Archives-Directors-Jury

Wolfgang Manz •
since 2019

made his studies with Drahomir Toman and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and is prizewinner of international competitions such as Leeds (1981, 2nd prize) and Brussels (Concours Reine Elisabeth 1983, 2nd prize). He has performed with the English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, RSO Berlin and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Together with Rolf Plagge he has established the piano duo “Duo Reine Elisabeth” and made recordings for the labels Arte Nova, Chandos, Thorofon and Telos. From 2000 he is professor at the University of Music of Nürnberg, 2015-2017 he was vice president of this institution. Many of his students got prizes at international competitions such as Leeds, Hongkong, Cleveland and Valencia. Wolfgang Manz serves as Artistic Director since 2019.

Robert Benz •
2005-2018

received his first piano lessons from his father at the age of four. He studied under Naoyuki Taneda at the University of Music in Karlsruhe (Germany), as well as under Rosina Lhevinne and Martin Canin at the Juilliard School in New York. He won first prize at both the International Busoni Competition in Bolzano (Italy) in 1974 and in 1976 at the International Liszt-Bartók Competition in Budapest (Hungary). Concert engagements took him throughout Europe, the USA, Korea and Japan. Robert Benz recorded the complete cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas on CD and has been the Trio Bamberg’s pianist since 1996. He also held the chair of Professor for Piano at the University of Music in Mannheim (Germany) from 1990-2019. He was artistic director from 2005-2018.

Naoyuki Taneda •
1988-2004

originated from Kyoto (Japan.) After studying in Tokyo and Vienna he held the chair of Professor for Piano at the State Academy of Music in Karlsruhe (Germany) since 1967. From 1994 until 1999 he taught at the Kyoto City University of Arts (Japan) and then at the Shobi University (Japan). He has made a name for himself through concerts, lectures and seminars both in Germany and abroad and moreover through numerous prizewinners at international competitions who have been emerging from his school for years. Naoyuki Taneda was the artistic director of the International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen from its beginning in 1988 to 2004. Naoyuki Taneda passed away in February 2011.

Frank Reich •
since 1990

had his first piano lessons with Inge Wiechmann. Studies under Naoyuki Taneda at the University of Music Karlsruhe (Germany). Postgraduate studies at the University of Music Cologne (Germany) and under Helena Costa in Porto/Portugal. 1. Prize at the National German Competition "Jugend musiziert" in 1980. Scholar of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation). Teaching: 1986-1993 Ettlingen School of Music, 1993-2015 Badisches Konservatorium Karlsruhe (since 1995 head of keyboard dept.), 2011-2013 Suwon-University Seoul/South Korea, 2014 Minzu-University of Beijing/P. R. China and Shenzhen Arts School, Shenzhen/P. R. China, since 2014 Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, Bangkok/Thailand and since 2016 Sungshin Women's University, Seoul/Rep. Korea. 1998-2012 board member, vice-president and president of the European Union of Music Competition for Youth (EMCY). Managing Director of the Ettlingen Competition since 1990.

Norbert Karle • 1988

Studies at the University of Music Karlsruhe (Germany) in the subjects piano, music theory, voice and conducting. Postgraduate studies in musicology at the University of Heidelberg. Collaboration at the edition of the complete liturgical works of court music director Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer. Working as privat tutor and regular performances with his Ettlingen Chamber Ensemble. Since 1979 teacher for piano and music theory at Ettlingen School of Music and head of the department of piano and music theory. Since 1982 vice director of the Ettlingen School of Music. Cultivating close contacts with Ettlingen twin cities Epernay (France) and Gatchina (Russia). After extensive preparation he became Managing Director of the first Ettlingen Competition in 1988. Norbert Karle passed away in April 2010.

Robert Benz • Germany
received his first piano lessons from his father at the age of four. He studied under Naoyuki Taneda at the University of Music in Karlsruhe (Germany), as well as under Rosina Lhevinne and Martin Canin at the Juilliard School in New York. He won first prize at both the International Busoni Competition in Bolzano (Italy) in 1974 and in 1976 at the International Liszt-Bartók Competition in Budapest (Hungary). Concert engagements took him throughout Europe, the USA, Korea and Japan. Robert Benz recorded the complete cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas on CD and has been the Trio Bamberg’s pianist since 1996. He also held the chair of Professor for Piano at the University of Music in Mannheim (Germany) from 1990-2019. He was artistic director from 2005-2018.

