CURRENT FEATURED JURY MEMBERS

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 Czech cellist František Brikcius was born in Prague, into a family with a  distinguished cultural background. He has been playing the cello since  early childhood. Following his cello studies at the Prague  Conservatoire, he completed his Master's degree at the Janáček Academy  of Music (JAMU) in the Czech republic. He furthered his cello skills at  the Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan and later under the guidance of  legendary cellist Prof. Anna Shuttleworth (student of Pablo Casals) in  the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of  Leeds). 

He won the 2nd prizes at the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999),  the International String Competition London (2000) and the International  String Competition Jihlava (2003). He has been awarded many  scholarships and fellowships, including the Czech Music Foundation  (CHF), the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Music  Foundation OSA, the Socrates-Erasmus, and the Gideon Klein Foundation  for the propagation of works written by Jewish Holocaust Composers. 

František chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello  compositions written by composers of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st  centuries, giving special consideration to compositions for solo cello.  His favourites are cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger,  Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Britten. 

He is particularly involved in researching, studying and performing  works by Czech (Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Josef  Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín (Gideon Klein, Erwin  Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul, Jaromír Weinberger, James Simon and David  Popper) and contemporary composers (Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio, Pierre  Boulez, Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto  Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus  Huber and Witold Lutoslawski), playing on a "George Kriwalski" cello  made in 1904. 

Together with his sister Anna Brikciusová, he is a founder member of the  "Duo Brikcius". He is artistic director of Festival Brikcius - Chamber  Music Concert Series in Prague, Bach Festival Gers in France and Waltham  Forest Cello Fest (the 1st London Borough of Culture meets Classical  Music) in London. 

František works as independent film-maker as well. His first music  documentary film MAKANNA (in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in  Prague and under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) was  already screened in the Czech republic, China, Mexico and Portugal. He  is currently working on new music documentary film eSACHERe (2021). 

As a soloist František has performed at many festivals in Algeria,  Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,  France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liberland, Pakistan, Poland,  Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the United  Kingdom. 

František has been teaching cello for many years. He is experienced at  taking students at all levels, able to give master classes as well as  support beginners. He is giving cello master classes in the United  Kingdom, France, Italy and remotely online via Zoom/Skype. 

Served as a jury member in various competitions including the Berliner  International Music Competition in Germany, the Music and Stars Awards,  the Music International Grand Prix, the Sound Espressivo Global  Competition, the Palm Beach International Music Awards, the King's Peak  International Music Competition and the Baku International Cinema  Festival in Azerbaijan. 

More information about František Brikcius and his many cello projects is available on the websites https://www.Brikcius.com/Festival , https://www.Brikcius.com/CelloTutor , https://www.Twitter.com/Brikcius and https://www.Instagram.com/Brikcius .
 

Boris Kuschnir was born into a music family in Kiev in 1948. He studied violin with Boris Belenky at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire and chamber music with Valentin Berlinsky of the Borodin Quartet.

His many encounters with Dmitri Shostakovich (working on his last quartets) and David Oistrakh, with whom he also studied, had a lasting influence on his artistic development. His career started 1969 when he was one of the three winners of the Allunions-Competition in Leningrad where, in the final, he performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yuri Temirkanov.

He has won numerous prizes at international violin and chamber music competitions (Paris, Belgrade, Sion, Trapani, Bratislava, Florence, Trieste, Gorizia, Hamburg, Vercelli). In 1970 he founded the Moscow String Quartet and remained a member until 1979.

Since 1981 he has been living in Austria. He became an Austrian citizen in 1982 and was the first concertmaster of the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz until 1983. In 1984, he became a Professor at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and also a distinguished Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in 1999. His reputation as a teacher won international recognition with the recent outstanding success of his pupils, Julian Rachlin (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Amsterdam 1988), Nikolaj Znaider (1st Prize of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Brussels 1997), Sergey Dogadin (1st Prize of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow 2019, 1st Prize of the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, Hannover 2015, 1st Prize of the Singapore International Violin Competition, 2018, Grand Prix of the Yuri Yankelevich International Violin Competition in Omsk, Russia 2013, 2nd Prize of the Isaac Stern International Violin Competition, Shanghai 2016), Pavel Milyukov (3rd Prize International Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow 2015, 1st Prize Aram Khachaturian International Competition, 2012, 2nd Prize Seoul International Music Competition, 2012), Diana Tishchenko (1st Prize Long Thibaud Competition, Paris 2018), Lidia Baich (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Vienna 1998), Alexandra Soumm (1st Prize Eurovi-sion Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Lucerne 2004), Maria Duenas (1st Prize Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, 2017 and 1st Prize International Vladimir Spivakov Violin Competition, Ufa, 2018), Dalibor Karvay (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Berlin 2002; 1st Prize International Tibor Varga Competition, Switzerland 2003; 1st Prize David Oistrakh Competi-tion, Moscow 2008), Lorenzo Gatto (2nd Prize Queen Elizabeth Competition, Brussels 2009), Ondrej Janoska (Janoska Ensemble) and Aleksey Igudesman (Igudesman & Joo).

