Saša Gerželj-Donaldson
After beginning her studies at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Maribor in Slovenia, at the age of 16 Saša passed the piano performance entrance exam for University for Performing Art and Nusic Graz, where she took her BMus and MMus with Dr. Walter Kamper. She then left for Canada to study for a fully-funded Artist Diploma with John Perry at the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto, where she met and was also tutored by Leon Fleisher. Her studies were enriched by masterclasses with Pascal Rogé, Rudolph Kehrer, Marc Durand , Robert Mcdonald, Julian Martin, Evelyne Brancart and others.
While studying in Austria, she performed as a soloist with the Ensemble for New Music Graz, and went on to numerous international venues and festivals, including World Music Days, Ciclo de Primavera Boadilla del Monte Madrid, Lange Nacht der Musik Graz, International EPTA Luzern, Roy Thompson Hall Toronto, Rising Stars Toronto, Yamaha Canada Showcase ROM, Festival Lent, Mozart Gala RCM Toronto, Rising Stars Toronto, Glasbeni September, National Hall Maribor – Orchestral Cycle, Studio 14 RTV Slovenia, Piano Marathon Rogaška, Minoriten Saal Graz, and the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.
She played Strauss’ Burleske, Op. 1 with the Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra under Conrad von Alphen and SNG Maribor Orchestra, Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Scottish Sinfonia under Neil Mantle MBE and Schumann Piano Concerto with GCO. She has recorded for several radio stations: Radiotelevizija Slovenija, Österreichischer Rundfunk, Radio Nacional de España and the CBC Canada.
Saša’s awards include the Zois Scholarship Slovenian government programm for gifted students Slovenia (1994-2003), the Martha Debelli Prize for most prospective student of University for Music and performing arts Graz and the Ministerium für Kultur Austria Prize. Her study Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School of music at the Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto was funded by the Jun Fujimoto scholarship (2004, 2005) and the Margaret Phillips Award (2004, 2005). She was also a prize winner at the Pianello Val Tidone International Piano Competition. In 2013 she received the Dr. Roman Klasinc Award from Conservatory of Music and Ballet Maribor– Slovenia for exceptional achievements in music.
Saša has taught at both the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Maribor and University for performing Arts and Music Graz. She has conducted piano masterclasses and sat on the jury for national and international piano competitions in throughout Europe. She is the artistic director of the Carinthian International Piano Competition and the PAMT Summer Academy for young pianists.
Her students have been successful on winning piano competitions international level. She was also invited as piano judge for BBC Young Musician for Scotland which was a very joyous experience. Saša has been part of Royal Conservatory of Scotland keyboard staff since 2014 and is great admirer of Richard P. Feynman’s work and his way of teaching and learning.
Teguh Sukaryo
Indonesia’s leading pianist, recording artist, adjudicator, and music educator, Teguh Sukaryo studied with Jon Kimura Parker, Peter Takacs, Michael Gurt, and Carmel Lutton. He has been coached by Byron Janis and Einar-Steen Nokleberg, and had masterclasses with Christopher Elton, Piers Lane, Lee Luvisi, among others.
His conducting teachers included Paul Polivnick, Anton Krager, and Frank Wickes. Teguh Sukaryo graduated with a BMus degree in Piano Performance from Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, NSW, Australia, in 1998 where he always received the coveted High Distinction for his recitals.
He received full scholarships to study at Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio, where he graduated with the Artist Diploma (2001); Rice University/Shepherd School of Music, Houston, Master of Music (2003); and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, where he studied for his Doctorate course (2003-2004). He received a Beethoven Prize in the Grieg International Competition for Pianists, held in Oslo, Norway 2005.
A sought-after teacher, Teguh has been granted numerous pedagogical awards, such as “Great Piano Masters Pedagogical Award” from Great Masters International Piano Competition Vladimir Horowitz Edition; “Honorary Diploma Best Teacher” VI Geneve International Music Competition; “Best Teacher Award” Music and Stars Award; “Teacher’s Award” Chopin Avenue International Competition; “Teacher of The First Prize Winner” 2nd World Piano E-Competition Napolinova; “Outstanding Teacher Award” Global Genius Music Competition; “Outstanding Teacher Award” Khemsiri Music x DFC Music International Piano Competition; “First Prize Winner” Charleston International Music Competition; and “Teacher Diploma” 1st International Piano Competition Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Once a Joseph and Ida Kirkland Mullen Fellow, who served as a faculty member at Rice University Preparatory Program, Teguh Sukaryo is now the founder and the director of Teguh Sukaryo International Music School – TSIMS, Jakarta.
