Competition Judges
Professor Emeritus Nina Filatova, USA
Affiliation: Professor Emeritus of Piano Performance and Pedagogy Studies at Voronezh State Academy of Arts. In 1945 professor Filatova shared the First Prize in the All-Union Piano Competition with Sviatoslav Richter, a legendary Russian pianist; throughout professor Filatova's performing career, she has given numerous solo recitals. Professor Filatova's solo venues include accompanist performances and television appearances. In 1998 she became an Honored Artist of Russia, an honor bestowed by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
Professor Dr. Michalis Andronikou, Canada
Affiliation: Professor of Composition at Ambrose University, Calgary, AB, Canada; Composer of the Canadian Music Centre; Member of several organizations such as Canadian League of Composers, Greek Composers Union, and Center of Cypriot Composers
Professor Dr. Ashley Barret, USA
Affiliation: Professor of Oboe Studies in College of Visual and Performing Arts at University of North Carolina Greensboro; Performing Artist and Clinician of Buffet Group USA
Dr. Neemias Santos, USA
Affiliation: Cello and Double Bass Faculty and Orchestra Conductor at Texas A&M University; Faculty of the Strings departments at Abilene Christian University and Hardin-Simmons University; Cellist at Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and Amarillo Symphony, TX, USA
Professor Jekaterina Rostovtseva, Estonia
Affiliation: Piano Faculty at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT), Tallinn Music High School for gifted children, and Tallinn Old Town Music School, Tallinn, Estonia
Yuri Yevchuk, Canada
Affiliation: Former Soloist (Bass) at the Mariinsky Theatre; recipient of multiple Grand Prix and First Place awards worldwide; toured to France, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Israel, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Estonia and China; Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes Cherevik (Sorochintsy Fair), Bomelius (The Maid of Pskov), Cardinal Lorenzo Montanelli (The Gadfly in concert), Bass (Orango), Frol Baev (Into the Storm in concert), Maestro Spinelloccio (Gianni Schicchi), Cockneys, Professor Higgins’ Butler (My Fair Lady), Second Philistine (Samson et Dalila). Other repertoire includes Varlaam, Pimen (Boris Godunov), Old Gypsy (Aleko), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Chub (Christmas Eve), the Viking Merchant (Sadko) and King René (Iolanta).
Honey Rouhani, United Kingdom
Affiliation: Soprano and Opera Singer; Founder and Director of a music education and performance company Miele Canto, London, United Kingdom
Bochan Li, China
Affiliation: Music Faculty at the Composition and Conducting Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music; The first composer signed to the Central Conservatory of Music Press; One of China’s most distinguished young artistic figures, recipient of numerous competition awards and honours, including Seattle Symphony’s Celebrate Asia Composition Competition, Donne in Musica International Composition Competition, Don Vincenzo Vitti International Composition Competition, Golden Key International Composition Competition, IBLA Music Competition, Golden Bell Awards, Wenhua Awards, etc. Bochan Li has received commissions from most of China’s premiere musical institutions and his works are frequently performed all over the world.
Professor Dr. Sun Yong Hwang, USA
Affiliation: Professor of Piano Studies at the University of Texas Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas, USA
Casey Granofsky, Canada
Affiliation: Artist of the Toronto Concert Orchestra and the Guelph Symphony; Founder of the Niagara Flute School, ON, Canada
Dr. Chaerin Kim, USA
Affiliation: Concert Harpist; Harp and Piano Faculty at the Department of Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts Boston; Artist at TTF Entertainment Company in China; Winner of multiple competitions' awards, USA
Professor Zhang Xiongguan, China
Affiliation: Professor of Jazz Studies and Jazz Guitar at Shanghai Concervatory of Music; One of the most influential jazz musicians and educators in China; Founder of Guanyu Jazz Chamber Orchestra; Active performer of such venues as Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Blue Note Beijing, Blue Note Shanghai, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Birdland Hamburg, the Silvana, JZ Club as well as music festivals such as Nisville Jazz Festival, Bansko Jazz Festival, Koktebel Jazz Festival, JZ Shanghai Jazz Festival; Published three highly acclaimed original albums, China
Professor Dr. Tatiana R. Mann, USA
Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Practice in Keyboard Studies at Texas Tech University, TX, USA; Artistic Director of “New Deal Concert Series”, Little Rock, USA
Professor Anastasia Timoshenko, Russia
Affiliation: Professor of Violin Studies at State Music and Pedagogical Institute named after M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov and Music School after A. Lyadov, Moscow, Russia; Artist of State Symphony Orchestra "New Russia", Moscow, Russia
Professor Jason Chang, China
Affiliation: Professor of Harp Studies at Shanghai Conservatory of Music; Vice President of Chinese Harp Society; Founder of the Shanghai Harp Center and Shanghai International Harp Festival; recipient of the "Excellent Teacher Award" of the city of Shanghai, China
Dr. Jorge Ramos, USA/China
Affiliation: Pianist, Guest Lecturer/Professor at Guangxi Arts University, Guangxi, China
Professor Chu Weiming, China
Affiliation: Associate Professor of Jazz and Modern Percussion Music Department at Shanghai Conservatory of Music; won the Best Drummer award in Yamaha Music World Thunder; collaborated with Zildjian, Sabian and Ludwig, China
Olga Alino, USA
Affiliation: Pianist, Founder and executive director of Masters Institute of Music; Best Teacher 2019 of Crescendo International Competition; Best Teacher 2015 of AADGT, New Jersey, USA
Olga Vasilyeva, Russia
Affiliation: Soloist and Actress of Musical Theatre Zazerkalie, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Dr. Kefei Hu, China
Affiliation: Professor of Clarinet Studies at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China
Tamara Yusman, Israel
Affiliation: Concert Pianist, Soloist of Ashkelon Chamber Orchestra; Piano Faculty at Modus Music School, Ashkelon, Israel
Mikhail Knyazev, Russia
Affiliation: Concert Pianist, Artist of Voronezh Philharmonic Orchestra, Voronezh, Russia
Karine Harutyunyan, Armenia
Affiliation: Pianist and Honoured Pedagogue of the Republic of Armenia; Piano Faculty at Yerevan Specialized Music School named after Alexander Spendiaryan; Methodist of the Fund for Cultural Assistance to Musical Schools of Armenia
Laura Chambers, Canada
Affiliation: Concert Flautist and Pedagogue; Principal Flute at London Symphonia, Toronto Canada
Elena Starkova, Russia
Affiliation: Soloist of Voronezh Philharmonic Orchestra, Voronezh, Russia
Professor Irina Bortnikova, Russia
Affiliation: Violin Faculty at the String Department of Voronezh College of Music for gifted children; Director of the string ensemble, Voronezh, Russia
Professor Zeng Cheng, China
Affiliation: Concert Violinist and Pedagogue; First violin at China Philharmonic Orchestra; Artist of German Chixiong Music Publishing House; Artist of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, Shaanxi Symphony Orchestra, Xi'an Symphony Orchestra, Hebei Symphony Orchestra, and Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, China
Professor Vladimir Naumenko, Russia
Affiliation: Choral Director; Vice President and Professor of Choral Studies Department at State Music and Pedagogical Institute named after M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, Moscow, Russia
Anthony Thompson, Canada
Affiliation: Concert Clarinetist and Pedagogue; Artist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra; founding member of the Blythwood Winds woodwind quintet, Toronto, Canada
Dr. Charles Whitehead, USA
Affiliation: Concert and Jazz Pianist; Former Adjudicator for the Texas Tech Jazz Festival
Luisa Mintsaeva, Russia
Affiliation: Concert Harpist; Principal harp at Moscow State Symphony Orchestra; Artist of Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre, Moscow, Russia; Visiting harpist at Nordic Pulse Ensemble directed by Kristian Jarvi, State Opera of Tatarstan, and National Symphony Orchestra of The Republic of Bashkortostan
Professor Xu Dongliang, China
Affiliation: Professor of Percussion instruments at China Conservatory of Music; Director of International Percussion Education Association (IPEA), China
Professor Dr. Meiling Jin, USA
Affiliation: Founder of Taichi and Piano Study; Visiting Professor at Guangxi Arts Institute, Nanning, China; Former Piano faculty at Lubbock Christian University, TX, USA
Professor Dr. Xin Wang, China
Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Zhengzhou University School of Music, China
Professor Yana Lisak, Russia
Affiliation: Concert Pianist; Professor of Piano Studies at Voronezh State Academy of Arts, Voronezh, Russia
Dr. Mikhail Johnson, Jamaica/USA
Affiliation: Composer and Pianist; Owner of a publishing label "Johno Muzik Publications", Jamaica
Anna Rakhmanova, Austria/Russia
