IVAN CHEREDNICHENKO
chairman of the jury, conductor, Honored Artist of Ukraine, Head of the Musical Department at the Lviv National Opera
Ukraine
Graduated with honors from the Faculty of Opera and Symphonic Conducting of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (class of People’s Artist of Ukraine, Professor A. Vlasenko).
He was a participant in many conductor competitions, including: II International Symphonic Conductor Competition in Chisinau (Moldova, 2013, 1st prize, orchestra prize and audience prize), Ye. Svetlanov International Conductor Competition in Paris (France, one of the 16 finalists selected from among more than 500 applications from all over the world). In November 2017, he became a laureate of the III Stefan Turchak International Conducting Competition held in Kyiv (II prize).
He worked as a conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Dnipro Philharmonic, during which he prepared more than 100 concert programs. In June 2016, he was invited to the Bavarian State Opera as the conductor for the world premiere of H. Berheide’s opera “Mauerschau” (“Contemplation of the Wall”).
From 2016 to 2019, he was the conductor of the Kyiv Municipal Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet for Children and Youth (Kyiv Opera).
Collaborated with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Moldova, the Academic Choral Chapel “Doina” of the Republic of Moldova, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the National Academic Choral Capella “DUMKA”, the symphony orchestra and choir of the Dnipro Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, the “Radio France” symphony orchestra (France), the orchestra and choir of the Bavarian State Opera (Germany), the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany), the symphony orchestra of the Podlaska Philharmonic in Bialystok (Poland).
In October 2016, he participated in the International Project to commemorate the victims of the Babyn Yar massacre with the National Academic Choral Capella “DUMKA” and the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
Conductor-producer of the performances of W. A. Mozart’s Così fan tutte and G.B. Pergolesi’s La serva padrona on the stage of the Opera Studio of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music.
In March 2018, he was invited as the conductor of the festival Kharkiv Music Fest, where he conducted an orchestra of concertmasters of orchestras from all over Ukraine.
In June 2019, he staged W.A. Mozart’s opera Le nozze di Figaro at the Kyiv Opera.
In November 2019, he won the competition for the post of Head of the Musical Department of the Lviv National Opera. In 2020, he was the conductor-producer of the opera Turandot by G. Puccini, which was staged for the first time in the history of the theater, as well as the festive concert for the 120th anniversary of the Lviv National Opera. He initiated the first performance by the Lviv National Opera’s orchestra of the iconic symphonic works – G. Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 Resurrection (2021), B. Liatoshynskyi’s Symphony No. 3 (2022).
In June 2024, he performed the All-Ukrainian premiere of F. Poulenc’s opera Dialogues of the Carmelites. In April 2025, he conducted the world premiere of O. Rodin’s ballet Solaris. In May 2025, he was the conductor-director of B. Liatoshynsky’s opera The Golden Hoop.
SUSANNA CHAKHOIAN
opera singer (lyric-coloratura soprano), Honored Artist of Ukraine, associate professor at the R.M. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music, professor at the Vienna Beethoven Conservatory
Ukraine – Austria
Ukrainian lyric-coloratura soprano with Armenian roots, grew up in Odessa. She started her musical education at the age of five, studying piano at the famous Stoliarsky School. After finishing school she enrolled for the piano department of the Odessa State Music Academy where she studied with the highly esteemed Professor Liudmyla Ginzburg. The young pianist was offered post-graduate education scholarships in Western Europe. She decided, however, to enter a singing career.
Susanna started to study singing with the legendary opera singer Eugenia Miroshnichenko at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv. In 1999 still being a student the young singer was invited for Juliette’s role in a new production of Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliette” at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv. Since then, she has belonged to the ensemble as a preeminent soloist. In 2009 President Viktor Yushchenko awarded her the title “Honored Artist of Ukraine”. For many years she has performed at all opera houses of Ukraine, at the Opera of Tatarstan in Kazan, and has been on numerous opera tours to, among others, France, the Netherlands, Belgiumand Italy.
Besides Juliette, her operatic repertoire comprises among others, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor, Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Leila in Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème, Olympia in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Serpina in Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona. In the season 2021/2022 Susanna Chakhoian was heard at the National Opera of Ukraine as Gilda, Rosina, Olympia, Serpina, and Musetta. Since January 2023 she is guest soloist of National Opera of Ukraine.
Participating in several international singing competitions she won prizes in Budapest, 2002 (Second Prize), at Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna, 2004 (Audience Prize and Special Prize for the best stage personality), in Alcamo, Sicilia, 2008 (Second Prize and Best Verdi interpretation).
