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Nathanaël Iselin, a French conductor based in Scandinavia, secured the First Prize and Orchestra Prize at the Eighth International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition. In 2023, he served as Conductor in Residence of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and earned Second Prize at the German Conducting Award, conducting the WDR Sinfonieorchester and Gürzenich-Orchester. His notable achievements include leading performances with orchestras such as the Danish Radio Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, and the orchestras of Odense, Aarhus, and Oulu, in repertoire ranging from Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique to Debussy’s La Mer. Nathanël has also conducted operatic productions including Cenerentola, Carmen, and Rigoletto. His extensive training in orchestra conducting includes studies in Helsinki, Paris, Zurich, and Copenhagen, under the guidance of renowned conductors like Iván Fischer, Mariss Jansons, and Sakari Oramo.Top of Form
Argentinian conductor Michelle Di Russo was recently appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony under the guidance of Robert Spano. She has also distinguished herself as a 2023 Dudamel Fellow with the LA Philharmonic and a mentee of the Taki Alsop Fellowship. Michelle’s accomplishments include being a former conducting fellow of the Lucerne Festival Academy, Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program, and The Dallas Opera Hart Institute, as well as a recipient of the Richard S. Weinert award from Concert Artists Guild. Notable guest conducting debuts with the LA Philharmonic, Knoxville Symphony, Delaware Symphony, and Vermont Symphony among others, underscore her rising stature in the conducting world. Additionally, her experience as a cover conductor for orchestras such as the St Louis Symphony and the National Symphony, and her regular performances with the North Carolina Symphony, further attest to her versatility and skill.
Rita Castro Blanco, one of Portugal’s most promising young conductors, has made significant debuts with the Orquestra Gulbenkian, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, and Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa. Currently serving as Assistant Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for the 2023/24 season, Rita’s career continues to ascend. In addition to her orchestral engagements, she freelances as an Assistant Conductor, collaborating with esteemed conductors such as Nuno Coelho, Giancarlo Guerrero, Joana Carneiro, and Clark Rundell. Rita’s passion for opera and contemporary music has led her to prestigious festivals like Tanglewood, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Lucerne Festival. Throughout her studies, Rita has enriched her skills through masterclasses with renowned ensembles including the Royal Opera House Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. Recent highlights in her career include performances with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica de Navarra, and Real Filarmonía de Galicia.
Xinran Shi began playing the piano at age 4 and currently studies with Hans Boepple. At 13, she made her debut with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, playing Chopin’s E-minor concerto. Xinran has attended various music festivals, including Morningside Music Bridge in Boston, the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition & Festival, and Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy (PYPA) Piano Festival. She has won several piano competitions, including top prizes in the e-Piano Competition, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and Ettlingen International Piano Competition. She was also a 2020–2022 Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. In 2023, she appeared on NPR’s From The Top. Apart from music, she enjoys dancing, reading, swimming, and traveling.
Nikita Evgeny Koller studies with Robin Wilson, Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School in London. His
previous teacher was Liana Tretiakova in Zurich. Since 2022, Nikita has also attended the Zakhar Bron Academy in Interlaken. He is a prizewinner
of national and international music competitions: David Oistrakh Violin Competition (2023, Astana), Artur Grumiaux Competition (2022), Swiss
Youth Music Competition (2021 – 2024). At age ten, he made his debut as soloist with a chamber orchestra (2020), and with a symphony orchestra a
year later. He has since performed with several ensembles and orchestras, among them Zürcher Kammerphilharmonie, Camerata Tchaikovsky (London), Gringolts Quartett, Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra, at venues including KKL Luzern, Stadtcasino Basel, Mozarteum, and Carnegie Hall. Nikita is a passionate soloist and dedicated chamber musician; he loves to play chamber music with friends.
Violinist Katya Moeller played her first solo recital at age 6 and made her orchestra debut when she was 12. Most recently, she was named the First Prize winner of the World Bach Competition, ODIN International Music Competition, and First World Violin E-Competition Napolinova, Grand Prize Winner of the ENKOR International Violin Competition, and Second Prize winner of the Togliatti International Violin Competition and First Harmonium OnlinePlus International Music Competition. As a member of the Avita Duo, she performed in Austria, Brazil, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Singapore, and United States. The Duo released a recording of Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano and world-premiere of Oskolki on the Hänssler Classic label to enthusiastic critical acclaim. Katya studies with Masao Kawasaki, pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at The Juilliard School. She previously studied with Almita Vamos and was a fellowship member of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy.
Dillon Scott attends the Curtis Institute of Music where he holds the Mark. E. Rubenstein Fellowship and studies with Edward Gazouleas and Roberto Diaz. Dillon was a finalist in both the junior and senior divisions of the Sphinx Competition and was awarded first place at the Nelly Berman Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow. He was also featured on NPR’s From the Top. Dillon has performed as a soloist with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra orchestras and as soloist at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall. He performs frequently at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. As a supporter of contemporary and underrepresented voices, he has championed the Viola Concerto by Roberto Sierra and the Viola Sonata and String Quartet No.1 by George Walker. In past summers, he attended the Perlman Music Program, Kneisel Hall, the Sphinx Performance Academy, and the Dali Quartet International Music Festival.
Ayano Nakamura is currently earning a Master’s degree at the Yale School of Music where she studies with Ettore Causa. She recently received a Bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory, studying with Martha Katz and Mai Motobuchi, and has attended the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop and Kneisel Hall Young Artist Chamber Music Program among others. She recently performed with A Far Cry Chamber Ensemble and Nobuko Imai’s celebration concert in Japan.
Laura Liu, a native of Miami, Florida, currently lives in New York City where she studies with Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory. Last summer, she took part in the Olympic Music Festival Fellowship, Music@Menlo’s International Performer’s Program and Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Workshop. She previously attended Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall, Music Academy of the West, and Heifetz International Music Institute. Laura made her Casals Forum debut, performing in recital at the Kronberg Festival Masterclasses. This past season she received an Honorary Mention and the Pirastro Prize for outstanding young talent at the Third Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition. She recently earned her Bachelor of Music, and is now pursuing her Master’s as a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School.
Angel S. Wang is a student at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, studying under Professor Natalia Trull. He recently achieved Second Prize and Silver Medal at the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition, along with winning other international competitions such as the 63rd International Piano Competition ‘Premio Jaen’, the International Rachmaninoff Piano Competition, and the 21st International Piano Competition ‘Composers of Spain’. Angel has performed with orchestras including the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, under conductors like Valery Gergiev and Alexey Rubin. He has performed at important venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, and in Moscow at both halls of the Moscow Conservatory, at the Mariinsky 2, and at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.