In addition to this he educated more than 40 laureates of national and international competitions, his pupils have been appointed Professors at Universities, playing in various chamber music ensembles and orchestras of the world – 7 of his students play at the Vienna Philharmonics.

At the same time he constantly gives masterclasses at renowned academies like the Verbier Festival Academy and Kronberg Academy and is a jury member of various international music competitions such as Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels, Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genua, the Long

Thibaud Competition in Paris, Joseph Joachim Competition in Hannover, Singapore International Violin Competition, Tibor Varga Competition in Switzer-land, Michael Hill Competition in New Zealand, Eurovision Competition, David Oistrakh Competition in Moscow, Pablo de Sarasate Competition in Pamplona, George Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Seoul International Music Competi-tion, Violin Masters in Monte Carlo, ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Louis Spohr Competition in Weimar, Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Fermo, Aram Khachaturian International Competition in Yerevan and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

In 1984 Boris Kuschnir founded the Wiener Schubert Trio which received many prestigious awards, among them the 1. Prize at the international Chamber Music Competition Sergio Lorenzi in Trieste, Italy with Sandor Vegh as president of the jury, the Mozart Interpretationspreis 1988 in Vienna and the Prize of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation1990. Boris Kuschnir played as a soloist and a chamber musician in some of the world’s most illustrious venues: Wiener Musikverein, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, the Wigmore Hall London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, as well as in the Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire Moscow, the Ishibashi Memorial Hall and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. He has taken part in numerous festivals such as Salzburg Festival, Verbier Festival, Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus Festival, Vienna Festival, Besançon, Wahington, Spoleto, Naples, Stresa, Bregenz Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommen, December Evening (Swiatoslaw Richter Winterfestival) – Moscow, White Nights – St. Petersburg, Julian Rachlin & Friends Festival – Dubrovnik.

Boris Kuschnir appears with such illustrious partners as Evgeny Kissin, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Boris Berezovsky, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Itamar Golan, Stefan Vladar, Elena Bashkirova, Julian Rachlin, Nikolaj Znaider, Maxim Vengerov, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Renaud Capucon, David Garrett, Yuri Bashmet, Gérard Caussé, Nobuko Imai, Lawrence Power, Veronika Hagen, David Car-penter, Antoine Tamestit, Mischa Maisky, Boris Pergamenschikow, Natalia Gut-man, Miklós Perényi, Steven Isserlis, Gautier Capuçon, Sol Gabetta, Gary Hoff-mann, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Ivan Monighetti and Hatto Beyerle, Thomas Kak-uska, Valentin Erben of Alban Berg Quartet. Both as soloist and chamber musi-cian Boris Kuschnir made numerous recordings, notably the complete Mozart piano trios for EMI, which were released in the Mozart year 1991.

In 1993 he founded the Vienna Brahms Trio which made their highly acclaimed debut at the Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus Festival in Austria. In 1996, the Trio won First Prize at the 9th International Chamber Music Competition in Illzach, France. Their recording of Schumann’s complete works for Piano trio was released on the Naxos label in 1999. He was co-founder of the Kopelman Quartet in 2002 with which he is giving concerts all over the world since and has released CDs at Nimbus Records and Wigmore Hall Live.

1999 the Austrian President Dr. Thomas Klestil awarded Boris Kuschnir with the official title „Professor“. In 2008 the President of the Republic of Austria Dr. Heinz Fischer awarded Boris Kuschnir with the “Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria” and in 2013 with the “Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and the Arts, First Class”.

The President of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing Wang Cizhao awarded the certificate of Honorary Professorship to Boris Kuschnir in December 2014.

