Denis Matsuev

Piano

Denis Matsuev is a world-renowned pianist, winner of the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition. People's Artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Art and the Government Prize of the Russian Federation, and holder of the Order of Honor. In 2025 he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class. Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic. President of the New Names charity foundation named after Iveta Voronova. Artistic director of the Stars on Baikal and ALMA MATER: New Names in Suzdal festivals, and of the international competitions for young pianists Astana Piano Passion, Grand Piano Competition, and the International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors named after S. V. Rachmaninoff. Member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Sladkovsky

Alexander Sladkovsky is artistic director and chief conductor of the State Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan, professor at the Kazan Conservatory. People's Artist of Russia, People's Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan. He leads the music festivals Rakhlin Seasons, White Lilac, Kazan Autumn, Concordia, and the Organ Festival in Kazan; he is the founder of a number of educational and charitable projects. He has been awarded the Order of Duslyk (Friendship), the S. V. Rachmaninoff International Prize, and the 440 Hertz Large Orchestra Prize in the Conductor nomination. Member of the Council on State Cultural Policy under the Chair of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.

Ekaterina Shipulina

Ekaterina Shipulina is a principal ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, People's Artist of Russia. Laureate of the Prix Luxembourg International Ballet Competition and the International Ballet Competition in Moscow. Awarded the Triumph youth prize, the Soul of Dance prize from Ballet magazine in the Rising Star nomination, and the Oleg Yankovsky Award for Creative Discovery. Winner of the Golden Lyre competition (Female Face of the Year. Creative Elite of Moscow, 2005). She has worked with the Boris Eifman Ballet troupe in St. Petersburg.

Oleg Gabyshev

Oleg Gabyshev is a dancer and choreographer, principal soloist of the Boris Eifman St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, laureate of the Russian President's Prize and the Golden Mask and Golden Soffit awards. Laureate of the 12th Moscow International Competition named after Y. N. Grigorovich in the choreographer category (2nd prize). Choreographer of the productions The Snowstorm (Boris Eifman Ballet, 2018), Personalities of Milligan (Musa Jalil Tatar Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kazan, 2023; project within the StagePlatforma contemporary dance festival), and Rachmaninoff. A Symphony as Long as Life (Bashkir State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ufa, 2023).

Valery Gergiev

Valery Gergiev is an outstanding Russian conductor, a leading representative of the St. Petersburg conducting school, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation. Artistic director and director of the Mariinsky Theatre, general director of the Bolshoi Theatre and co-chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia for the musical field. Founder of the Mariinsky label, the Stars of the White Nights festival, the Moscow Easter Festival, and festivals in Rotterdam, Mikkeli, and Munich. Chairman of the organizing committee of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Three-time laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation, holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd, 4th and 2nd class, and recipient of high state awards of many countries.

Ildar Abdrazakov

Bass

Ildar Abdrazakov is a world-renowned opera singer, director, and public figure. Soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art. He has received the Golden Mask National Theatre Award, the Casta Diva Award and the Singer of the Year title (2016), and the BraVo Prize in the Best Male Classical Vocal nomination, as well as the State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Art. He performs at major theatres and prestigious festivals. He heads the Elena Obraztsova International Academy of Music in St. Petersburg. In 2016 he founded the Ildar Abdrazakov Foundation. Since 2024 he has headed the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Pavel Milyukov

Violin

Pavel Milyukov is an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, laureate of international competitions in Germany, Hungary, Russia, Kazakhstan, France, Armenia, and South Korea. In 2010 he won the 2nd prize at the 1st All-Russian Music Competition; in 2015 he won the 3rd prize at the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition. Participant in the Moscow Philharmonic program Stars of the 21st Century, soloist of the St. Petersburg Music House. He teaches at the Moscow Conservatory, member of the artistic and expert council and teacher at the Sirius educational center (Sochi). He plays the Pietro Giovanni Guarneri violin Ex-Szigeti, provided by the Swiss Neva Foundation. Awarded the Order of Friendship.

Ivan Nikiforchin

Ivan Nikiforchin is artistic director and chief conductor of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra, founder, artistic director and chief conductor of the Capella of Russian Music. Laureate of the 1st International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors named after S. V. Rachmaninoff. Teaches at the Moscow Conservatory; collaborates with Yury Abdokov's International Creative Workshop Terra Musica and the Boris Tchaikovsky Society. Awarded the International Pure Sound Prize, the Boris Tchaikovsky Prize, the BraVo Prize in the Conductor of the Year nomination, the Co-Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia Prize, the President of the Russian Federation Prize for young cultural figures, the Art Theatre Prize in the Opera nomination and other awards.

Hibla Gerzmava

soprano

Hibla Gerzmava is a star of the Russian opera stage, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia, leading soloist of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre. She performs at the world's leading theatres. Winner and first Grand Prix holder of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, laureate of the Voci Verdiani competition in Busseto, the Francisco Vinas competition in Barcelona, and the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov competition in St. Petersburg. Organizer of the Hibla Gerzmava Invites festival and the Hibla Gerzmava International Competition for Vocalists and Accompanists. She has received the State Prize of the Russian Federation, the Casta Diva award in the Best Singer nomination, the Golden Mask and Golden Orpheus theatre awards, the Moscow Prize in Literature and Art, and other honors.