Apart from opera, Susanna Chakhoian devotes an important part of her activities to giving solo recitals, also performing operetta, sacred and contemporary music, classical and folk songs as well as chamber repertoire. She is a regular guest at the National Philharmonic, National Radio and TV Broadcast House, where she made a series of recordings as well. In concert the artist appeared in K. Orff’s Carmina Burana, G. Mahler’s 8th Symphony, J. Haydn’s Die Schӧpfung, Vier Letzte Lieder by R. Strauss, Les Illuminations by B. Britten, to name a few. In 2015, she was invited by the President of Ukraine to perform the soprano part in the internationally broadcasted Mozart Requiem on occasion of the Maidan Memorial and to appear as prime singer in the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide Concert.
In 2008 Susanna Chakhoian initiated and managed the international project Austria-Ukraine without Frontiers in Kyiv. Under this heading she performed several recitals at concert halls in Kyiv and Vienna together with Clemens Unterreiner, Jörg Schneider, Sebastian Reinthaller, Mehrzad Montazeri and others. She was also a frequent guest in festivals, e.g. with Oksana Lyniv in LvivMozArt and Graz (Austria). Over the years, she has established herself as a guest star in numerous radio and TV productions.
Beyond singing, the artist is passing on her professional experience to a growing number of students as associate professor at the Glière Music Academy in Kyiv. In March 2022, with a view to the Russian war in Ukraine, she moved with her family to Vienna. Since then, she has performed in a series of charity concerts in Bern, Berlin, Brussels, Vienna, Linz, and Salzburg.
Since September 2024, she is a Professor at Vienna Beethoven Conservatory.
NICHOLAS ISHERWOOD
opera singer (bass), professor of singing at the Conservatoire du Pays de Montbéliard, professor of contemporary singing at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia
USA – France – Italy
The Franco-American bass Nicholas Isherwood did musical, literary and theatrical studies at Oberlin College (B.A. in French Literature, B.M. in voice with Richard Miller), The Actors Centre in London and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes (D.E.A. in Musicology).
An eclectic artist, Isherwood has sung medieval music with Joel Cohen, baroque music with William Christie, the Magic Flute at the Salle Pleyel, Wagner’s Meistersinger with Zubin Mehta, several world premieres by Karlheinz Stockhausen and an evening at the Knitting Factory with Steve Lacy. His interest for contemporary music has led him to work with composers such as Sylvano Bussotti, Elliot Carter, George Crumb, Mauricio Kagel, György Kurtág, Olivier Messiaen, Giacinto Scelsi, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis as well as the leading composers of younger generations. He has performed both the Bach and Gubaidulina St. John Passions with Helmuth Rilling and improvised with Joëlle Léandre, Steve Lacy, David Moss and Sainkho Namtchilak.
Isherwood has sung on five continents, including the greatest theaters in Europe and the United States (Ravinia, Tanglewood, the Disney Hall, La Scala, the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Covent Garden, the Châtelet, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Philharmonie, the Royal Festival Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Biennale in Munich, all three Berlin opera houses, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Salzburg Festival, the Aix Festival, etc.) and with world-class orchestras and ensembles (London Philharmonic, RAI Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris, the London Sinfonietta, the SDR Orchestra, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Ensemble Modern, the Arditti and Diotima Quartets, etc.)
Singer has recorded 70 CDs for labels such as Erato, Naxos, NEOS, Stockhausen Verlag and Harmonia Mundi. He has participated in films with Stockhausen, Aperghis and Frize for Arte, the WDR and the INA.
In addition to his work as a singer, he has directed contemporary music theatre (SMIO in Orléans, Sons d’Hiver, Parvis St. Jean in Dijon, Teatro Regio in Torino, Stuttgart Opera, Tadashi Suzuki’s theater in Togamura, Deutsche Oper Berlin, etc.) and taught master classes in 5 languages on the French Art Song (USC, UdK), Olivier Messiaen (CNSMD in Paris), baroque singing (Cal State LA) and contemporary singing (Salzburg Mozarteum, ARIAM, UdK in Berlin, Munich Conservatory, Milan Conservatory, etc.), given lectures (Harvard, USC, Penn, Stanford, Berkeley, Freie Universität Berlin, IRCAM, etc.) and composed several pieces for voice (2 commissions from the DRAC and one from Art Zoyd). Nicholas Isherwood has taught at numerous universities in the United States, as well as the Ecole Normale de Musique and the Conservatoire National Supérieur in France, the UdK in Berlin and the Hochschule für Musik in Munich.
He has published a book, The Techniques of Singing (Bärenreiter, 2013), as well as three peer reviewed articles (LIM, the Journal of Singing, Vox Humana).
Nowadays he is a Professor of singing at the Conservatoire du Pays de Montbéliard and a Professor of contemporary singing at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia.
SVITLANA MAMCHUR
opera singer (lyric-dramatic soprano), People’s Artist of Ukraine, Head of the Academic Singing Department of the Lviv National Music Academy named after M. Lysenko
Ukraine
Ukrainian opera singer, long-time soloist of the Lviv National Opera, and dedicated pedagogue nurturing the next generation of vocalists.