Andrea Bonatta • Italy
was born in Bolzano. Major influences in his musical development were studies with Paul Badura-Skoda in Vienna, Nikita Magaloff in Geneva, Stefan Askenase in Bonn and Wilhelm Kempff in Positano. He has recorded on CD Brahms‘ complete works for piano as well as several other CDs dedicated to Liszt and Schubert. His book on Brahms‘ piano work is considered a milestone in this field and has been translated into German. Andrea Bonatta has been the artistic director of the ‚Ferruccio Busoni‘ International Piano Competition in Bolzano and vice president of the WFIMC of Geneva. He has played in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Korea, China and South Africa, and takes part in the jury at important competitions (Bolzano, Terni, Vercelli, Utrecht, Dortmund, Weimar, Pretoria, Moscow, Shanghai, Seoul).

Martin Canin • USA
had had a distinguished career as one of the most prominent piano pedagogues in the United States. After his own studies at the Juilliard School with the great teacher Rosina Lhevinne, he became her assistant and subsequently her successor at the school, where he has taught numerous winners of international piano competitions. In addition to his teaching, Martin Canin has performed, given master classes and served on competition juries throughout the world. Martin Canin passed away in May 2019.

Ruben Dalibaltayan • Armenia
studied with Anahit Shahbazyan in Yerevan and Arthur Berngardt and Valery Kastelsky at Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. He is a prizewinner of competitions in Armenia, China, Croatia and Italy. Currently he is a professor of piano at the Zagreb University Music Academy and became 2017 visiting professor at the Liechtenstein music academy and will teach 2018 and 2019 “Talent Music Master Courses“ at Brescia Music Academy. He gives special dedication to the promotion of the works of Armenian and Croatian composers. For the CD “Blagoje Bersa piano works“ he received the “Vladimir Nazor Award”, the highest acknowledgement of the Croatian Ministry of Culture.

Dang Thai Son • Vietnam
was born in Hanoi (Vietnam) and began piano studies with his mother, later at the Moscow Conservatory with Vladimir Natanson and Dmitri Bashkirov. In 1980, he became the first Asian who won the Warsaw Chopin Competition. Since then, he performed in over forty countries, played with the Philharmonia, Orchestre Nationale de Paris, Staatskapelle Berlin, St-Petersburg Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, NHK Symphony and has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and CBS Sony. He is currently Professor at the New England and Oberlin Conservatories in USA. Many of his students have won prizes of major international competitions and he was jury member of prestigious competitions such as Chopin Warsaw, Cleveland, Clara Haskil , Artur Rubinstein and Busoni.

Christopher Elton • Great Britain
was born in Edinburgh and studied piano and cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London. During his studies he won numerous prizes at British and International competitions. He maintains a large class as a Professor of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he was Head of Piano for 24 years. His students achieved many prizes at international competitions such as Van Cliburn, Moscow-Tchaikovsky, New York Young Concert Artists, Leeds, Munich, Hamamatsu etc. Christopher Elton is jury member at major international piano competitions and performed in many countries. He was appointed a Professor of the University of London in 2003. He is jury member of the Ettlingen jury since the first competition 1988.

Gerhard Erber • Germany
originates from a piano making family from Dessau (Germany) and studied music at the State Academy of Music in Leipzig (Germany) under Amadeus Webersinke. He has taught at this school since 1978 and has been Professor since 1990. As a member of the Aulos Trio, the Hanns Eisler Group for Contemporary Music and as a soloist, he has given concerts in Europe, Asia and Central America. He is particularly involved with the music of the 20th Century, as well as the less well-known works of the classical heritage. Through his work with various childrenxs programmes, Gerhard Erber encourages the young generation to listen to music. He initiates the Bach Competition for children at Köthen (Germany) and has been active as a jury member in national and international competitions.

