Jury

Of Croatian and Portuguese origin, Robert Andres leads an eclectic career combining performance, teaching, and research. Trained at the Zagreb Academy of Music, he continued his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a scholarship from the Soviet government, then in Vienna and the United States, where he earned a Doctorate in Piano and a Master’s degree in Musicology from the University of Kansas, studying under the pianist Sequeira Costa.

A laureate of numerous awards, he has performed in recital, with orchestra, and in chamber music throughout Europe, the United States, and Venezuela. He has collaborated with artists such as Artur Pizarro, Zakhar Bron, and Lorenzo Di Bella, and since 1995 has formed a highly praised duo with his wife, Irish pianist Honor O’Hea.

He is a tenured professor of piano and head of the keyboard department at the Conservatory – School of Arts of Madeira, and also serves as artistic director of the Madeira PianoFest and the Madeira International Piano Masterclasses. He is frequently invited to serve on juries for international competitions and to give masterclasses across Europe and the Americas.

A research associate at INET-md in Lisbon, he has published numerous articles in international journals and encyclopedias, as well as a reference book on piano technique (Scarecrow Press, 2001). He is also committed to preserving the musical heritage of Madeira through critical editions and recordings.

Recently, he edited and revised two volumes of piano music for the Anthology of Music in Madeira and recorded a CD of 19th-century piano music composed in Madeira.

Mario Coppola began studying piano at an early age, influenced by the prestigious Neapolitan school of Paolo Denza. He studied with Marisa Carretta, Sergio Fiorentino, and Aldo Ciccolini, and also worked with Dario De Rosa at the Scuola del Trio di Trieste in Duino for chamber music. In 2004, he was invited by the Ravello Concert Society to perform at Villa Rufolo, where he presented the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas over eight recitals.

He has performed at major venues including Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Fraschini in Pavia, Teatro Coccia in Novara, Teatro Sannazaro and Teatro di Corte in Naples, the Accademia Filarmonica Romana, the municipal theatres of Marsala and Potenza, Teatro Lauro Rossi in Macerata, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Leopold Mozart Saal in Salzburg, Bösendorfer Hall in Brussels, as well as in Paris, Cologne, Koblenz, Cádiz, Seville, and the Grand Hall of Helsinki. In May 2011, he performed an all-Beethoven recital at the Cappella Paolina of the Quirinal Palace. The concert was broadcast live on Radio3 Europe and praised by the European Broadcasting Union.

He currently teaches piano at the “Guido Cantelli” Conservatory in Novara.

Praised by critics for his refinement, warmth, flawless technique, and balanced musicality, Mario Coppola captivates audiences with the unique beauty of his sound and his complete command of the instrument. His interpretations of Haydn, Brahms, Liszt, and Chopin have been described as memorable and deeply moving by renowned musicians such as Bruno Canino, Aldo Ciccolini, Paul Badura-Skoda, as well as by the international press.

Thanks to the achievements and awards of his students in international piano competitions, he is also recognized as a refined and accomplished pedagogue.

Trained at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Svetlana Eganian studied with prestigious masters such as Bella Davidovich and Zinaida Ignatieva, a disciple of Samuel Feinberg — a major figure of the Russian school and a contemporary and friend of Alexander Scriabin. She is the direct heir to this pianistic tradition, where technical rigor is combined with a profound quest for expressiveness.

Her talent and artistic standards earned her four First Prizes in the disciplines of Concert Soloist, Chamber Musician, Pedagogue, and Opera Singer Accompanist/Partner, distinctions awarded by an exceptional jury composed of emblematic figures of the Russian school such as Tatiana Nikolaeva, Dmitri Bashkirov, Evgeny Malinin, Lev Naumov, and Sergei Dorensky.

Based in France, she devoted 42 years of teaching to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Lyon, where she trained generations of musicians in the Piano and Secondary Piano departments. Her pedagogical approach, nourished by both Russian and French cultures, has influenced many of today’s artists and teachers.

Pianist, pedagogue, and a key figure in the musical world, Svetlana Eganian is also the founder and Artistic Director of the prestigious Lyon International Piano Competition, which she created to offer young talents a stage of excellence and a springboard to an international career. Through her commitment, she continues to make the Russian tradition shine while encouraging openness and dialogue with contemporary aesthetics.

Born in Monaco to French parents, Héloïse Hervouët is one of the most brilliant artists of the new generation. She is often described by the press in these terms: “A talented and imaginative pianist with a sensitive and passionate playing style,” or “an extraordinary sensitivity to sound allows her to express the very essence of music through her fingertips.”

She is a guest at prestigious festivals such as Les Nuits Romantiques du Bourget, Attersee Klassik in Austria, Alghero in Sardinia, the GoldHerbst Festival in Pforzheim, Musique à la Cour in Solliès-Pont, Piano à Levens, the Menton Festival, Classicaval in Val d’Isère, and many others. She has also performed at the Chorégies d’Orange, the Radio France Festival in Montpellier, the Printemps des Arts in Monte-Carlo, and during the season of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Her concert tours have led her to perform both in her home region—the French Riviera—and throughout Europe, South America, and the United States.

