konzerthaus, Bunka Kaikan and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Concert Hall in Beijing, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Auditorium in Madrid, La Scala, La Fenice, and the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall) His performance of Busoni’s Concerto at the Berlin Philharmonie was reviewed as follows: “Thiollier, a pianist beyond comparison, astonished and captivated the audience with his incredible technique, refined elegance, consummate sense of sound, and—last but not least—a musicality full of generosity.”
IVANA MARIJA VIDOVIĆ
CROATIA
Ivana Marija Vidović has emerged as one of the most distinguished Croatian pianists of her generation, captivating audiences in renowned concert halls around the world, including the Sala São Paulo (where she was the first Croatian artist to perform) and the Beethoven-Haus Kammersaal in Bonn. Born in Dubrovnik, Ivana’s musical talent was nurtured from a young age by her mother, a music teacher, and her older brother, who is also a talented musician. She began her piano studies at the “Luka Sorkočević” School of Arts at the age of four, completing her initial training in 1991–1992 during the war in Croatia. She continued her musical education at the Ljubljana Academy of Music with Tatjana Ognjanovič, graduating with honors in 2002. Ivana further honed her skills by studying with esteemed musicians such as E. Timakin, N. Starkmann, A. Portugheis, E. Indjić, Lazar Berman, and, from 2005 to 2009, with the legendary Alicia de Larrocha. Ivana Marija Vidović performs regularly around the world and is a frequent guest at numerous festivals and concert series. Her extensive repertoire ranges from Bach to Ligeti, encompassing a wide variety of concertos. Ivana is regularly invited to serve as a jury member at international competitions and as a guest professor for masterclasses. Since 2012, she has been a professor of piano at the “Luka Sorkočević” School of Fine Arts in Dubrovnik. In September 2007, Ivana founded the Epidaurus Festival in Cavtat, Croatia, and has served as its artistic director ever since, demonstrating her commitment to promoting the arts and culture in her home country.
BARTOSZ ŻURAKOWSKI
POLAND
Ivana Marija Vidović has emerged as one of the most distinguished Croatian pianists of her generation, captivating audiences in renowned concert halls around the world, including the Sala São Paulo (where she was the first Croatian artist to perform) and the Beethoven-Haus Kammersaal in Bonn. Born in Dubrovnik, Ivana’s musical talent was nurtured from a young age by her mother, a music teacher, and her older brother, who is also a talented musician. She began her piano studies at the “Luka Sorkočević” School of Arts at the age of four, completing her initial training in 1991–1992 during the war in Croatia. She continued her musical education at the Ljubljana Academy of Music with Tatjana Ognjanovič, graduating with honors in 2002. Ivana further honed her skills by studying with esteemed musicians such as E. Timakin, N. Starkmann, A. Portugheis, E. Indjić, Lazar Berman, and, from 2005 to 2009, with the legendary Alicia de Larrocha. Ivana Marija Vidović performs regularly around the world and is a frequent guest at numerous festivals and concert series. Her extensive repertoire ranges from Bach to Ligeti, encompassing a wide variety of concertos. Ivana is regularly invited to serve as a jury member at international competitions and as a guest professor for masterclasses. Since 2012, she has been a professor of piano at the “Luka Sorkočević” School of Fine Arts in Dubrovnik. In September 2007, Ivana founded the Epidaurus Festival in Cavtat, Croatia, and has served as its artistic director ever since, demonstrating her commitment to promoting the arts and culture in her home country.
LUCA TORRIGIANI
ITALY
He graduated with highest honors in piano from the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Maestros Fiuzzi and Mochi. He earned his two-year Level II Specialization Degree in Piano with highest honors and distinction under Daniela De Santis. He continued his studies with Piernarciso Masi, earning a diploma in chamber music from the “Incontri col Maestro” International Piano Academy in Imola, where he received his Master’s Diploma with the highest possible score. He has also attended courses with Hector Moreno, Frank Wibaut, and Jörg Demus. His career began in 1992 with a prestigious tour of Japan, during which he performed in the major concert halls of Gifu, Nagoya, and Tokyo. In Tokyo, he gave a private concert in honor of the imperial family. In recent years, he has devoted himself to the chamber music repertoire, performing in numerous prominent music seasons. He founded the Prévert Duo with Davide Bandieri (principal clarinetist of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra), winning numerous first prizes in national and international competitions. Since 2010, he has collaborated regularly with guitarist Lapo Vannucci. The duo, known for their communicative style and attention to sound, performs regularly in Italy and abroad. He has taught at the conservatories of Adria, Bari, Vibo Valentia , and Trapani. He is currently a professor of piano at the “Pollini” Conservatory in Padua. He is regularly invited to serve as a juror in prestigious national and international piano competitions. Additionally, he is the Artistic Director of the Rospigliosi Culture and Music Association, which organizes one of the most renowned international piano competitions.
DONATELLO COLAFEMMINA
ITALY
Donatello Colafemmina, is an agent and artistic manager. After earning his diploma in piano performance in 1999 from the “Niccolò Piccinni” Conservatory in Bari under the guidance of Professor Marisa Somma , and furthering his education in Milan with a master’s degree in Music Industry Management, he embarked on a successful career in the entertainment industry and opera management. Over the course of more than twenty years in the field, she has gained extensive experience in promoting the careers of opera singers, conductors, and opera directors, collaborating on a regular basis with theater directors, artistic directors, theaters, orchestras, and internationally renowned festivals in Italy and around the world. After gaining initial experience in the music industry and concert organization, he worked for leading artist management agencies such as Atelier Musicale and Stage Door, overseeing contract management and career development for numerous artists in major European markets, as well as in Russia, Japan, China, South Korea, South America, and Oceania. Specializing in scouting new talent and negotiating artist contracts, he combines the musical sensibility derived from his piano studies with a strong strategic and international vision of music management and live entertainment.
CARLA AVENTAGGIATO
ITALY
She possesses extraordinary technical skills and is endowed with a poetic, vibrant sensibility that captivates audiences. This is how la stampa describes pianist Carla Aventaggiato , who studied under Maestros Sergio Cafaro, Antonio Bacchelli, Novin Afrouz, Aldo Ciccoliniinternational piano competition , François Joël Thiollier, and Marisa Somma. A prize winner in numerous national and international competitions, she maintains a busy concert schedule, both as a soloist and as part of a piano duo, which has led her to perform at prestigious cultural venues in Italy (Milan—Circolo della Stampa, Cosenza—Teatro Rendano, Bari—Teatro Piccinni, Ravello—Villa Rufolo, Matera, Salerno, Turin, Udine, Rome, Florence, etc.) and abroad (Spain, Romania, Germany, Croatia, etc.). Regularly invited to serve on the judging panels of national and international piano competitions, she is the artistic director of the “Città di Casamassima” National Piano Competition, the “Amadeus” Music Association of Casamassima , and the “Città di Acquaviva delle Fonti – “Premio Angelo e Giovanni Colafemmina.” She has served as a professor of piano at the “N. Piccinni” Conservatory of Music in Bari.
