Pancho Vladigerov
International Piano Competition 2025
Jury Member
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 soon captured the attention of the public. She now has over 150 concerto performances with orchestras in South Africa, Europe and the United States to her credit, and some 40 concertos in her repertoire. She has appeared widely in recitals and master classes in Africa, Europe, the USA and Asia.
Following studies in Cape Town, Los Angeles and Denton, Texas, Nina was appointed as Professor and Head of Piano at the University of Stellenbosch where she initiated the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium. Both these events have become her passion projects and have succeeded in alleviating the isolation of classical musicians on the African continent. Nina is also a sought-after pedagogue and has given master classes worldwide at prestigious international institutions.
For two decades Schumann had continued a critically acclaimed duo with pianist Luis Magalhães, simply titled TwoPianists.
Their CD’s have received rave reviews from international publications such as Diapason, International Record Review, Gramaphone and Allmusic.com. American Record Guide named their second CD it’s Editor’s Choice. Schumann is a co-founder and director of TwoPianists Records, which is distributed worldwide by Naxos. For two consecutive years, TwoPianists Records won the South African Music Award for the Best Popular Classical Album. Schumann’s first recording with mezzo-soprano Michelle Breedt, Shakespeare Inspired, also received the German Critics’ Choice Award. Schumann’s collaborative work has led to engagements in Wigmore Hall and Zürich Tonhalle, and she partnered with such luminaries as Ivry Gitlis, Bryn Terfel, Michelle Breedt and Daniel Rowland.
Schumann is a YAMAHA International Artist.