Norway
Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy (20), piano
Camille Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement
Photo: Javier Auris/NRK
Sebastian comes from Oslo. He is not from a family of musicians, but he began playing after his family got a piano in the living room when he was nine years old. “My grandfather had long expressed a wish for us to have a piano at home. When he finally persuaded my parents, it didn't take long for them to realize that the piano suited me especially well,” says Sebastian.
He started learning by himself, looking at YouTube tutorials, before his parents saw his interest and got him a teacher. Since then he has been enrolled at different programs, including at the Barratt-Due Institute of Music and the talent program at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He is now studying with Professor Jens Elvekjær at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Switzerland
Valerian Alfaré (20), euphonium
Paul Mealor: Excerpt from Euphonium concerto
Photo: Gian Vaitl
Valerian has always shown great interest as well as talent in all kinds of music. Starting at six years old, he received lessons in classical trumpet.
At twelve Valerian made first contact with his second love, the euphonium. Adapting quickly to the new instrument, he soon reached great technical levels. Amongst many other achievements he was awarded “Best Euphonium” several times and received multiple prizes, one of them being a soloist tour with a professional chamber orchestra.
Over the years Valerian has performed as a soloist at different occasions, such as the European Brass Band Championships. He also plays both the euphonium and the trumpet with the National Youth Brass Band (Switzerland), the European Youth Brass Band, the Swiss National Youth Jazz Orchestra and others.
To maintain balance, Valerian engages in sports, going to the gym, outdoor jogging, and cycling. He also enjoys working in nature, tree felling, wood chopping, and gardening.
Belgium
Mahault Ska (13), piano
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto in G minor, 1st movement
Photo: Martin Godfroid
Mahault Ska began playing the piano at the age of six at the Lasne School of Music. At nine, she joined the Eduardo del Pueyo Musical Center (Brussels), with Claudine Orloff as her teacher. She has been a laureate of several national and international piano competitions, notably receiving first prize in her category and the Public’s Choice award at the Liège Piano Competition in 2022. That same year, she also won first prize in her category at the César Franck International Piano Competition, as well as the BNP Paribas Fortis Young Talent award. In 2023, she won first prize in her category at the Andrée Charlier Competition and was designated the Belgian laureate of the Chopin Foundation. In January 2024, she received first prize by unanimous decision at the Paris International Music Competition 2024. Mahault is also passionate about literature and classical dance.
She is a big Harry Potter fan and loves the books, movies, and games.
Austria
Leonhard Baumgartner (17), violin
Henri Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto
No. 5 in A minor, (abbreviated version)
Photo: Hans Leitner
Leonhard Baumgartner, born in Vienna, has won prizes at renowned competitions, including the First Prize and Spezial Prize for the interpretation of a commissioned work in memory of the Holocaust at the Ilona Fehér International Competition in Budapest and the first Prize at the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, the Discovery Award of the International Classical Music Awards and the Carl Flesch Prize in Baden-Baden.
He made his debut with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in the Wiener Konzerthaus at the age of 15. Leonhard studies with Dora Schwarzberg at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In addition he is also student of Ingolf Turban at the University for Music and Theatre Munich. Previous studies with Regina Brandstaetter. Soloist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, NFM Philharmonic Wrozław, Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, among other renowned orchestras. Leo has been an invitee of the Chamber Music Connects the World Festival at Kronberg Academy, where he performed with Gidon Kremer. Appearances at international concert series and festivals. Being a scholar of Liechtenstein Music Academy, he regularly participates in intensive weeks there. Baumgartner plays a violin by J.B. Vuillaume, Paris 1854, on loan from a member of the Stretton Society.
Leo loves nature and insects, and took beekeeping classes. He doesn't have a beehive of his own, but he would gladly take charge of one.
Armenia
Hayk Hekekyan (18), oboe
Ludwig August Lebrun:
Oboe Concerto No. 1 in D minor,
1st movement
Hayk was born into a family of musicians. From the age of three, he sang in the "Little Singers of Armenia" choir directed by his father Tigran Hekekyan. He received his musical education at the Sayat-Nova School of Music in Yerevan, graduating with two majors in piano and oboe, under the guidance of Harutyun Shakhkyan. He also studied at the school's national instruments department, mastering the national instrument shvi. Hayk is currently studying at the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory.
Having participated in more than thirty prestigious international competitions in eight years, Hayk has won the highest prizes and ranks. He has performed in concerts in various countries, and featured as a soloist with a number of orchestras.
Hayk loves his instrument, music, and the opportunity to express the beauty of humanity through the language of melodies from the stage. Apart from music and his homeland, he enjoys watching movies, loves football, and knows everything about leading football players. He appreciates life and people, enjoys delicious food, but most of all, he loves the beauty of the sound of the oboe.
France
Pierre-Emmanuel Hurpeau (20), piano
Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G,
3rd movement
Photo: Private
Born in Lyon, Pierre-Emmanuel began his musical journey studying the viola with Denis Masson at the Mâcon Conservatory. At the age of seven, he also started learning piano under the direction of Yolande Kouznetsova. He later joined the Regional Conservatory (CRR) in Lyon, where he studied with Manuel Schweizer. He regularly participated in the Grand Concours International de Piano de Lyon in both the two-handed and four-handed piano categories.
He earned his degree in piano from the Regional Conservatory of Lyon with top marks and "unanimous congratulations from the jury" in June 2019. In 2020, he was admitted to an advanced piano class at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in piano, a second-year Bachelor's degree in Ondes Martenot, and a third-year DE course.
