FIRST AWARDS 2006 to 2023

PRIMI PREMI dal 2006 al 2023

The Competition has counted among its winners pianists accompanists and conductors who currently perform or have performed at prestigious Italian and foreign theaters: Teatro Grande in Brescia, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro Regio in Turin, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Teatro Sao Carlos in Lisbon, Teatro Regio in Parma, Teatro di Busseto, Teatro di Como, Teatro Bellini in Catania, Teatro di Santiago del Cile.

Il Concorso ha annoverato tra i suoi vincitori pianisti accompagnatori e direttori d'orchestra che attualmente svolgono o hanno svolto i loro incarichi presso prestigiosi teatri italiani ed esteri: Teatro Grande di Brescia, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Teatro Donizetti di Bergamo, Teatro Sao Carlos di Lisbona, Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro di Busseto, Teatro di Como, Teatro Bellini di Catania, Teatro di Santiago del Cile.


2006: GIANLUCA PAGLIUSO (Italy)

2007: not assigned
2008: not assigned 

2009: EX-AEQUO JEONG UN KIM (South Korea)
2009: EX-AEQUO FRANCESCO RICCI (Italy)
2010: LEE IN SEON (South Korea)
2011: SO YOUNG SIM (South Korea)

2012: not assigned 

2013: KAYOKO IKEDA (Japan)

2014: not assigned 

2015: EX-AEQUO SHIN INCHUL (South Korea)
2015: EX-AEQUO EUN BITNA (South Korea)
2016: EX-AEQUO MIURA MARI (Giappone)
2016: EX-AEQUO PULSONI CHIARA (Italy)
2017: JEONG JIEUN (South Korea)
2018: KWON SUBHIN (South Korea)
2019: ELIA TAGLIAVIA (Italy)
2020: CHOI HYEJI (South Korea)
2021: JOHANNES BETTAC (Germany)
2022: not assigned
2023: JUHYUNG LEE (South Korea)

WINNERS OF THE 18TH EDITION ONLINE
Vincitori della 18° edizione ONLINE

1° PRIZE 

JUHYUNG LEE (South Korea)


to be published

3° PRIZE

MINJEONG KIM (South Korea)

Graduated in piano from Myungji University and later moved to Italy and received her degree in piano accompanist from the Conservatory of Rome. 
She attended the course for piano accompanists at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto. She is currently studying at the two-year postgraduate course at the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala (2022-2024).
Accompanist pianist of the 77th European Community Competition, Asli.co. She has collaborated as a master collaborator of the hall, stage, lighting in various productions. 

4° PRIZE

ZITONG WANG (China)


Wang Zitong, collaborating pianist. Graduated from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, Italy. She was born in China Liaoning province in 1997. Studied piano since five years of age. Graduated from Liaoning Normal University in the three-year Musicology program, she was later admitted by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan to the two-year Collaborating Master program. She won 1st prize as an accompanist pianist in the Sanremo International Music Competition, Gold Prize in the Piano category of the Beethoven International Music Competition, Third Prize in the "Milano City" Chamber Music Competition.

WINNERS OF THE 17TH EDITION ONLINE
Vincitori della 17° edizione ONLINE

CHIH WEI KAO
2° PRIZE 


Chihwei Kao was born in Keelung, Taiwan, in 1995. He received his bachelor's degree in piano from the National Taipei University of Education and his master's degree from the Brescia Conservatory of Music, graduating with a grade of 110 with honors. He has given recitals and performed in piano festivals and concert halls in Taipei, Paris and northern Italy: The International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo, Paris International Summer Sessions, the International Festival NTUE in Taipei, 8th Cremona Pianoforum. Chihwei also won First Overall Prize and Special Prize "Enrico De Mori" at the 10th International "A. Salieri" Competition and First Prize at the 12th National "Jan Langosz" Competition. After years of studying as a soloist, he is completing the master's degree of Maestro Collaboratore at the Milan Conservatory of Music with Maestro Luigi Marzola. He collaborates as a student accompanist in the 2nd level master's course "Italian Chamber Opera of the 20th Century" at the Milan Conservatory.

GENI HUYNJI KIM
2° PRIZE


Genì Hyunji Kim is a South Korean pianist, born in Pohang, and graduated first in South Korea in Pianoforte and later in Accompaniment in the Master II level at Ewha Womens University in Seoul. In Italy, she graduated in 2022 from the two-year course of Substituted Maestro and Korrepetitor at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia with 110 cum laude and Honorable Mention and graduated from the course for Maestri Collaboratori at the Accademia del Teatro Coccia in Novara. Pianist at the Accademia della Voce del Piemonte. He was awarded First Prize at the 'Domenico Savino' Competition and First Prize at the 'Vincenzo Scaramuzza' Competition, both in chamber music. He participated as Pianist in the operas: 'La Bohème' by G.Puccini, 'Le nozze di Figaro' by W.A.Mozart, 'L'elisir d'amore', 'Don pasquale', 'Lucia di Lammermoor' by G.Donizetti with 'DQ opera ensemble', 'Associazione musicale Tito Gobbi', 'Teatro Coccia di Novara' .

ROBERTO FRANCO 
3° PRIZE


Roberto Franco first has the Academic Diploma of II level with full marks and honors at the Conservatory 'A. Scontrino' of Trapani where he later graduated in Composition. Since 2006, he has to his credit numerous collaborations with the Ente 'Luglio Musicale Trapanese' (Teatro di Tradizione) for the opera seasons, covering the roles of master collaborator of the hall and stage, continuist and pianist of the children's choir, as well as instrumentalist in the orchestra). Since a.y. 2018/2019, he has held the position of external piano collaborator at various Italian conservatories: Conservatories of Darfo Boario Terme, Alessandria, Genoa, and Brescia. He is also currently listed for the same role at the Conservatory of Milan, of La Spezia. Awarded in several national and international music competitions, he carries out concert activity both chamber information and, above all, as accompanist of singers.

WINNERS OF THE 16TH EDITION ONLINE
Vincitori della 16° edizione ONLINE

JOHANNES BETTAC, 
1° PRIZE &
1° YOUTH PRIZE

Johannes Bettac studies orchestral conducting at the HfM Detmold with Prof. Florian Ludwig. Before his studies, he completed an internship as a repetiteur at the Theater Hof. Lately he already served as assistant conductor and repetiteur at the Landestheater Detmold. He is repetiteur in singing and instrumental classes at the HfM Detmold. As an orchestral pianist he played among others in the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester or the National Youth Orchestra of Germany. In 2020 he received the special prize of the European Music Federation for Youth at the competition for ostracised music in Schwerin. During his school years, he won numerous prizes at the Jugend musiziert competition (e.g. in 2018, two prizes with full marks as well as three special prizes). Within his studies Johannes Bettac as a conductor already worked with numerous ensembles, like the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the Symphonisches Orchester des Landestheaters Detmold, the chamber orchestra Bridge of Sound or the ensemble for modern music Earquake.

MATTEO FAILLA. 
2° PRIZE

Pianist, composer and arranger from Varese (Italy), he begins piano studies with Paola del Negro and graduates in 2019 at Conservatory of Music “G. Verdi” in Como, where he trained as accompanist in singing and acting classes with Francesco Miotti and Daniela Manusardi. He is among the winners of the first two editions of the composition competition “Aforismi” with the works “A Night at the Brazen Head” and “Song on Purgatory’s beach”. Eclectic musician, he performs in Varese, Como and Milan in various ensembles that embrace opera, choral, and fusion music. He was repetiteur and pianist in orchestra in the contemporary opera “Due ragazzi perbene” by the composer and conductor Lorenzo Casati: he also transcribed the vocal score of the opera. He performed as a pianist, repetiteur and prompter at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Palazzo Cesi in Acquasparta, Teatro Garibaldi in Lucera and Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. He’s currently attending the two year course for opera coaches at La Scala Theatre Academy in Milan.

MATILDE BIANCHI, 
3° PRIZE &
2° YOUTH PRIZE

Matilde, born in Bologna on February 19, 2002, grew up in a musical environment: the daughter of musicians she is since childhood surrounded by different musical instruments with which she tries her hand, preferring the piano. In addition to qualifying for first places in several international competitions, in 2017 she won a scholarship for musical excellence at the "Giovani in Crescendo" competition in Pesaro. It was a significant experience with which he will begin to debut as a soloist with orchestra (Orchestra del Teatro Rossini and "Ferruccio Busoni") in several Italian cities such as Pesaro, Bologna (Auditorium Manzoni and Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Vinci, Vatican Museums, at only 15 years old.
Matilde is currently attending the two-year piano course at the G. B. Martini Conservatory of Bologna under the guidance of Maestro Matteo Fossi and the opera school of the Municipal Theater of Bologna in the advanced course for Maestro Collaboratore. 

ALESSIO MASI, 
3° YOUTH PRIZE


Alessio Masi began his musical studies in 2008 and then enrolled in 2014 at the Conservatory of Music A. Scarlatti in Palermo. He is currently attending the second year of the three-year Piano Course and simultaneously attending the Pre-Academic Course in Composition. Winner of a scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year as a collaborating pianist for the classes of string instruments, he already has concert experience to his credit, including as a collaborating pianist, for the J.S. Bach Concerto Laboratory, and performed as a solo pianist at the 2018 Chopin Marathon at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.  In 2021, he participates in a Masterclass in advanced piano performance given by Roberto Prosseda at the Fontarò Theater in Palermo.

WINNER OF THE 15TH EDITION ONLINE
Vincitori della 15° edizione ONLINE

CHOI HYEJI 
1° PRIZE

Choi Hyeji graduated from the Catholic University of Daegu under Maestro Hae-sun Paik (winner of the Leeds, Tchaikovsky competitions). She specialized in Italy at the "G. Verdi" Conservatory of Music in Como under Maestro Ugo Federico, Federica Valli and Paolo Beschi. She has performed in her homeland and in Italy as a soloist and in various chamber music ensembles in the halls of theaters in northern Italy. (Collaboration on piano at the Masterclass of maestro Giovanni Sollima, Recital of maestro Daniele Bogni as pianist ). Currently, he continues to specialize as a master collaborator on piano at the academy Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Conservatory of "G. Verdi" in Milan. He carries out intense concert activity. Two years after her victory in the Respighi Competition, 2020 jury president Roberto Rizzi Brignoli invited her to be the concertmaster pianist for a production of Boheme at the Opera House in Santiago, Chile. 

DANIELE BONINI 
2° PRIZE 

Daniele Bonini graduated from the Udine Conservatory of Music. Winner of more than 40 national and international solo and chamber music competitions, he has attended solo performance master classes held by Daniel Rivera, Marian Mika, Juris Zvikovs, Riccardo Zadra and Paolo Bordoni. He has attended master classes at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and the Fiesole School of Music. He performs in Italy and abroad and is a regular collaborating pianist at Conservatories of Music: "J. Tomadini" in Udine, "G. Tartini" in Trieste, "G. Verdi" in Milan and "G. Verdi" in Como. He is also a collaborating pianist for the International Competition organized by the Humanitarian Society of Milan and the National Arts Award.


 LEE KIBBUM
2° PRIZE 

Lee Kibbum was born in 1991 in Gongju, South Korea. She majored in Piano at Sookmyung University in Korea and after graduation in 2014, she moved to Italy. In 2016, she graduated from the Milan Conservatory of Music in Vocal Chamber Music in the Biennium. And in 2018, she graduated from the Academic Biennium of Master Collaborator at the Conservatorio "G. Verdi" in Milan. She attended the advanced course for Maestro collaboratore in the Biennium 2018/2020 at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

 AHN EUNMI
3° PRIZE 

Ahn Eumi was born in Masan, South Korea. She graduated with a degree in piano from Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea. She graduated as a Maestro collaboratore collaborator from the Biennium of the "A.Boito" Conservatory of Parma in June 2020. She attended the Maestro collaboratore course for musical theater at the Coccia Theater in Novara. She is engaged as a pianist at OFF 'Festival VERDI PARMA'; ACCADEMIA DI APRILE MILLO in Busseto; VERDI OFF 'Festival VERDI PARMA.