Anna Gourari • Germany
was born in Kazan (Russia) and began to play piano at the age of five. From 1979 on she attended the special school for gifted children in Kasan, studying with Kira Shashkina, teacher of Mikhail Pletnev. In 1990 she moved to Germany and continued her studies with Ludwig Hoffmann in Munich. She won several prizes including first prizes at the Russian Kabalevsky Competition (1986), Int. Chopin Competition Göttingen (1990) and has been named 2001 „Echo Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year”. She regularly performs at events like the Salzburg Festival and the Ruhr Piano Festival. Recordings document her repertoire and special interest in twentieth-century music. In 2000, she played a role as pianist in Werner Herzog‘s movie „Invincible“.

Constantin Ionescu-Vovu • Romanina
was born in Rumania and studied piano, composition and conducting at the Music Academy in Bucharest. He was active at this school as a teacher for over 30 years, and from 1990 until 2000 as Head of the Piano department. He was guest professor at the Keimyung University Taegu (Korea) and at the Nagoya College of Music (Japan). In addition he performed as a soloist and as a chamber musician in Europe, USA, Japan and Korea. Constantin Ionescu-Vovu has been a jury member at many international competitions, director of master courses and has brought out publications on the various artistic issues of pianism. He has edited piano music of Rumanian composers.

Hans Kann • Austria
was born in Vienna (Austria) and studied piano and composition there. He taught at Vienna State Academy, Tokyo University of Arts (Japan), Darmstadt Academy (Germany), and from 1977 until 1995 at the State Academy of Music in Vienna. Since 1946 he has given concerts in Europe, Japan, USA, China, Russia und South America. He recorded more than 120 discs and many radio programmes, mainly with contemporary music and rarely performed classical works. Hans Kann was member of the jury in competitions at Bolzano and Monza (Italy), Colmar (France) and Tokyo (Japan). Hans Kann passed away in June 2005.

Daejin Kim • Republic of Korea
holds BM, MM, DMA degree from the Juilliard School where he studied with Martin Canin. He won the first prize at the “Robert-Casadesus-International Piano Competition” (now the Cleveland Competition) and has given master classes and performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He received a decoration for ‚the Artist of the Year‘ by the Ministry of Culture in Korea. His discography includes the Piano Concertos KV 488 and KV 453 by Mozart in which he conducted the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra from the keyboard. He has been a jury member for the most prestigious international competitions. His student, Sunwook Kim won the first prize in Ettlingen (2004), Clara Haskil (2005) and Leeds (2006). Currently he is Music Director of the Changwon Philharmonic Orchstra and Dean of the School of Music at the Korean National University.

Ivan Klansky • Czech Republic
was born in Prague and studied there at the music academy under Valentina Kameníková and František Rauch. He is prizewinner of many international competitions, among others First Prizewinner at Busoni Competition Bolzano (Italy) in 1967 and Second Prizewinner at the Santander International Piano Competition in 1976. He has given recitals in Europe, USA, Latin America, Asia and Africa. 1981 he was appointed soloist of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1986 is he a member of the Guarneri Trio Prague and has made recordings as a soloist and in chamber music groups. From 1991-2014 he worked at the Luzern Music Academy (Switzerland), since 2018 he is Dean of the Prague Academy of Music and Dance.

Renate Kretschmar-Fischer • Germany
The retired Professor of the University of Music in Detmold studied as a pianist under Conrad Hansen, after beginning her studies originally in medicine. In over 40 years of teaching she has taught pupils from numerous countries, of whom many are now respected teachers at home and abroad. Among her students are many winners of international competitions. Renate Kretschmar-Fischer is director of master courses in various countries and a jury member in international competitions. Renate Kretschmar-Fischer passed away in September 2016.

Hans Leygraf • Austria
son of German/Austrian parents, was born in Stockholm, studied under Gottfried Boon and Anna Hirzel-Langenhan and completed his studies in composition and conducting in Stockholm and Munich. His concert tours led him throughout Europe as well as the former Soviet Union, the USA and to the Far East. He teached in Innsbruck, Darmstadt, Stockholm, Hannover and Berlin, since 1975 as Professor at the "Mozarteum" in Salzburg.. Many prize winning students have emerged under his auspices at international competitions. He directed master classes in many music centers throughout the world. Hans-Leygraf passed away in February 2011.