His students have won over one hundred Grand Prix, Absolute First Prizes and Gold Medals from all around the world, i.e from Moscow to Salzburg, from Paris to New York City. His students have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall NYC, Salzburg Mozarteum, and Rachmaninoff Hall Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, among others.
Teguh has made a few albums entitled: “Teguh Sukaryo – Brahms, Mompou and Mussorgsky”, “Scenes of Childhood” (works by Schumann, Debussy, Turina and Mompou), Burgmuller Op. 100, and Burgmuller Op. 109. In 2012 he received a MURI award (Museum of World Record of Indonesia) for “The most popular show of all time” in Classical Music Discovery, USA.
He was named “Artist of The Week” by Radio Arts Indonesia. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with violinist Rudolf Koelman, former Concertmaster of Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and several other international musicians.
Dr. Adriana Janse van Rensburg
Dr. Adriana Janse van Rensburg completed her music studies at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa obtaining the degrees B. Mus (Ed), B. Mus Honors, M. Mus and a doctorate in music education. She also holds Piano Performance Licentiates from UNISA and the Royal Schools of Music (London).
She continued her studies at Georgia State University in the USA where she obtained a second Masters degree in music education. After 26
years in the classroom teaching elementary, middle, high school and college level students in various capacities, she served as Program Manager for a.r.t.s.APS, an initiative in the Fine Arts of Atlanta Public Schools.
She formerly served on the adjunct faculty of Georgia State University, USA, served on the Education Board of Spivey Hall at Clayton State University and is a member of GMTA, GMEA and The Piano Guild of America.
Adriana currently lives in the USA and serves as Executive Director for IYMC, International Youth Music Competitions, manages a full piano studio, presents professional development nationwide, and continues her piano education at Oxford University in the UK at the Piano Summer Academy and Festival.
Her students continue to win and excel at national and international piano and voice competitions.
Her students have performed debut recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York, have medaled in local and statewide competitions, have won first place in international competitions, and many have gone on to study music at various conservatoires.
Ekaterina Katie Gueorguieva Ledford
Katie Gueorguieva Ledford has a B.A. Degree from The State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria, and a M.M. Degree in Piano Performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano with Professor Mack McCray, himself a graduate of Julliard School of Music.
She has participated in Master classes with distinguished pianists , among them Andre Watts and John Perry.
In 2003, Ms. Ledford was awarded an Outstanding Musician Diploma at the Ibla International Music Competition in Ibla, Italy. In the same year, she also became a recipient of the prestigious Three Sponsors’ Prize at the International Duo Piano Competituon in Tokyo, Japan.
During her concert career, Ms. Ledford has performed at recitals and concerts in the USA, Europe, and Asia. She is also an active piano pedagogue.
A number of her students have won prizes at international piano competitions.
A select few have been invited to perform at prominent concert venues, including the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York, NY.
Dragomir Bratić
Dragomir Bratić graduated from the Piano department with prof. Ninoslav Zivkovic and master’s degree in chamber music – piano duo in the class of prof. Zorica Cetkovic at the Faculty of Music Art in Belgrade – FMU. In addition, he attended master classes with professors Arbo Valdma, Igor Lazko, Pavel Nersesian and Natalia Trul. He is currently teaching at the Davorin Jenko School of Music in Belgrade.
Since 2005, he has been a member of the Association of Music Artists of Serbia. In the period between 2011 and 2020, he was the director of the Republic Competition of Music and Ballet Schools of Serbia, and since 2015, Professor Bratić has been the president of the Belgrade Piano Section.
He is active as a lecturer at seminars in many European countries: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Great Britain and Russia.
Due to the originality of his approach in working with children, he is one of the most talented piano pedagogues. He has won numerous awards for his teaching work in Serbia and abroad. He is the author of many lessons that emphasize an individual approach to solving music performance problems. His students played in all prestigious halls around Serbia as well as in the most famous concert halls abroad: Carnegie Hall in New York, Muzikverein in Vienna, Hamburg, Dresden, Tbilisi, Prague, Bologna, Stockholm, Moscow and elsewhere…
Students of Prof. Bratić received over 720 first and special prizes at domestic and foreign competitions in Slovenia, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, France, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Austria, Germany, Russia, and in America.
He is often a member of juries, namely at almost all domestic competitions, as well as at numerous competitions in Slovenia, Italy, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Georgia, Austria, Kazakhstan, Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary and Russia.
He gives a lot of concerts in a piano duo with Katarina Krpan, with whom they won first prizes at competitions in Vienna, Budapest and Moscow.