Born in Lviv, she graduated from the Mykola Lysenko Lviv State Conservatory, where she studied under Professor Maria Baiko. As a student, she made her debut on the stage of the Lviv Opera House in the role of Oksana in Mykola Lysenko’s Christmas Night and soon became one of the opera’s leading soloists. Her career at the Lviv National Opera spanned over three decades (1990–2022).
Her repertoire includes dozens of major roles from both the world and Ukrainian operatic canon: Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco and Aida in Aida, Desdemona in Otello, Iolanta in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Floria Tosca in Tosca. She has also performed soprano parts in monumental works such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Buranaand Verdi’s Requiem.
Svitlana Mamchur was the first performer of several significant works of Ukrainian music, including Oleksandr Kozarenko’s Passions of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Myroslav Skoryk’s cantata Hamaliya and his opera Moses — all of which were recorded. Many of her performances are preserved in the archives of Ukrainian Radio, as well as on the album of Mykola Kolessa’s works from the Personaliї series.
Her touring activities have taken her to Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, and Luxembourg. A particularly memorable moment of her career was her performance in Rome, following the visit of Pope John Paul II to Lviv, where she sang Kozarenko’s Passions of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In addition to her active performing career, Svitlana Mamchur is committed to social initiatives: she has participated in numerous charity concerts in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and, in 2016, performed for soldiers in Mariupol and Berdiansk.
Since 2023, Svitlana Mamchur has headed the Department of Academic Singing at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy, sharing her artistry and experience with young vocalists. Her performances are distinguished by dramatic depth, a noble timbre, and a rare ability to combine vocal mastery with compelling stage presence.
TARAS KONOSHCHENKO
opera singer (bass), soloist of the Staatstheater Nürnberg
Ukraine – Germany
Ось переклад і відредагована англійська версія біографії. Я ретельно перевірила всі імена, назви театрів, опер і композиторів:
Born in Kyiv into a family with deep musical traditions, Taras pursued studies in piano, choral conducting, opera, and concert singing at leading Ukrainian music academies. He later continued his education as a postgraduate student at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and subsequently as both a trainee and soloist (1995–2003) at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany.
His German debut took place in 1994 as Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, under the baton of Sir Colin Davis.
Throughout his successful career, Taras has appeared on many distinguished opera stages, including: the National Opera of Ukraine (Kyiv), the Bregenz Festival, the Vienna Volksoper (Austria), Deutsche Oper Berlin, Anhaltisches Theater Dessau, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Staatsoper Hannover (Germany), Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (Brussels, Belgium), Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (Japan), Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona, Spain), and the Opéra de Toulon (France). He has also collaborated with renowned orchestras, such as the Philharmonic Orchestras of Munich, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Berlin, the Bamberg Symphony at the Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with world-class conductors including Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Wolfgang Sawallisch, James Levine, Kent Nagano, Fabio Luisi, and Marcello Viotti.
From 2013, Taras was the principal bass at Theater Lübeck (Germany), where he performed many of the most important roles of the bass repertoire to great acclaim. The highlight and final role of his tenure there was Boris Godunov in Peter Konwitschny’s production during the 2018/2019 season.
Since 2019, Taras has been a soloist at one of Germany’s most prestigious opera houses, the Staatstheater Nürnberg. There he has delighted audiences in roles such as the Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlo) by Verdi, Mustafa (L’italiana in Algeri) and Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola) by Rossini, Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) and Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro) by Mozart, and Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore) by Donizetti, among many others. A highlight of the 2023/2024 season was his portrayal of Gurnemanz in Wagner’s Parsifal, marking the 30th anniversary of his operatic and stage career. His engagements are scheduled through 2028, including performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Verdi’s Requiem, Puccini’s Turandot (Timur), Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer (Daland) and Tannhäuser (Hermann, Landgrave of Thuringia), and Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Osmin).
Alongside his performing career, Taras devotes significant time to teaching and mentoring young talents.
A prizewinner of numerous vocal competitions, he has performed widely in Europe, Japan, North and South America. His repertoire encompasses more than 130 operatic roles.
MARCELO AMARAL
pianist-accompanist, Professor for German Lieder and Art Song interpretation at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, member of the artistic board of the International Hugo Wolf Akademie
Brazil – Germany
The brazilian pianist Marcelo Amaral is winner of the Pianist Prize at the 2009 International Robert Schumann Song Competition. The New York Times called him a „superlative collaborator“.
He has received meaningful musical influences from artists such as Elly Ameling, Helmut Deutsch, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Malcolm Martineau, Peter Schreier and Olga Rodosavljevich.