Maciej Lukaszczyk • Poland
received his musical education in Warsaw and Vienna. In addition to numerous solo performances, Maciej Lukaszczyk has also given many duo-concerts with his twin-brother Jacek in both West and East Europe, as well as the USA. He has expanded his educational activities to include, among others, master classes in Europe and in the USA. In 1970 he founded the Chopin Society in the Federal Republic of Germany (Incorporated Society) and has been the president until he passed away. He is an enthusiastic supporter of up and coming pianists, especially as the initiator of the European Chopin Piano Contest in Darmstadt. In 1991 he received the Federal Distinguished Service Cross 1st Class and in 1994 the Distinguished Service Medal from the city of Darmstadt. Maciej Lukaszczyk died in June 2014.

Anna Malikova • Russia
received her main education at Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow with Lev Naumov and worked after the completion of her studies several years as his assistant. 1993 she received the First Prize at the ARD-Competition in Munich and established a worldwide concert career, gives masterclasses and is invited to juries of international piano competitions. Her discography includes the integral recording of the five piano concertos by Saint-Saëns, the ten piano sonatas by Scriabin and the two piano quintets by Schumann and Shostakovich. Since October 2018 Anna Malikova holds a position as a professor at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Austria).

Wolfgang Manz • Germany
made his studies with Drahomir Toman and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and is prizewinner of international competitions such as Leeds (1981, 2nd prize) and Brussels (Concours Reine Elisabeth 1983, 2nd prize). He has performed with the English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, RSO Berlin and the Staatskapelle Dresden. With Rolf Plagge he has established the piano duo “Duo Reine Elisabeth” and has made recordings for the labels Arte Nova, Chandos, Thorofon and Telos. From 2000 he is professor at the University of Music of Nürnberg, 2015-2017 he was vice president of this institution. Many of his students got prizes at international competitions such as Leeds, Hongkong, Cleveland and Valencia.

André Marchand • Germany
started to play the piano at age three and grew up as a member of Dresdner Kreuzchor. He studied in Freiburg and Paris with Carl Seemann, Pierre Sancan, Yvonne Lefébure and Thierry de Brunhoff. At age 27 he be- came Professor of Piano in the University of Wisconsin, at 30 at University of Music Freiburg, and since 1985 in University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart. His worldwide activities include Concerto, Solo and Chamber appearances and Guest- Professorships in USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, France, Italy, Greece, Spain etc.. His stu- dents are teaching in important Universi- ties and Conservatories in USA, Japan, Greece, Spain, Korea, Italy and Germany. André Marchand passed away in January 2021.

Jura Margulis • USA
Born in St. Petersburg (Russia) Jura Margulis has been raised in Germany where he studied with his father, Vitaly Margulis, at the Musikhochschule Freiburg. In 1994 he moved to the US to study with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He won more than a dozen prizes in international piano competitions, including the Busoni competition in Bolzano (Italy). He performed and held masterclasses in more than 15 countries. In 2018 Jura Margulis was appointed as Professor of Piano at the Music and Art University in Vienna. In 2019 he published his book “Pianist to Pianist”.

Kristin Merscher • Germany
was born in 1961 in Frankfurt/Main and studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Pierre Sancan and György Sebök. She performed with many renowned orchestras, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam Philharmonic and the Munich Philharmonic and played all over Europe, as well as the USA, Canada and the Far East. She recorded for radio and TV stations in Germany and abroad. With Maria Kliegel she released on Naxos Records the complete sonatas for piano and violoncello of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Brahms. Since 1990, Kristin Merscher is professor of piano at the University of Music Saarland (Germany).

Brigitte Meyer • Switzerland
was born in Biel (Switzerland). She studied with Denise Bidal (Lausanne) and Bruno Seidlhofer (Vienna). 1971 she was awarded the „Bösendorfer-Prize“, and was finalist of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Vevey (1975). She performed in international Festivals like Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival and Hakuba-Festival Japan and recorded many discs. She especially focuses on chamber music, among others with Martha Argerich, Maria-Joao Pires, Alexandre Rabinovitch and Heinrich Schiff. Since more than 20 years she teaches at the Conservatory Lausanne (Haute Ecole de Musique) and gives masterclasses in Tokyo and Teheran.

