Members of the International Jury 2026.11.05.
Silvia Colombini - Italy
Internationally Renowned Soprano
Soprano | Vocal Expert & Coach of ARS Singing Method | Artistic Consultant
Silvia Colombini has performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including the Semperoper Dresden, Staatsoper Berlin, Salzburg Festival, Opera di Roma, La Monnaie Brussels, Teatro Regio di Torino, Fondazione Arena di Verona, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Bunka Kaikan Tokyo and the Shanghai Concert Hall.
She is the creator and teacher of the ARS Singing Method (Arte della Resistenza Superata – Art of Overcoming Resistance), an innovative approach that enables singers to overcome vocal challenges effortlessly. Since 2000, her method has been followed by singers worldwide, and it is internationally recognized through the Alloro Project, a music education collaboration between Italy and China.
🎓 Mentor & Jury Member
Silvia is regularly invited as juror and jury president at leading international singing competitions, where she evaluates hundreds of singers annually. She has served as artistic coordinator and jury president of the international competition Vincerò, the first Italian contest with worldwide selections and a final jury composed of representatives from Teatro alla Scala, Covent Garden, Paris National Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Bolshoi and the Metropolitan Opera.
🌟 Artistic Consultant & Teacher
Currently, she teaches opera singing at the Accademia Musicale di Brera in Milan, works as an artistic consultant for the Mozart Italia Association (Finale Ligure branch, twinned with the Mozarteum), collaborates with the Armonie d'Arte Festival, and advises several European and Chinese music agencies.
Evelina Harkoftaki – Greece
Flutist, Pianist, Composer and Conductor
🏆 Artistic and Professional Career
Evelina Harkoftaki holds an Integrated Master's Degree in Clarinet Performance from the Ionian University, where she also obtained pedagogical and teaching qualifications. She further expanded her musical education with advanced qualifications in music theory, piano, and conducting for wind and percussion orchestras.
Continuous professional development plays an important role in her career. She is currently pursuing further studies in Special Education and Training at the University of Patras. In addition, she is attending a professional development programme at the Ionian University focusing on the prevention and management of musicians' overuse syndromes and related health conditions.
International Artistic Activity
Active as a soloist, chamber musician and composer, Evelina Harkoftaki has performed in Greece, Poland and Lithuania. Her diverse repertoire encompasses both classical and contemporary music.
Her artistic portfolio includes participation in three audio CD recordings and one live concert DVD. Her talent and professional achievements have been recognised with numerous international prizes and distinctions at music competitions held in the United Kingdom, Greece, Belgium, Poland and Spain.
Jury Experience
As an organiser and artistic director of international events, Evelina Harkoftaki has gained extensive professional experience in the field of music and cultural project management. She also regularly contributes her expertise to the juries of international music competitions.
Giovanni Nesi - Italy
Internationally renowned pianist
Born in Florence in 1986, Giovanni Nesi is celebrated as one of the most fascinating pianists of his generation. He has appeared at Italy's leading festivals – Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Ravello Festival, Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto – and on prestigious international stages including the Salzburg Mozarteum, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Yamaha Concert Hall in Vienna, BBC Concert Orchestra, Solis Theatre in Montevideo and many more across Europe and the Americas.
His artistry is closely associated with the music of Domenico Zipoli. Nesi was the first to perform and record the complete Suites and Partitas on modern piano, earning enthusiastic critical acclaim and the "Clef du Mois" award from ResMusica in France. His discography with Heritage and Tactus includes highly praised recordings of Bach (left-hand works), Mario Pilati, and Chopin, Scriabin and Debussy preludes.
🏆 Honored with major awards such as the William Walton Award and the Rudolf Serkin Prize, Nesi is equally devoted to teaching. He is Professor of Piano at the P. Mascagni Conservatory in Livorno and at the G. Verdi Music School in Prato, and regularly gives international masterclasses.
Fang Qiong – China
Vocalist, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor
Fang Qiong is a renowned vocalist, professor and doctoral supervisor, and currently serves as Director of the Voice and Opera Department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She also holds leading positions in several major Chinese vocal and music organisations.
A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she later continued her academic work as a government-sponsored visiting scholar at the University of Maryland in the United States.
Professor Fang has received numerous prestigious national awards and honours for her artistic and educational achievements. She has also served as a jury member at major national vocal competitions, including the Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music and the National Young Singers Awards Competition.
With more than twenty years of teaching experience, she has trained many award-winning young singers. Her artistic and academic projects, including the internationally presented New Dreams on the Sea concert series and the Chang Xiang Zhi classical poetry vocal project, have received significant national recognition.
Jiaqi (Kevin) Zhao – China
Saxophonist, Pianist and Educator
Jiaqi "Kevin" Zhao is a saxophone instructor at the China Conservatory of Music. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he also served as a teaching assistant. Between 2017 and 2020, he was an adjunct professor of saxophone at Roberts Wesleyan College.
He began studying piano at the age of four and saxophone at seven. At the age of twelve, he was admitted to the Middle School affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Since then, he has developed a distinguished international career as a soloist and chamber musician.
Kevin has received numerous prizes at prestigious competitions, including the LISMA Woodwind Competition, the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition. He has performed as a soloist with university orchestras in the United States and has appeared at renowned venues, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
As a chamber musician, he has performed extensively with saxophone quartets and the Eastman Saxophone Project, earning first prizes at major American ensemble and chamber music competitions.
Jury
Our music competition jury is not only internationally recognized but also composed of members who approach each contestant's work with deep passion and dedication to music. Each juror brings their own artistic journey, experience, knowledge, and open-mindedness to provide every participant with support, encouragement, and valuable feedback.
We are proud that inspiring personalities contribute to our competition's evaluation—individuals who appreciate not only professional excellence but also the performer's unique individuality and commitment to the art. For our jury members, the growth and success of every participant are equally important, and we strive to create a welcoming and memorable atmosphere for all.