THE JURY

BORISLAVA TANEVA

Bulgaria

Borislava Taneva, celebrated pianist, composer, educator, and cultural ambassador, as a distinguished member of the jury for the “Pancho Vladigerov” International Piano Competition. Prof. Taneva’s remarkable contributions to music span performance, pedagogy, and composition, defining her as a true leader in the international music community.

A laureate of prestigious competitions in piano, chamber music, and composition, Prof. Taneva has garnered awards in Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Greece, Luxembourg, and Norway. Her performances include recitals across Europe, Brazil, Israel, and North Macedonia, showcasing her musical range and expressive power. Her work as a composer is deeply valued, especially in chamber and vocal music, as well as in piano pieces for children. Her educational pieces are published by Musica Ferrum in London…

LUDMIL ANGELOV

Bulgaria

Born in Varna, Bulgaria, Ludmil Angelov graduated at the Pancho Vladigerov State Music Academy in Sofia. He won prizes and diplomas at international competitions, including the “F. Chopin” (Poland, 1985), Palm Beach International Competition (USA, 1990), “Piano Masters” (Monte Carlo, 1994) and “World Piano Masters Tour” (France, 1997).

Ludmil Angelov has performed at major concert halls, such as the Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein and Staatsoper in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Pleyel and Gaveau in Paris, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Lincoln Centre in New York, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Herkulessaal in Munich, KKL in Lucerne, Salle Garnier in Monte-Carlo, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Athenaeum in Bucharest, the concert halls of the Moscow and Milan Conservatories, the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, KBS Hall in Seoul amongst many others…

NATALIA TROULL

Russia

Natalia Troull began her piano studies in her native St. Petersburg and later graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where she studied with renowned professors Y. Zak, M. Voskresensky, and T. Kravchenko. Her career took off after winning the Belgrade International Piano Competition in 1983, followed by a silver medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition. She became famous for her interpretations of Schubert and Stravinsky, particularly her memorable performance of Stravinsky’s “Petroushka.”

In 1993, Troull won the Grand Prix at the Piano Masters Competition in Monte-Carlo. She has performed with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and major Russian orchestras, and worked with leading conductors such as Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Yuri Temirkanov…

NINA SCHUMANN

South Africa

Nina Schumann was born into a musical family in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Her first appearance with an orchestra was at the age of 15, and her talent quickly captured the public’s attention. She has performed over 150 concerts with orchestras in South Africa, Europe, and the USA, with a repertoire of around 40 piano concertos. Schumann has given recitals and master classes across Africa, Europe, the USA, and Asia.

Following her studies in Cape Town, Los Angeles, and Texas, she was appointed Professor of Piano at Stellenbosch University, where she founded two significant music festivals that bridge African classical musicians with the international scene.
For the past two decades, Schumann has performed in a duo with Luis Magalhães under the name “TwoPianists,” and their recordings have received high praise in prestigious publications. Schumann is also the co-founder of the “TwoPianists Records” label…

PILAR VALERO

Spain

Pilar Valero was born in Madrid, where she began her musical studies at a very early age. She graduated with honors in piano from the “Conservatorio Superior de Música de Granada” under the guidance of Juan José Pérez Torrecillas, a disciple of the great master Eduardo del Pueyo.

She was awarded third prize in the “National Young Pianists Competition” and received a scholarship to further her studies at the “Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique” in Mons, Belgium. There, under the tutelage of P. Montero, she earned a “Premier Prix avec distinction” in piano and pursued further specialization in harpsichord with Pierre Hantaï and piano with Aquiles Delle Vigne, who had a significant influence on her development.

Since then, Pilar Valero has performed solo recitals in multiple countries, including Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Slovenia, Russia, earning highly positive reviews…

TOMISLAV BAYNOV

Germany / Bulgaria

Prof. Baynov, born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1958, began piano lessons at the age of four. By six, he won 1st prize at the National Piano Competition in Provadia. He studied with renowned teachers like Velichka Savova, Prof. Konstantin Ganev and Prof. Juliya Ganeva, and had artistic influences from Bulgarian composers such as Pancho Vladigerov, Lubomir Pipkov, Lazar Nikolov, Parashkev Hadjiev.

In 1981, Baynov moved to Vienna and Paris and later to Germany, where he studied at the State University of Music in Trossingen, completing his postgraduate studies with honours in 1991. He also participated in master classes with prominent musicians like Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Alexis Weissenberg.

Baynov became a professor at the State University of Music in Trossingen in 1998 and regularly gives master classes across Europe…

XIN WANG

China

Despite her young age, Xin Wang has established herself as one of the leading pianists from Inner Mongolia, China. At just 7 years old, she gained public attention by winning a special prize at the National Piano Competition in China. Since then, she has performed piano concerts and recitals in concert halls all across China and the world.

Xin studied in Cologne and Nuremberg with renowned professors Jolio Largacha and Gabriel Rosenberg, and she received a DAAD scholarship. Over the years, she has won numerous international prizes and performed in prestigious venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie and Schloss Elmau in Germany, as well as concert halls in Wuhan, Xiamen, and Hohhot.

As a soloist, she has performed with renowned orchestras like the Chamber Philharmonic St. Petersburg and the Berliner Camerata, under the baton of famous conductors like Kazem Abdullah and Eduardo Strausser….