A passionate chamber musician, Héloïse Hervouët performs alongside renowned artists such as Thierry Amadi, Sibylle Duchesne, David Lefèvre, Liza Kerob, Andreas Ottensamer, Tibor Kovàc, Andrey Yaroshinskiy, Edouard Sapey-Triomphe, Fabrice Pierre, Mariam Adam, Bernard Soustrot, and many others. She is also regularly invited to perform with The Philharmonics, an ensemble composed of soloists from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. For nearly fifteen years, she collaborated frequently with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist, orchestral pianist, and chamber musician. This opportunity allowed her to work with some of the world’s most renowned artists and to take part in numerous tours and recordings for the OPMC label.

A major milestone for this passionate musician is ABÉLARD, the crossover duo she founded in 2019 and now forms with pianist Yolande Kouznetsov. The duo was invited to open for the German band Rammstein during four world stadium tours. With no fewer than 91 shows across nearly thirty countries, they performed in front of more than four million spectators alongside the famous industrial metal group. Their tribute album, “Rammstein On Piano,” was released in spring 2023 by Decca Records – Universal Music France.

Holder of the Certificat d’Aptitude and a Master’s degree in Music Education, Héloïse Hervouët is a piano teacher at the Prince Rainier III Academy in Monaco.

Trained at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Sergueï Kouznetsov studied with masters such as Bris Romanov, Lev Vlasenko, Mikhail Pletnev, and Sergueï Dorenski. His brilliant career has been crowned with five First Prizes, attesting to an exceptional command of piano performance and profound artistic rigor.

Based in France for several years, he leads a dual career as a concert pianist and teacher. He performs both as a soloist and in chamber music on many European stages, where his interpretations — always intense and deeply inspired — leave a strong impression on audiences through their emotional power and refined sound.

Alongside his artistic activity, Sergueï Kouznetsov devotes an essential part of his life to teaching. A recognized pedagogue, he has developed a personal approach to transmission, combining high standards, attentive listening, and progressive technical development. His method enables students of all levels to progress with confidence and fully reach their potential. Several of his former students are now teachers in France and abroad, and many others regularly distinguish themselves in international competitions.

He has also played a major role in shaping music education in France by jointly directing the five conservatories of Val d’Yerres, where he promoted strong artistic momentum and contributed to the training of generations of young musicians.

A complete artist, heir to the great Russian tradition and deeply committed to transmission, Sergueï Kouznetsov continues to enrich musical life in France and across Europe through the uniqueness of his artistic vision and the generosity of his teaching.

Born in Brussels, Philippe Raskin is an eclectic pianist whose career combines recital, chamber music, and educational commitment. Trained at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, he graduated with the highest honors before continuing his studies at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid with Dimitri Bashkirov and Claudio Martínez Mehner. A laureate of the Sobresaliente Prize and holder of a Specialization Diploma from the Strasbourg Conservatory, he later perfected his art with figures such as Leon Fleisher, Vincenzo Balzani, Leonel Morales, and Hatto Beyerle.

Winner of numerous international competitions, including “Spanish Composers” and the J.S. Bach Competition, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on the greatest stages, among them the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Berlin Philharmonie. His interpretations, praised by critics for their radiant authority and generosity, are accompanied by collaborations with renowned orchestras such as the National Orchestra of Belgium and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, as well as with prestigious partners such as Clemens Hagen, George Tudorache, and Artur Kaganovskiy. Several composers have dedicated works to him, enriching his repertoire with contemporary creations.

Deeply involved in the promotion and mentoring of young talents, Philippe Raskin is Artistic Director of the César Franck International Piano Competition (Belgium) and the International Music Festival Paris (France), as well as Executive Director of the Piano Loop Festival (Croatia). He is invited to serve on the juries of numerous international competitions, including Piano Talents, the Lyon International Piano Competition, MozArte, and Spanish Composers.

Alongside his artistic activity, he founded his own piano school in 2009 and gives numerous masterclasses in Belgium and abroad. He currently teaches at the Friedrich Gulda Conservatory in Vienna, at the Institut Royal Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie (IMEP) in Belgium, and at Talent Music Master Courses in Brescia. Through his career, Philippe Raskin embodies a vision of the piano in which musical excellence goes hand in hand with a constant commitment to transmission and the international influence of classical music.

Portuguese pianist Álvaro Teixeira Lopes leads an international career that combines performance, artistic direction, and educational engagement. A laureate of several prizes, he has performed as a soloist and in chamber music on the stages of prestigious festivals around the world, asserting a playing style recognized for its intensity and musical finesse. His students, trained to the highest level, regularly stand out in national and international competitions.

Artistic Director of the Santa Cecília International Competition (CISC) and the Santa Cecília International Festival, he is also a visiting professor at the University of Aveiro and Director of the Curso de Música Silva Monteiro (CMSM). Deeply committed to transmission, he gives masterclasses in many countries, notably in Portugal, France, Brazil, Taiwan, China, Spain, and Italy, where he is regularly invited to the Brescia International Festival and Summer Academy.

His reputation as an expert has led to frequent invitations to serve on juries of major international competitions such as Rina Sala Gallo, Iturbi, Compositores de España, Isidor Basič, the Lyon International Piano Competition, Épinal, César Franck, Cleveland Virtualoso, Maestro Arts Taiwan, Porto Piano International Competition, and the Festival Internacional de Piano do Rio de Janeiro.

In parallel, he holds institutional responsibilities as Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Casa da Música Foundation in Porto, appointed by the Ministry of Culture, thereby contributing to Portugal’s cultural and musical influence on the international stage.