Affiliation: Founder and CEO of "Grand Event Projects" Music Agency, Moscow, Russia; Concert Pianist and Music Manager, Vienna, Austria
Rachel Boyd, USA
Affiliation: Jazz Vocalist; Producer, KTTZ-FM, Texas Tech Public Media, Lubbock, Texas, USA
Professor Valentina Yablonskaya, Russia
Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Piano Studies at Belgorod State Institute of Arts and Culture; Artist of Belgorod State Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgorod, Russia
Professor Tatyana Timoshenko, Russia
Affiliation: Violin Faculty at the String Department of Voronezh College of Music for gifted children; Head of the Voronezh Group of violinists and cellists, Voronezh, Russia
Professor Lubov Skorobogatova, Russia
Affiliation: Violin faculty at the String Instruments Department of the Voronezh music school; Director of the strings ensemble Caprise, Voronezh, Russia
Professor Tianqi Luo, China
Affiliation: Associate Professor and Director of Modern Instrumental Music and Percussion Studies Department at Shanghai Conservatory of Music; Vice President of China Music National Percussion Association; Deputy Director of Percussion Professional Committee at Shanghai Association of Musicians; Executive Director of IPEA International Percussion Education Association, China
Professor Xiaochuan Li, China
Affiliation: Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Studies at Shanghai Conservatory of Music; Winner of Best Jazz Album of the 1st CMA music awards; Winner of Best Instrumental Album and Best Studio-Recording Album of the 1st JZ Awards, China
Professor Dr. Kevin Zhao, China
Affiliation: Visiting Professor of Piano at the Music Performance Department of the Preschool Education College, HN, China
Alexandra Zaryankina, Russia
Affiliation: Soloist of the Saint Petersburg Chamber Theater of Classical Operetta, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Sviatoslav Moskalenko, Russia
Affiliation: Artist and Head of the Clarinet Division of Voronezh State Philharmonic Orchestra; Co-Founder of "Voronezh Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion Society", Voronezh, Russia
Professor Anastasia Timoshenko, Russia
Affiliation: Professor of Violin Studies at State Music and Pedagogical Institute named after M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, Moscow, Russia; Artist of State Symphony Orchestra "New Russia", Moscow, Russia
Professor Dr. Gregory Brookes, USA
Affiliation: Associate Professor of Voice at Texas Tech University, TX, USA
Dr. Elena Nezhdanova, USA
Affiliation: Piano faculty at Cary School of Music and UNCSA Community Music School, North Carolina
Dr. Catalin Iacob, USA
Affiliation: Piano faculty at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Marija Maksimova, Macedonia
Affiliation: Piano faculty at National Music Educational Centre named after Sergej Mihajlov, Macedonia
Maise Au, Hong Kong
Affiliation: Concert Harpist and Honoured Pedagogue of Harp Studies; Founder of Hong Kong Creative Association, Mentoring in Motion
Lola Smolokowski, Switzerland
Affiliation: Founder of "HomeOrchestra", CEO of Smolokowski Music Management, Canton of Zoug, Switzerland
Violeta Arakelova, USA
Affiliation: Distinguished Pedagogue and Pianist; Founder of Royal Music Academy, Buffalo, NY, USA; Author of Helping Beginner Teachers; Member of Piano Teachers of Western New York; Adjudicator of multiple international music competitions, NY, USA
Professor Svetlana Pilchena, Russia
Affiliation: Head of the String Department of the Moscow children’s music school named after Anatoly Alexandrov, Moscow, Russia; Vice President of International Music Project Gilels-Kogan
Professor Maria Rybina, Russia
Affiliation: Professor of Piano and Organ Studies at State Music and Pedagogical Institute named after M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, Moscow, Russia
Professor Zhang Xiaolu, China
Affiliation: Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Shanghai Conservatory of Music; Endorsing Artist for YAMAHA Saxophones and Rico Reeds
Professor Sergei Skorobogatov, Russia
Affiliation: Head of Woodwind and Brass Department at Voronezh Musical College; Professor of Trombone at Voronezh State Academy of Arts; Artist of Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Voronezh, Russia
Professor Maria Agibalova, Russia
Affiliation: Professor of Chamber Ensemble and Collaborative Piano at Voronezh State Academy of Arts, Voronezh, Russia
Olga Kirianova, Russia
Affiliation: Artist of Maly Theatre in Moscow; Visiting artist at Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Moscow, Russia
Valentina Ignatova, Russia
Affiliation: Artist of Opera and Ballet Theatre; Artist of Voronezh Symphony Youth Orchestra, Voronezh, Russia