Marcelo Amaral is amongst the most cherished accompanist of his generation and performs with renowned artists such as Juliane Banse, Janina Baechle, Olaf Bär, Daniel Behle, Nikolay Borchev, John Chest, Roxana Constantinescu, Melanie Diener, Veronika Eberle, Manuel Fischer-Dieskau, Brigitte Geller, Nikola Hillebrandt, Soile Isokoski, Konstantin Krimmel, Jochen Kupfer, Christoph Pohl, Christoph Prégardien, Julian Prégardien, Nuria Rial, Roman Trekel, Carolina Ullrich, The Alfama Quartett a.m.o.
He has been performing at some of the most prestigious concert venues including the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and Hohenehms, Schubertiada Vilabertran in Spain, the Wigmore Hall in London, Oxford Lied Festival, the Boulez Saal in Berlin, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the “Covergences” series at the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the International Hugo Wolf Akademie. He has been a welcome guest at many festivals such as the Montpellier Festival, the Mozarteum Sommerakademie, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, the Ravinia Festival, the Festival de Marvão and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
Marcelo Amaral is a recipient of the William Kurzban Award for Excellence. He also won the prize for best song accompaniment at the La Voce BR Musikzauber Song Competition in 2007 and the pianist prize at the International Robert Schumann Song Competition in Zwickau in 2008.
In 2012, he recorded his first song CD with soprano Carolina Ullrich, which was released under the title “Emoción” on the Genuin label. Further CDs for Alpha Classics and Naxos.
His collaborations have been broadcasted by the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Deutschland Radio Kultur, WDR/Arte Radio France and BBC.
A passionate teacher of vocal chamber music, Marcelo was appointed in 2014 Professor for German Lieder and Art Song interpretation at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg.
He is also in the artistic board of the International Hugo Wolf Akademie in Stuttgart.
2023
Zoryana KUSHPLER – chairwoman of the jury – worldwide famous opera singer (mezzo-soprano), honorary president of the Galician Music Society, voice professor at Mozarteum University (Ukraine – Austria)
Axel KRESIN – opera director and artist manager (Germany)
Sofia SOLOVIY – worldwide famous opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Lviv National Opera, soloist of the Lviv National Philharmonic, voice professor at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy (Ukraine)
Ivan CHEREDNICHENKO – conductor, Head of the Musical Department at the Lviv National Opera (Ukraine)
Taras KONOSHCHENKO – worldwide famous opera singer (bass), soloist of the Staatstheater Nürnberg (Ukraine – Germany)
2021
Zoryana KUSHPLER – chairwoman of the jury – worldwide famous opera singer (mezzo-soprano), honorary president of the Galician Music Society (Ukraine – Austria)
Paul GAUGLER – opera singer (tenor), award-winner of both Vincenzo Bellini and Armel Opera competitions (France)
Beata KLATKA – head of the Opera Academy of the Polish National Opera, director of the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition (Poland)
Oleksandr PUSHNIAK – opera singer (bass baritone), soloist of the Deutsche Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar (Ukraine – Germany)
Slavomir JAKUBEK – dramaturge, director of the “ASART” agency (Slovakia)
Sofia SOLOVIY – worldwide famous opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Myroslav Skoryk Lviv National Philharmonic (Ukraine)
Adrian KELLY – conductor, head of the International Opera Studio of the Zurich Opera House, artistic director of the Buxton Festival (England – Switzerland)
2019
Olha PASICHNYK – chairwoman of the jury – opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Polish Royal Opera (Ukraine – Poland)
Oleh LYHACH – opera singer (tenor), People’s Artist of Ukraine, soloist of Lviv National Opera, docent of solo singing department at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy (Ukraine)
Tetiana VAKHNOVSKA – opera singer (mezzo-soprano), Honored Artist of Ukraine, soloist of Lviv National Opera (Ukraine)
Axel KRESIN – opera director and artist manager (Germany)
Paul GAUGLER – opera singer (tenor), award-winner of both Vincenzo Bellini and Armel Opera competitions (France)
Dmytro KATSAL – conductor, art director of the ˮDudarykˮ Lviv State Academic Male Choir – the winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, Honored Art Worker (Ukraine)
2017
Olha PASICHNYK – chairwoman of the jury – opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Polish Royal Opera (Ukraine – Poland)
Serhiy MAHERA – opera singer (bass), soloist of the National Opera, People’s Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, Knight of the Order of the Italian Republic “Star of Italy” (Ukraine)
Sofia SOLOVIY – worldwide famous opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Madrid, Rome and Vienna operas, laureate of 14 international competitions (Ukraine)
Valeriy BUYMISTER – opera singer (baritone), People’s Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, professor of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (Ukraine)
Oleh MAHLAY – artistic director and chief conductor of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America named after Taras Shevchenko (the winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine), teacher of bandura and vocal at the Hryhory Kytasty Cleveland School of Bandura (USA)
Taras KRYSA – chief conductor and artistic director of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv Philharmonic, director of orchestral activities at the University of Nevada (USA)