Jury Members 2025
On Premises
Nataliya Chepurenko
Lyudmyla Zakopets
Tatiana Kozlova
Pascale Van Os
Magdalena Płociennik
Alice Van Leuven
Raffaele Ficuciello
Olga Artemenko
Sabine Conzen
Stefano Palamidessi
Nataliya Chepurenko
PIANO | Belgium/Ukraine
Founding director, piano, chamber music teacher at the “Music Academy FORTE” (www.musicacademy.be ). Founding director, piano, chamber music teacher and tutor professor of piano at the Brussels International Music Academy (www.brima.be). Founder, artistic director, president and jury member of International Competition for young pianists “Merci, Maestro!” (www.mercimaestro.be).
Jury member at many International piano competitions, member of EPTA, and ballet pianist.
Also working for a number of leading companies as a pianist: Pasodos Dance Company (Palma Dance Center, Mallorca); Astana Ballet (Kazakhstan); L’Hivernal de la dance (Liege, Belgium), etc.
For a number of years has performed as a main pianist at the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Antwerp, Belgium); Brussels International Ballet School (Brussels, Belgium); Royal Ballet school in Antwerp; Rosas, P.A.R.T.S. et Yantra in Brussels; Studio Bejart (Brussels, Belgium); piano accompanist at a High school of music (Kiev, Ukraine).
Received Diplomas with distinction in Piano/Accompaniment/Chamber music/Psycho-pedagogy from three conservatories: National Conservatory Tchaikovsky (Kiev, Ukraine), Royal Conservatory of Liége (Belgique), Royal Conservatoire of Brussels (Belgium).
Lyudmyla Zakopets
PIANO | Ukraine
Tatiana Kozlova
PIANO | Israel
Pascale Van Os
CONDUCTOR| Belgium
Magdalena Płociennik
VIOLIN | Poland
Professor of violin, chamber music at the F. Chopin State Music School, the Music School No. 2 (1st level) in Wrocław and at the K. Szymanowski State Music School (1st and 2nd level) in Wrocław, where for many years she was the Head of the first level of the string instruments and guitar section.
Graduated from the State Conservatory of Antonina Nieżdanowa in Odessa, in the violin class of Aleksander Pavlov.
For many years - member of the 1st violins in the orchestra of the Lower Silesian Opera in Wrocław. Co-founded the Wrocław String Quartet, with which performed in Poland and Europe. Juror of various national and international violin competitions. Co-founder of the Lower Silesian Society of F. Chopin in Wrocław, where she held the position of the vice-president for 9 years.
Twice she received an individual award from the Director of the Artistic Education Center for a special contribution to the development of artistic education in Poland. Was awarded the Bronze Cross of Merit and the Silver Medal by the President of the Republic of Poland.
Alice Van Leuven
VIOLIN | Belgium
Raffaele Ficuciello
FLUTE | Italy
Olga Artemenko
VOCAL| Ukraine
Sabine Conzen
VOCAL | Belgium
Professor of vocal at the Royal Conservatory of Liege.
Trained in the performing arts at the Ghent Opera Studio and a graduate of the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music in singing and flute, Belgian soprano Sabine Conzen is recognised as a sensitive artist and musician with a voice of rich, colourful timbre.
Stefano Palamidessi
GUITAR | Italy
Online
Nataliya Chepurenko
Oscar Macchioni
Tatiana Kozlova
Ella Heifets
Magdalena Płociennik
Raffaele Ficuciello
Philippe Ranallo
Stefano Palamidessi
Nataliya Chepurenko
PIANO | Belgium/Ukraine
Founding director, piano, chamber music teacher at the “Music Academy FORTE” (www.musicacademy.be ). Founding director, piano, chamber music teacher and tutor professor of piano at the Brussels International Music Academy (www.brima.be). Founder, artistic director, president and jury member of International Competition for young pianists “Merci, Maestro!” (www.mercimaestro.be).
Jury member at many International piano competitions, member of EPTA, and ballet pianist.
Also working for a number of leading companies as a pianist: Pasodos Dance Company (Palma Dance Center, Mallorca); Astana Ballet (Kazakhstan); L’Hivernal de la dance (Liege, Belgium), etc.
For a number of years has performed as a main pianist at the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Antwerp, Belgium); Brussels International Ballet School (Brussels, Belgium); Royal Ballet school in Antwerp; Rosas, P.A.R.T.S. et Yantra in Brussels; Studio Bejart (Brussels, Belgium); piano accompanist at a High school of music (Kiev, Ukraine).
Received Diplomas with distinction in Piano/Accompaniment/Chamber music/Psycho-pedagogy from three conservatories: National Conservatory Tchaikovsky (Kiev, Ukraine), Royal Conservatory of Liége (Belgique), Royal Conservatoire of Brussels (Belgium).
Oscar Macchioni
PIANO | USA
Tatiana Kozlova
PIANO | Israel
Ella Heifets
VIOLIN | USA
Manhattan School of Music Precollege faculty since 2003.