He also participates in numerous concerts, including solidarity concerts organized in partnership with the Paris Conservatory, and has performed in two concerts with the Blâmont choir to support the construction of an orphanage in Cameroon.
Sweden
Hugo Svedberg (16), cello
Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1
in C major, 1st movement
Hugo has been studying cello since the age of six and is a student of Adrian Brendel.
In 2021, Hugo won the Two Moors Festival Competition (England), and he won gold at the London Young Musician competition.
In 2023, he won the Bromsgrove Young Musicians Senior Platform. He won second prize at the Haslemere International String Competition and was also awarded their Most Promising Young Musician Prize.
In January 2024, Hugo was awarded first prize in the Polstjärnepriset competition for Swedish young musicians.
As a soloist, Hugo has performed with orchestras including Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, The Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock and the Borås Symphony Orchestra, performing cello concertos by Schumann and Haydn as well as Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations.
He has taken part in masterclasses with Natalie Klein, Torlief Thedeen, Johannes Moser and Helene Dautry.
Hugo is an avid tennis player and, as a youth, he won a chess championship in his region. He also enjoys baking – especially his ‘famous’ apple crumble!
Poland
Jeremi Tabęcki (19), clarinet
Luigi Bassi: Concert Fantasia on motives from Rigoletto
Jeremi comes from a family with rich musical traditions. He says that with his playing, he wants to inspire and motivate friends and family to create something beautiful. He began learning to play the clarinet at the age of six under the direction of Dorota Zolnacz. This year he graduated from the Karol Szymanowski State Music School Complex in Warsaw.
From an early age, he has performed frequently and participated in national and international competitions and festivals. He has won a number of titles and awards, the most important of which are the “Musician of the Year 2024” in a competition organized by TVP Kultura, and first prize at the XI West Pomeranian Clarinet Festival in Szczecin (2024).
As a soloist, Jeremi has performed with the Polish Radio Orchestra, the Sinfonia Baltica Orchestra, the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra and the K. Szymanowski State Music School Complex orchestra in Warsaw.
Four times he has received the Artistic Scholarship of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for outstanding achievements. In April 2024, he became a beneficiary of the prestigious governmental "Young Poland" scholarship program.
In addition to music, he engages in crafts, mostly woodworking.
Serbia
Bogdan Dugalić (20), piano
Sergej Rakhmaninov:
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Photo: Nebosja Babic
Bogdan is currently studying with Professor Pavel Gililov at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and with Professor Konstantin Bogino at the Perosi Academy in Biella. He has won more than thirty prizes in national and international competitions, most significantly first prize at "Humberto Quagliata" International Piano Competition 2023 (Italy), first prize and the Audience Award at the 11th international "Isidor Bajić Memorial" 2023 (Serbia), and second prize as well as the special chamber music prize at the Maj Lind International Piano Competition 2022 (Finland).
Bogdan has collaborated with Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Radio Symphony Orchestra, Serbian Radio Orchestra, Belgrade Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Strings of Saint George, as well as with Kamus Quartet. He has a full scholarship with the Perosi Academy in Biella, Italy. Bogdan has attended a number of masterclasses, working with Dmitry Alexeev, Dina Yoffe, Mats Widlund and many others.
When Bogdan was younger, he played both tennis and table tennis. At twelve he decided to focus on table tennis, and when he turned thirteen, he had to make a tough decision: choosing between table tennis and the piano.
Germany
Fabian Egger (17), flute
Jakob Gade / Toke Lund Christiansen: Tango Fantasia for flute and orchestra
Photo: Hans Leitner
Fabian Egger studied at the Leopold Mozart Institute for the Highly Gifted at the Mozarteum University Salzburg from 2016. He has also been a student of Professor Andrea Lieberknecht at the University of Music and Dance in Munich since 2020.
In the last years, he has won numerous first prizes at national and international competitions. Most recently, he won the national competition "Jugend Musiziert" in Germany for the fourth time, with a first prize and the highest score.
He has been invited as a guest artist to many international music festivals such as Mozartwoche Salzburg, Salzburg Festival, Arsonore Graz, La Côte Flute Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Tampere Flute Fest, and Falaut Campus. He is interested in various musical styles as well as improvisation and composition.
Fabian has been a soloist with several professional orchestras, such as the Mitteldeutsche Kammerphilharmonie, the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève.
He loves chamber music and is a member of several chamber music groups. He is passionate about making music, especially for young people, in order to inspire them.
Fun fact: Fabian won a flute competition in Milan as a child. After the winner's concert, he had to wash his face, having been covered in red lipstick from the kisses of all the enthusiastic ladies in the audience!
Czechia
Adam Znamirovský (14), piano
Camille Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2, 3rd movement
Photo: Khalil Baalbeki
Adam started playing the piano when he was four. Since the age of five he has been studying at Jižní Město Elementary Art School in Prague in the class of Magister Markéta Cibulková. He first drew attention at the age of seven, when he won first prize in the national round of the Elementary Art School competition of the Ministry of Education. Soon followed prizes in national and international competitions, among them Classic Pure Vienna (Austria), International Béla Bartók Piano Competition (Austria), Broumovská klávesa (Czech Republic), and the Città di Minerbio international piano competition (Italy).
In 2022, Adam won first prize at the International Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte Competition in Ústí nad Labem, and in December he became a laureate of the Prague Conservatory's International Young Piano Competition. In May 2023 he won first prize and two special awards at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth (Szafarnia, Poland).