He is an official collaborator – piano accompanist of the Kolibri children’s choir of Radio Television of Serbia.
At the invitation of the Ministry of Education and the Institute for Education (improving education and upbringing), he participated in the development of new piano curricula for primary and secondary music schools. He is the author of the textbook Music culture for the first grade of primary school, published by BIGZ.
Since 2018, he has been a member of the sectoral department for music art at the National agency for qualifications.
The publishing house KLET included him in the list of “1000 most successful Serbian creators in the field of pre-university education”.
Marija Maksimova
M.Mus Marija Maksimova is a pianist and well-recognized piano& chamber music pedagogue who has received more than 400 international and national awards with her students. Half of them are first prizes, then special awards, Laureates…
She finished her piano studies at the University “St. Kiril and Metodi” in the class of Prof. Stela Slejanska-Stojanovska and completed her
post-graduating studies in piano pedagogy in the class of Dr. Ana Gaceva in Macedonia. After 25 years in the classroom teaching elementary, middle, high school, and college- level students in various capacities, she has accomplished many activities in the culture field.
Currently, she teaches in the National Educational Music Centre “Sergej Mihajlov” in Macedonia. Maksimova is the winner of the award “Best Pedagogue”, given by the Association of Music-Balet Pedagogues in Macedonia. In 2019 she got the title: “Best teacher in Ex – Yugoslavia” given by the Association “ANN_EX_YU”, Belgrade, formed by the educational leaders in the region.
In 2015 she received the highest Award “St. Nicholas” for exceptional professional achievement, given by the Municipality of Stip. Also, Maksimova received the Award “Oscar of the East” from the Association of Journalists of the East for Piano Pedagogy, in 2018.
She is the winner of the Award “8th November”, an award of the Municipality of Stip and Mayor for an achievement in education and art as a pedagogue and an artist. Since 2021, Maksimova has been a part of the executive team of the International Music Youth Competition in the USA as a global outreach ambassador and a Jury member.
She was awarded a Diploma for Honors in Italy, an Honorable Teacher Diploma in Belgium in 2020, and Extraordinary teachers diplomas in Canada, USA, Serbia, Italy, France, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia, Netherlands.
Her students regularly perform in many concerts, festivals, and competitions. She was also a mentor of lectures for new teaching methods, organized by USAID and the Macedonian Ministry of Education.
Marija Maksimova is a member of the jury in numerous International competitions in Italy, the USA, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, Bosnia& Herzegovina, and Macedonia.
Currently, Marija Maksimova is an artistic director of the Golden Piano Talents Competition & Festival and a President of the International Association for Cultural Development and Education.
István I. Székely
Professor at the Katarina Gurska conservatory in Madrid and Franz Liszt Center for highly gifted pianists in La Nucia (Spain). István is a concert pianist and internationally recognised teacher: he has been invited to give Master Classes in the Bartók Béla Faculty of Arts in Szeged, Ádám Jenő Conservatory in Budapest (Hungary), the Kunstuniversität of Graz, the Gustav Mahler Universität in Klagenfurt (Austria), in Tel Aviv Conservatory, in Jerusalem Hassadna Conservatory, the World Teachers Conference in Novi Sad (Serbia), the Katarina Gurska Conservatory in Madrid, Forum Musikae (Madrid), in the International Piano Festival “UIS” in Bucaramanga, in Manizales (Colombia), Special School of Music in Apatin, Sombor, Senta, Backa Topola (Serbia), Conservatory in Alicante and Dénia, in the International Music Festival in Valencia (Spain) etc.
Mr. Székely is a frequent jury member in international competitions such as the Franz Liszt International Competition in Rome, Acquaviva International Piano Competition, Giulio Rospigliosi Competition (Italy), the Takács International Competition in Oberschützen, The Bartók Béla International Competition of Graz (Austria), the Scherzo International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, The Stretto International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, National Competition of Israel in Ashdod, Orbetello International Piano Competition, Bucaramanga International Piano Competition (Colombia), the IMFV Valencia competition, the Ibiza International Competition, the “Villa de Xabia” International Competition, the Alicante International Piano Competition (Spain), The Tartini International Piano Competiton (Slovenia), the Samson Francois International Piano Competition in Canne-S-M (France) etc.
