For three days, our stage belonged to the next generation of conductors: six students aged between 21 and 33 rehearsed works by Wagner, Bottesini, Brahms and Johann Strauss (the younger) as part of the Conductors’ Academy. In four masterclasses, Paavo Järvi gave them numerous tips on technique, stage presence and musical interpretation.
422 applicants had applied for this seventh edition of the Conductors’ Academy. Those invited were Hannah Howard Andresen from Denmark, Rémi Geniet from France, Polina Lebedieva from Ukraine, Rui Miguel Marques from Portugal, Aleksandra Melaniuk from Poland and César Ramos from Cuba.
Following the final concert, Rui Miguel Marques was awarded the ‘Paavo Järvi Scholarship’. In the summer of 2028, he will have the opportunity to continue working with Maestro Järvi at the ‘Järvi Academy’ during the Pärnu Music Festival.
Furthermore, the 21-year-old conductor also won the international audience vote. He will therefore take home the Audience Prize of CHF 1,000, sponsored by the ‘Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich Freundeskreis Association'.