Lorenz Nasturica-Herschowici

violin

Lorenz Nasturica-Herschowici is an outstanding Romanian and Russian violinist and conductor, graduate of the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest. Organizer of the Sergiu Celibidache Trio, founder of the Octet of soloists from the Berlin, Munich, and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras, which brought together leading musicians and concertmasters of these ensembles. Head of the Munich Virtuosi chamber orchestra. He plays the Antonio Stradivari ex-Heifetz violin (1732), previously played by Jascha Heifetz. In 2013 he headed the Mariinsky Theatre Stradivari Ensemble, whose members play string instruments by great Italian masters of the 17th-18th centuries - Nicolo Amati, Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, and Matteo Goffriller.

Kristof Barati

violin

Kristof Barati is a Hungarian virtuoso violinist, graduate of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Laureate of international competitions in Gorizia, the Marguerite Long and Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (as the youngest participant, he won 3rd prize and the Audience Prize), and the Niccolo Paganini Competition in Moscow. Since 2015, together with Istvan Vardai, he has led the annual Kaposfest International Chamber Music Festival in Kaposvar (Hungary). He received the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Award, the Ferenc Liszt Prize, and the Lajos Kossuth National Prize, the highest art award in Hungary. He plays the Antonio Stradivari violin Lady Harmsworth (1703), provided by the Stradivari Society in Chicago.

Borislav Strulev

cello

Borislav Strulev is a Russian-American cellist and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. One of the first performers of jazz and crossover compositions on the cello, he collaborates with musicians of different styles and with actors in various countries, works in film music, and performs as a producer and project leader. Music director of the BelgorodMusicFest International Music Festival - Borislav Strulev and Friends in Belgorod, as well as the Media+Music forum and competition held within the festival. He entered the Russian Book of Records after a concert in a mine of the KMARuda mining complex (Gubkin, Belgorod region) for miners at a depth of 340 m in memory of fallen miners. Yamaha artist. He plays a cello by French master Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (Paris, 1844) and a Yamaha SVC 110SK electric cello. Organizer of the ArtCelloLab competition project for artists.

Alexander Ramm

cello

Alexander Ramm is a Russian cellist, laureate of international competitions in Boston (Cambridge), Pretoria (UNISA), Beijing, Zagreb (Antonio Janigro Competition), Helsinki (Paulo Cello, first Russian laureate), Moscow (P. I. Tchaikovsky Competition), and the All-Russian Music Competition. He performs in a regular duo with pianist Anna Odintsova; the ensemble is a laureate of the International Duo Competition in Sweden. Participant in Moscow Philharmonic programs, soloist of the St. Petersburg Music House. He plays a modern Alessandra cello by Gabriel Jebran Yakub. In 2024 he received the President of the Russian Federation Award for young cultural figures.

Alexey Rubin

Alexey Rubin is chief conductor of the Chelyabinsk State Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra New Russia. Guest conductor of the Novaya Opera Theatre in Moscow (E. V. Kolobov). He collaborates with the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra and the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra under Yury Bashmet. Laureate of the III All-Russian Open Competition for Young Symphony Conductors named after I. A. Musin and the II All-Russian Music Competition. He was awarded the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation for his major contribution to organizing and conducting events dedicated to significant events in Russian culture.

Oleg Khudyakov

Oleg Khudyakov is a pianist and conductor, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and the Basel Academy of Music. Laureate of international piano competitions named after S. V. Rachmaninoff in Darmstadt and Tambov, Step to Mastery in St. Petersburg, Russian Season and the Vera Lotar-Shevchenko Competition in Yekaterinburg, competitions in Podgorica, Almaty, the NTD television company in New York, German Piano Open in Berlin, the Samari Savshinsky Competition in St. Petersburg, and the Lagny-sur-Marne Competition in Paris. He received the Best Accompanist prize in the violin category at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Winner of the II International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors named after S. V. Rachmaninoff in Moscow in the conducting category (1st prize and Gold Medal, 2025).

Vasilisa Markina

Vasilisa Markina is conductor of the Vladimir Governor's Symphony Orchestra. Student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (class of opera and symphonic conducting, Prof. Vladimir Altshuler). Laureate of regional, district, and interregional youth competitions for wind instruments, the 1st Open Moscow Competition-Festival of Young Flutists Generation FLUTE, the Gnessin International Competition-Festival of Young Wind and Percussion Performers; diploma winner of the 14th International Competition of Young Musicians of the Central Music School. Participant of the New Names Summer Creative School and the Summer Creative School at the Gnessin Academy. Head of the Children's Symphony Orchestra of students of music schools in the Vladimir region.

Ekaterina Mochalova

domra

Ekaterina Mochalova is a Russian domra player, soloist and concertmaster of the N. P. Osipov National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Russia. Candidate of Art Studies. Winner of the All-Russian Music Competition, the P. I. Necheporenko International Competition in Moscow, and international mandolin competitions in Tokyo and Osaka. Graduate and faculty member of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. Head of the Domra Anthology project at the Gnessin Academy and artistic director of the first festival of contemporary domra art Prima Domra.