Winner of several awards in national and international competitions. Since the age of 15 he has given recitals in Europe, the United States, South America and Asia. To name a few: Concerts in Russia with the Symphonic Orchestra A. Safonov, Gothenburg Piano Festival Sweden, Subotica Philharmonic Orchestra in Serbia, Piano Festival in Reunión Island, Liszt Institute in Zagreb, Liszt Institute in Ljubljana, Collegium Hungaricum in Belgrade, San Juan and Orihuela Orchestra in Spain, in Alexandria and New Harmony (Indianapolis, USA), the Hungarian Academy in Rome (Italy), in the International Piano Festival in Bucaramanga and International Piano Festival in Barrancabermeja, cycle “International Season in Manizales” in Colombia, “Kolarac” in Belgrade (Serbia), Liszt Center of Zagreb (Croatia), Liszt Institute of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Reunión Island, in the “Kodály” Institute, “Kodály” School, in the “Béla Bartók” Museum, in one of the most important festivals “Zsidó Kulturális Fesztivál” in Szeged (Hungary), recitals in Sweden, Greece, in the festival “Midis-minimes”, in “Muziekacademie de Berchem-Sainte-Agathe in Brussels (Belgium) and in Spain in important auditoriums such as the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, Palau de la Música in Valencia, Teatro Principal de Alcoy, congress center” Victor Villegas “in Murcia, in the” Adoc “, in the University of Burgos, in the International Chamber Music Festival in Calpe, in” Dénia Classics “, Aula de la Cam in Alicante, Teulada Auditorium, La Beneficencia in Valencia, in the Auditorio de la Diputación, “ADDA” in Alicante, Auditorium Mediterrania in La Nucia among others. He has performed in private concert for the Princess of Thailand S.A.R. Chulabhorn Mahidol. His mentors were Aleksandar Madzar, Daniel Blumenthal, Orsolya Szabó, Benjamin Oren, Michael Boguslavski, Mátyás Molcer, Valéria Utasi, Milica Dundjerov at the Brussels Royal Conservatory, Jerusalem Rubin Academy, Kodály Institute of Kecskemét, Conservatory of Subotica and Music School in Sombor.
Through his professors he has not only inherited the finest Russian school, but has a direct musical-pedagogical line to Franz Liszt as well. In 2017 István I. Székely the recording of several Chopin etudes of exceptional virtuosity for the sounding of the animated short film Impromptu, directed by María Lorenzo and produced by Enrique Millán, with the participation of Cultur Arts (Generalitat Valenciana) and the A Punt Media network . Impromptu has been one of the most relevant Spanish animation shorts of the last year, being shortlisted for the Goya 2018 Awards. It was premiered at the emblematic Alcalá de Henares Film Festival, and so far it has been screened in more than 50 events in 20 countries, such as the Animation Festival of Annecy (France), the Bristol Encounters (United Kingdom), Anima Mundi (Brazil) or the Animation Nights (New York).
Prizes won: Best Art Animation at the Expression Art Movie Festival (Los Angeles, USA), Best Short Film (exaequo) at the Animaze Animation International Festival (Montreal, Canada), Best Experimental Animation Short at the International Animation Cardboard Festival – La Tribu (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Best Animation Short Film at the Astorga Film Festival (Spain), Best Valencian Animation at the Cortoons (Gandía) Mr. Székely is the Founder and the Artistic director of the Franz Liszt Center Piano Competition, the Great Piano Masters Competition, the Dénia International Piano Festival, the Alicante International Piano Competition and is the leader of the Sombor Philharmonic.
”István I. Székely is a truly wonderful pianist and musician. He has a poetic touch at the keyboard giving every note and phrase an artistic and symbolic meaning. With an outstanding technical command of the instrument he takes you by the hand to the inner meaning of the works that he interprets” – Graham Jackson, Madrid
“István has acquired a flawless technique of the highest professional standard, as well as a superb sound control which he was able to show at an impressive performance of Liszt’s Totentanz for Piano and Orchestra last autumn. Additionally, he has a unique talent for shaping musical structures in the most natural way, understanding and projecting the composer’s intentions with empathy and clarity. In my view, there is no doubt about István I. Székely’s qualification to become one of the most successful representatives of our profession. ” – Achim Holub, conductor, London
“Following an impressive curriculum, the young Hungarian pianist István I. Székely left us speechless thanks to a dazzling performance of technical prowess. His performance shone splendidly in virtuosity and he moved his hands with incredible dexterity, delivering clean and clear passages of orchestral sonority. The two works by Liszt that closed the program were the ideal vehicle for István I. Székely to show off his wide range of virtuosic capabilities, which, as we said before, left the faithful audience of the ADOC Auditorium wanting more. They applauded with a standing ovation.” – adoc.es
“…what struck me the most was the intimacy and connection, it was as though every note was speaking from the essence of his soul. Wow! ” – Christina Cooper, London