Milena Mollova • Bulgaria
gave her first piano recital at the age of six and studied with Emil Gilels and Guido Agosti. She won prizes at the first Tschajkovsky competition (Moscow 1958), M. Long (Paris 1959) and ARD (Munich 1962). Performances and masterclasses in Europe, USA, Canada and Asia. Founder and co-organizer of the BG-Swiss-Music-Festival and head of national and international Vladigerov-Competitions. She holds a professorship at the New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia (Bulgaria) and is there head of the music department. She is also piano professor at the State Academy of Music in Sofia and president of EPTA Bulgaria.

Germaine Mounier • France
was born in Paris and performed numerous concerts in France, Europe as well as in the Middle and Far East. In 1978 she began her career as professor at the “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique“ in Paris. In addition to that she also taught at the “Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris“ and offered courses at the Summer Academy of the “Mozarteum“ in Salzburg. Moreover, students regularly had the opportunity to attend her master courses in France, Germany and Japan. Germaine Mounier was a member of several international contest juries and Vice President of the Chopin Society in Paris. She died in Paris in June 2006.

Zuzana Niederdorfer • Slovakia
studied with Vera Gornostaeva, Györgi Sebök and Lazar Berman and received her doctoral degree in piano performance from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. She is an award winner of many competitions (e.g. Robert Schumann Competition Zwickau, Santander), performs solo recitals and piano concertos in Europe, China and the USA and recorded several CDs. For 20 years she taught at Universities in Slovakia and currently she is a professor at Kunstuniversität Graz. She gives masterclasses in Europe and USA and is member of jury on European competitions. She organises the international piano competition and festival “Forum per tasti“ at Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.

John Owings • USA
was born in San Antonio and studied in Texas with Dalies Frantz and Karl Leifheit. Further studies with Géza Anda, Wilhelm Kempff, Rosina Lhevinne and Martin Canin. He is head of the piano department at Texas Christian University (TCU). As recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, he has performed extensively in the USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and has been a jury member for many competitions. He received first prize and the Ravel Medal in the Robert Casadesus Competition (now the Cleveland Competition), and TCU’s highest honor – the Chancellor’s Award – in recognition of his performances of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas.

Gitti Pirner • Germany
gave her first piano recital at the age of seven and when she was eight she made her „debut“ with Mozart‘s piano concerto in A major KV 488. When, aged 12, she played this concerto in a West German city the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reported on what it called an “artistic sensation”. She won the first prize at the international music competition in Geneva and has performed with conductors such as Sergiu Celibidache, Rudolf Kempe, Helmuth Rilling, Armin Jordan und Franz Welser-Möst. Alongside her career as a soloist she dedicates herself to chamber music and song-accompaniment. She has been in the jury for international competitions such as the ARD competition and holds a professorship at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

Ewa Poblocka • Poland
studied at the Music Academy in Gdansk, and is prizewinner of competitions in Vercelli, Bordeaux and Warsaw. She has performed throughout most of Europe, as well as in America, the Far East and Australia. She has given concert performances with, among others, London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Bayerischer Rundfunk and Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw. She has been broadcasted widely and recorded for labels like Deutsche Grammophon and Victor JVC. For her recording of Field’s complete Nocturnes she was awarded the John Field Medal. Ewa Poblocka also enjoys performing chamber music.

Eliane Reyes • Belgium
received her early first piano lessons from her mother and gave her first concert at the age of five. She studied at the Brussels Royal Conservatoire, Berlin Hochschule der Künste, Salzburg Mozarteum and the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur. Her concert career has taken her to North America and the Far East, as well as through Europe. Her recordings have been awarded many times. She is professor of piano at the Brussels Conservatoire Royal de Musique as well as at Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and she often serves as a jury member in international competitions. In July 2016 she was granted the title „Chevalier des arts et des lettres“ by the French Culture Minister. In 1996 she won the first prize (Category B) at the 5th Ettlingen International Competition.

Einar Steen-Nøkleberg • Norway
studied with Nicolai Dirdal and Hans Leygraf and won numerous prizes at international competitions. From 1975 to 1981 and again since 1994 he is Professor of Piano at the University of Music of Hannover, Germany. His international career has included solo recitals in Europe, Japan, USA and Mexico. Concerto appearances include the London Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Oslo and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras in Norway. His recording of the Grieg Concerto was chosen by the BBC Saturday Review as the best version of this much-recorded concerto. He recently released the recording of all Grieg‘s piano music on Naxos.