 Edita Randová is amongst the leading Czech mezzosoprano singers. At the beginning of her artistic career she underwent voice training with Milada Musilová and at present works regularly with Marta Boháčová. She has also completed her private studies of piano playing. Critics have praised especially the range and tone of her voice, in connection with her wide range of means of expression, supported by excellent singing technique. She commenced her singing career in the Musical Theatre in Karlín, and in the State Opera in Prague, where she performed a number of national and world repertoire. She took part in a number of foreign tours of the State Opera of Prague, such as in Japan and Switzerland. In 1992 and 1993 she took part in a course of international singing master classes under the guidance of Eva Randová.  At present she is devoting herself predominantly to concert activity. In 2000 she took part in a large concert tour throughout the Czech Republic bearing the title „Czech spring with Edita Randová“. She regularly performs concerts at home and abroad: Austria, Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Moldova, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, USA (Carnegie Hall), Canada and China. She also participates in a range of internationals festivals. In the year 2003, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affaires entrusted her to visit Australia, to promote Czech music there. In 2009, she was awarded the Gustav Mahler European Prize for her outstanding   contribution to music and she had her debut in Opera in Mexico as Maddalena in Verdi's "The Rigoletto”. In 2010, she received prize "La Reconnaissance culturelle Medaile d´OR Internationale 2010". She has performed as a soloist with important orchestras including Symhony Orchestra of the Czech Radio, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra of Pardubice, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra Hradec Králové, West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra of Mariánské Lázně, Camerata Polifonica Siciliana, Chesapeake Orchestra, London City Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of Stowe Opera, Romania State Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Bari, Filarmonia de Gaia, Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional Claudio Santoro, Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia, Orquesta Sinfónica de la UAC, Morelos Chamber Orchestra, Oaxaca Symphony Orchestra, Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra ....., under the directorship of leading Czech and international conductors.  In addition to her opera work, Edita Randová also has a varied concert repertoire, including oratorios, cantatas, masses, song collections or individual songs by old masters, as well as contemporary compositions from leading international composers. Among her most important recordings are a discs with songs of Antonín Dvořák. She has cooperated with the Czech Radio, where he has made several song cycles by Czech and world composers. Her recordings were broadcasted by radio stations in Italy, Australia, France and Argentina. She is an Artistic director of the "International music festival Tóny nad městy". Edita has been teaching singing for many years and is also invited to participate served as a jury member in various international competitions. 

   Juan  Pardo  has  played  in  orchestras  around  the  world.  Since  September  2018  JuanPardo  has  been  the principal trombonist of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra (ANPO, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director Eduard  Topchjan).  Before  that  Juan  Pardo  was  the  principal  trombonist  of  the  Orquestra  Filarmónica  de  Jalisco  (OFJ, Mexico,  2010-2017).  Also  Juan  Pardo  was  the  principal  trombonist  of  the  Orquesta  Sinfónica  de  la  Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Monterrey, Mexico, 2008 - 2009). After holding this position, Mr. Pardo was appointed as the principal  trombonist  of  the  Orquesta  Sinfónica  de  la  Universidad  de  Guanajuato  (OSUG)  under  the  baton  of  Maestro Enrique  Batiz.  2009-2010.  During  his  professional  career,  Juan  Pardo  worked  under  the  baton  of  prestigious  Spanish and well-known international conductors.Except his orchestral career Trombonist Juan Pardo is committed to the performance of solo and chamber music. He has performed many solo and band concerts around the world. Juan Pardo participated as a soloist in the International Trombone  Festival  (USA,  Redlands,  California,  2017),  International  Brass  Festival  (Guanajuato,  Mexico  2016),  Festival de  Música  Vientos  de  la  Montaña  (Mexico,  2017),  Laguna  BRASS  Festival  (Mexico,  2015),  Busan  MARU  International Music Festival (South Korea, 2015) among others.Mr.  Pardo  performed  like  soloist  with  Armenian  National  Chamber  Orchestra  and  Armenian  National  Philharmonic Orchestra.As  an  educator,  Mr.  Pardo  has  served  as  the  Professor  of  Trombone  at  the  Universidad  de  Guanajuato  (Mexico, 2016-2017).  Also,  Juan  Pardo  has  been  invited  to  participate  as  a  guest  teacher  in  a  variety  of  international  events. Since September 2018 Juan Pardo has served as the Professor of Trombone at the 'Brass Academy' operating under the patronage of Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and YerazArt international Foundation.Juan  Pardo  is  a  performing  artist  of  the  prestigious  S.E.  Shires  Company  (www.seshires.com)  and  Mouthpiecea UltimateBrass.   

  With more than 25 years as Principal flute at OSESP (State of São Paulo  Symphonic Orchestra), OSB (Brazilian Symphonic Orchestra) and State of  Espirito Santo Symphonic Orchestra, since 2001 Rogério Wolf performs  solo and chamber music concerts.