Mrs. Heifets earned her Bachelor and Masters degrees after graduating from Moscow Conservatory, Russia. As a student she participated in Isaak Stern and Itzhak Perelman Masterclasses.Since coming to the United States in 1993 Ella Heifets established herself as a teacher, chamber and orchestra musician. She is a Faculty Member in Manhattan School of Music, Violin Instructor in Horace Mann School and Dwight-Englewood School. Also she is a Violin and Viola Teacher at her own Private Music Studio.Mrs. Heifets students won numerous International and American Competitions such as International Strings Competition Cremona, Italy, American Protégé International Strings Competition, Golden Strings of America Competition, American Fine Arts Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition. Mrs. Heifets was a Juror, Honor’s Diploma of Recognition at Cremona International Academy, Prima Artists International Competition, Honor’s Diploma of Recognition, American Fine Arts Festival, Honor’s Diploma of Recognition.As a violinist she was a part of many Broadway productions such as: Phantom of the Opera, Shrek, Boy from OZ, The Color Purple, La Cage Aux Folles, Look of Love, Annie Get Your Gun, Ragtime, Showboat.Magdalena Płociennik
VIOLIN | Poland
Professor of violin, chamber music at the F. Chopin State Music School, the Music School No. 2 (1st level) in Wrocław and at the K. Szymanowski State Music School (1st and 2nd level) in Wrocław, where for many years she was the Head of the first level of the string instruments and guitar section.
Graduated from the State Conservatory of Antonina Nieżdanowa in Odessa, in the violin class of Aleksander Pavlov.
For many years - member of the 1st violins in the orchestra of the Lower Silesian Opera in Wrocław. Co-founded the Wrocław String Quartet, with which performed in Poland and Europe. Juror of various national and international violin competitions. Co-founder of the Lower Silesian Society of F. Chopin in Wrocław, where she held the position of the vice-president for 9 years.
Twice she received an individual award from the Director of the Artistic Education Center for a special contribution to the development of artistic education in Poland. Was awarded the Bronze Cross of Merit and the Silver Medal by the President of the Republic of Poland.
Raffaele Ficuciello
FLUTE | Italy
Philippe Ranallo
TRUMPET | Belgium
Professor of trumpet at the Royal Conservatory of Liege.
Soloist at the Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He has been teacher assistant for trumpet and orchestral excerpts at the Higher Institute of Music and Education (IMEP) Namur from 2008 until 2021. Since several years, he devotes himself to coaching various instrumentalists who wish to prepare for orchestra recruitment auditions.
He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Liege where he obtained a Higher Diploma in Trumpet and Chamber Music with great distinction.
He began his professional career at the age of 19 as soloist in the Royal Belgian Navy Band. Soloist at the Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 1991, Philippe Ranallo has been very active in the world of big bands and studios.
In 1996, he joined Ictus, a contemporary music ensemble based in Brussels, with which he performs regularly as soloist and participates in many festivals (Wien Modern, Musica Strasbourg, IRCAM, Biennale Venezia...), recordings and creations. His contemporary repertoire includes several pieces for solo trumpet and electronics (J. Harvey, L. Vierk, C. Dambrain, Y. Maresz, G. Drouin ...).
In 2012, he created a new concerto for trumpet by R. Cendo at the Festival Musica in Strasbourg. Abroad, he has collaborated with various contemporary music ensembles such as Avanti! (Finland), Icarus (Italy), Lucilin (Luxembourg).
He played in many brass ensembles (Ensemble de Cuivres Mosan, Ensemble de cuivres de l’Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Brass Label Quintet…) and in the major Belgian orchestras.
Stefano Palamidessi
GUITAR | Italy
Previous Years
Year 2024
Year 2024
Jury Members
Online
Piano & Vocal
- NATALIYA CHEPURENKO (Belgium/Ukraine), Brussels International Music Academy
- YANNIK VAN DE VELDE (Belgium), Conservatory of Luxembourg & Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt
- TATIANA KOZLOVA (Israel), Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel–Aviv
Strings & Guitar
- ELLA HEIFETS (USA), Manhattan School of music
- MAGDALENA PłOCIENNIK (Poland), Professor of violin & Chamber Music at several Music Schools (Wrocław)
- OLEKSIY SHADRIN (Ukraine), International Soloist, Previously Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapelle
Winds
- PHILIPPE RANALLO (Belgium), the Royal Conservatory of Liège
- SOLANGE BERTRAND (Belgium), Hoofdstedelijke Kunstacademie
On Premises
Piano
- NATALIYA CHEPURENKO (Belgium/Ukraine), Brussels International Music Academy
- YANNIK VAN DE VELDE (Belgium), Conservatory of Luxembourg & Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt
- TATIANA KOZLOVA (Israel), Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel–Aviv
Strings & Guitar & Winds & Vocal
- ANA SANTISTEBAN (Spain), Brussels International Music Academy
- JING HAN (Belgium/China), Brussels International Music Academy & Royal Conservatory of Liege
- MAGDALENA PłOCIENNIK (Poland), Professor of violin & Chamber Music at several Music Schools (Wrocław)
- SABINE CONZEN (Belgium), the Royal Conservatory of Liège
- CARLOS BRUNEEL (Belgium), Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
- OLGA ARTEMENKO (Ukraine), Brussels International Music Academy