Founded in 2018 by the Romanian born conductor, cellist, educator and composer Ovidiu Marinescu, the International Musicians Academy (IMA) is an intensive summer program for aspiring artists designed to provide a unique and high-level artistic experience working with a professional orchestra as soloists, conductors or composers. Chamber music and orchestral training is also available for young artists interested in playing side-by-side with highly experienced professional orchestral players.
Previous Years – 2022
The 4th edition featured 5 participants in the solo and composition category. Two orchestral concerts and a spectacular chamber music performance marked this edition defined by exceptional commitment and artistry. The program was led by faculty Blanka Bednarz and Ovidiu Marinescu, who were also appeared with Sinfonietta Vidin as part of the Danube Waves Festival in a performance at the Baba-Vida Fortress. Composer in Residence David Klock had his “Heavy Masks” for solo cello featured in the chamber music concert, along works by Bartok, Marinescu, Debussy, and Glazunov. Nadejda Angelova, principal Cellist of Sinfonietta Vidin collaborated with Matison Stokes and Annalicia Loveridge in the Piano Trio by Claude Debussy. The final concert included:
Conductor: Ovidiu Marinescu
- A. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 12, Matison Stokes, soloist
- Sergei Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 2, II. