Takashi Saito, recipient of the Grand Prize and Best Reinecke Performance Special Award at the 2025 Carl Reinecke International Music Competition, shares the artistic vision, personal reflections, and recording process behind his acclaimed performance of Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D major.

Finland-based Duo Euphonic Blend, featuring Aksel Salmioranta on euphonium and Nuppu Salmioranta on tuba, won the Diamond Prize at the 2025 BERLIOZ International Music Competition. In this exclusive interview, they share their musical journey, creative process, and the story behind Miniature Rhapsody in the Style of Shostakovich.

American conductor Felipe Tristán shares his artistic journey, insights on conducting Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet with Ballet de Monterrey, and reflections on music, collaboration, and the role of a conductor in today’s digital era.

Japanese pianist Shota Maeda, winner of the Platinum Prize and Saint-Saëns Special Award for Exceptional Technique at the 2025 Saint-Saëns International Music Competition, shares his inspiring journey of resilience, rediscovery, and artistry after overcoming focal hand dystonia.

Chinese pianist Peng Zhou, currently based in Reno, Nevada, has won the Grand Prize in the Baroque B (Over 17) category at the 2025 Saint-Saëns International Music Competition for her performance of Bach’s Toccata in C minor, BWV 911. In this exclusive interview, she shares her artistic journey, interpretative insights, and reflections on being a modern pianist in the digital era.

Composer Mehmet Güneş Açikgöz from Turkey was awarded Best Composer of the Season at the International Music Leadership Award 2025 Season 3 for his orchestral work Capriccio of Creation. In this exclusive interview, he shares the inspiration, creative process, and emotional journey behind his award-winning composition, as well as his reflections on contemporary composition and the challenges facing composers today.

Young composer Lenja Plajnšek from Slovenia won the Gold Prize and Creative Innovation Special Award at the Francesca Lebrun International Music Competition, 2025 Season 3, for her Concerto for Chromatic Accordion and Orchestra. In this exclusive interview, she shares her creative process, musical journey, and insights into contemporary composition.

Explore the musical journey of Hayk Hekekyan, a talented oboist from Armenia studying at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, as he shares insights on his performances, mentors, and family influences in international competitions.

Explore the artistic journey of Hyunjae Yoo, Grand Prize Winner of the 2025 Saint-Saëns International Music Competition, as she shares her approach to modern piano, performance videos, and the emotional depth of music in today’s digital age.

Award-winning Italian composer Corrado Cristaldi has won Best Musician of the Season at the Clementi International Music Competition 2025 for his solo flute work Pasacalle minima, a contemporary reimagining of the Baroque passacaglia.

Explore José Andrés Álvarez’s award-winning composition “Óleo de la refracción de la luz bajo el agua”, a mesmerizing blend of electroacoustic innovation and spectralist sound art.

Award-winning violinist Peiwen Su shares her artistic philosophy, journey in music, and vision for the future of classical performance and education. In this exclusive interview, she reflects on individuality, purpose, and the enduring soul of music.

Italian composer and conductor Manfred Giampietro discusses his award-winning symphonic fantasia Hopes for Peace, sharing insights on its inspiration, creative process, and collaboration with the Pisa University Orchestra.

Anastasiia Ledovskaia (LEMY), First Prize winner of the UK International Music Competition 2025, shares the inspiration and creative process behind her song Boy. From the initial guitar composition to a fully produced track and music video directed by Daniel Kim, she discusses composing, recording, and filming challenges, as well as her journey as an evolving musician.

Polish pianist, composer, and musicologist Monika Sroczyńska has been awarded the Gold Prize at the World Grand Prix International Music Contest 2025 for her CD album Christmas Impressions and More. Released under Classical Sound Studio, the album blends Polish Christmas traditions with lyrical and neoclassical piano writing, reflecting Sroczyńska’s artistic vision and compositional style.

Polish-Spanish violinist Alma Błońska-Trapero has received the Platinum Prize and Distinguished Technique Special Award at the World Grand Prix International Music Contest 2025 in the Modern B (Over Age 17) category for her interpretation of Szymanowski’s Harnasie Op. 55. Learn about her musical journey, artistic influences, and educational background.

Composer Zhenyan Li from the United Kingdom won the Bach UK Competition Award and the Excellent Creativity Special Award for her composition Orisons. Inspired by childhood, birdsong, and the fading natural world, the work explores the tension between innocence and loss. Learn about the premiere at Beijing Poly Theatre, the creative process, and the collaboration with countertenor Andy Shen Liu.

Cellist Kyungmi Anna Lee, from Seoul, South Korea, received the Platinum Prize at the World Grand Prix International Music Contest 2025 for her ocean-inspired album On the Sea Cliff. Blending cello, nature, and emotion, the award-winning project and its music video Breezing Cello – DYING Ocean capture the voice of the sea and the fragility of our planet.

Explore the award-winning journey of Duo Kontaxakis–Ivanovich, who received the Diamond Prize at the World Classical Music Awards 2025 for their album Mussorgsky, Stevenson: Pictures – Music for Two Guitars. Discover how the duo transcribed Mussorgsky and Stevenson for two guitars and their artistic insights on creating this unique programmatic music experience.

Bartosz Krzyśka from Poznań, Poland, brings the soulful voice of the bassoon to life through his award-winning interpretation of Kalliwoda’s Variations and Rondo in B major. Honored with the Platinum Prize and Unique Interpretation Special Award at the World Classical Music Awards 2025, his journey reveals the expressive depth and lyrical warmth of this often-overlooked instrument.