Board jury of many competitions including the Young Artists Competitions  and High School Competition at NFA Convention 2019 as well at 2015´s 3rd International Maxence Larrieu Flute Competition, in Nice (France), 

Among many records, his last álbum “Imagens” was recorded with the Budapest Radio Symphonic Orchestra.

Soloist at OSESP, OSPA, Sinfônica da USP (São Paulo University),  Ribeirão Preto Symphonic Orchestra, Campinas Symphonic Orchestra, Santos  Symphonic Orchestra, Paraguay National Simphonic Orchestra, Amazonas  Philarmonic and State of Espirito Santo Symphonic Orchestra, among others.

Performs workshops and masterclasses all over the world, including  Japan, USA, Spain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Russia, Finland,  Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Portugal and Slovenia.

 A  multi-instrumentalist, being one of the very few in the world who you  can see performing as a soloist with two instruments on the same stage  with an orchestra, internationally acclaimed harpist, pianist, composer,  and professor Dr. Chaerin Kim is the winner of several international  competitions.She was the winner of the  Special Prize of Best Performance of Russian Music at the International  Harp Competition in Russia, winner of the Future Classic Women Award  from the London Radio Station, the CFA Award and Department Honor Award  from Boston University, the Garrett Award, Foundation Award, and Julia  Leney Harp Prize in London, the Soloist Competition Winner at Ewha  University, Kaywon School for the Arts, and Boston University, the  Bronze Medalist for Solo Piano at the Walgan Music Competition, and  winner of the Grand Prize from the Korean Student’s Newspaper.

She has been featured as a soloist on both instruments: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, Debussy Danses for Harp, Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with UMB Orchestra, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with  Boston Chamber Orchestra, the Ginastera Harp Concerto with BU Symphony  Orchestra, Ginastera Harp Concerto with Seongnam Philharmonic, a Guest  Soloist of the International Music Festival broadcast live in Korea,  Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro and Debussy’s Danses with  Yonsei Sinfonietta, and the Pierne Harp Concerto with EU Orchestra. Her  harp performance has been used for the British movie Kaleidoscope (Main actor Toby Jones), which was the winner of Best Performance at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. As a composer, her composition, Rendezvous, has  92 versions, including versions for orchestra, harp, piano, and voice,  with lyrics written by her and translated into 80 different languages,  and the orchestral version of Rendezvous had its world premiere in Boston, Massachusetts. Most recently, she was nominated for and awarded the Future Classic Women Award through the London Radio Station, who interviewed her twice, and also interviewed with WCPE Radio in the U.S.

Dr.  Kim’s musical studies began when she was six years old. She majored in  piano at the Yewon Music Middle School, while also beginning studies in  cello and voice. After Yewon, she went on to attend Kaywon High School  of Arts, where she continued to major in piano. In her last year, at the  age of eighteen, she also started lessons on harp, and six months later  won the Soloist Audition for Harp. She received her B.A. with Highest  Honors from Ewha University in Seoul – then, while pursuing her master’s  degree at Ewha, she was offered a scholarship for a PGD at the Royal  Academy of Music in London, where she graduated with “distinction.” She  got her M.M. from Yale University on a scholarship, graduating summa cum laude. She  was invited to the Artist’s Diploma program at Yale and Graduate  Diploma Program at New England Conservatory – however, she decided to  pursue her doctorate at Boston University, where she was offered a full  scholarship. She was the “quickest recipient of a Doctorate” in BU Music  School’s history, completing it in three and a half years.

As  a contest judge and jury, Dr. Kim was the artistic director of the USA  International Music Competition in 2010, and in 2021, she is judging at ten international  competitions for both harp and piano: the Music International Grand  Prix in New York, the King’s Peak International Music Competition in  California, the World Vision Music Contest in Germany, the Grand  Metropolitan International Music Competition in Canada, the  International Music Competition in Serbia, Music Modern in Ukraine, the  International Youth Music Competition in Atlanta, Musical South Palmyra in Ukraine, and Danubia International Music Competition in Hungary. Dr.  Kim was formerly a professor at Eastern Nazarene College, where she  taught harp, piano, music theory and music history classes, and was also  the former Head of the Harp Department at Adagio Music Academy and  South Shore Conservatory. Currently, she is an artistic director of  UIMC, an artist with the TTF Entertainment company in China, and a  professor of both instruments; harp and piano at University of  Massachusetts Boston, Schloss Akademie in Germany, and harp through the  Office of Arts at Harvard University.