Jury

Praised by critics for the maturity of his interpretation and the depth of his playing, Ingmar Lazar is one of the most notable French pianists of his generation. He regularly performs in prestigious halls around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and the Seine Musicale.

A guest at many international festivals — including La Roque d’Anthéron, the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, the Colmar International Festival, and the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — he has collaborated with conductors such as Vladimir Spivakov, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Mathieu Herzog, and Julien Chauvin, and has performed with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the Virtuosi of Moscow, the Lamoureux Orchestra, the Pasdeloup Orchestra, and the Concert de la Loge. A sought-after chamber musician, he also shares the stage with many renowned artists and ensembles.

His discography, praised by the specialist press, includes recordings devoted to Schubert, Beethoven, and César Franck, honored by Classica, Diapason, and France Musique. A Steinway artist and a laureate of the Tabor Foundation at the Verbier Festival as well as the Safran Foundation for Music, he is also a recipient of the Ateliers Médicis with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

Trained notably with Vladimir Kraïnev, Bernd Goetzke, Pavel Gililov, and Elisso Virsaladze, after studies in Hanover, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and at the International Piano Academy of Lake Como, Ingmar Lazar is the founder and artistic director of the Festival du Bruit qui Pense, co-founder of the Fugues Pianistiques festival, and artistic director and president of the cultural season of the Amis du Château de Commarin.

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.

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.