Barbara Szczepanska • Germany
Born in Warsaw, Barbara Szczepanska graduated of the Chopin Academy in Warsaw with Lidia Kozubek and Teresa Manasterska. Postgraduate piano studies with Victor Mierzanov. Concerts in Poland, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Spain and Italy. 1998-2002 and 2004-2008 she was vice-rector of the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule für Musik Düsseldorf. Now she is head of the training center for talented children “Schumann junior”. Visiting professor in South Korea, Taiwan and China. Her students won many prizes in international music competitions as the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Leeds International Piano Competition and ARD Competition Munich.

Naoyuki Taneda • Germany
originated from Kyoto (Japan.) After studying in Tokyo and Vienna he held the chair of Professor for Piano at the State Academy of Music in Karlsruhe (Germany) since 1967. From 1994 until 1999 he taught at the Kyoto City University of Arts (Japan) and then at the Shobi University (Japan). He has made a name for himself through concerts, lectures and seminars both in Germany and abroad and moreover through numerous prizewinners at international competitions who have been emerging from his school for years. Naoyuki Taneda was the artistic director of the International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen from its beginning in 1988 to 2004. Naoyuki Taneda passed away in February 2011.

Zhe Tang • China (People's Republic)
graduated from the Eastman School of Music, New York, where he studied with Barry Snyder. He won numerous prizes including the second prize at the Edvard Grieg International Piano Competition, Bergen (Norway) in 2000. He gives recitals, concerts and master classes in more than 30 countries. His performances with the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Symphony were broadcast by the Chinese National Television and Radio. Since 2003 he works at the faculty of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, serving also since 2004 as Director of Teaching and Research for the Piano Department and since 2010 as Vice Dean, among others. He was given the “Grand Award for Excellence in Teaching” by the Chinese government.

Jürgen Uhde • Germany
studied In the thirties at Berlin’s State Academy of Music under Leonid Kreutzer. He began teaching at the Stuttgart State Academy of Music in 1954. Even after his retirement, the professor emeritus continued to offer numerous master courses. He was especially renowned for his piano music publications. In particular his work in three volumes called “Beethovens Klaviermusik” (Beethoven’s Piano Music) and his book “Denken und Spielen” (Thinking and Playing), which explains the relationship of theory and practice in piano playing and was authored in collaboration with Dr. Renate Wieland, were published worldwide. Jürgen Uhde passed away in 1991.

Blanca Uribe • Colombia
born in Bogotá, Colombia, into a family of professional musicians, Blanca Uribe studied in Vienna with Richard Hauser and in New York with Rosina Lhevinne and Martin Canin. She is particularly noted for her interpretations of the 32 sonatas of Beethoven, which she has performed in cycle on several occasions, and the complete Iberia Suite of Isaac Albéniz. She enjoys a career as recitalist and soloist in Europe, South America and the United States. As a chamber musician, she has appeared with the Chicago, Orion and Brentano String Quartets, with Ani and Ida Kavafian and with the Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble. For 36 years, she held the George Sherman Dickinson Professorship of Music at Vassar College and is currently Professor of Piano at Eafit University in Medellin, Colombia.

Catherine Vickers • Canada
was born in Canada and studied in Hannover with Bernhard Ebert and Hans Leygraf. By “unanimous decision of the Jury“, she won in 1979 the Gold Medal at the International Busoni Competition Bolzano and was also a prizewinner at the Sydney International Piano Competition in 1981. She has performed throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America. “The Listening Hand – piano exercises for contemporary music“ is published by Schott in four volumes. As professor she taught both in Essen and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and serves as jury member in numerous international competitions.

Wolfgang Watzinger • Germany
was born in Darmstadt, Germany, and studied at the Music Academies in Freiburg, Germany and Salzburg, Austria. He has served as Professor of Piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna since 1994.In 1971 he won First Prize at the National Piano Competition of the German Music Academies in Frankfurt. In 1973/74 he studied with Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. 1980-1994 he was Professor of Piano at the music academies in Berlin and Detmold. He has performed in major European cities, the USA, South Africa, Japan, South Korea and China. With Bruce Berg he recorded the complete Violin Sonatas of Brahms (Centaur Records, 2001). His Solo CD (2004, Genuin Musicpro- duction) includes the Paganini Variations by Brahms and the Reger Bach Variations.

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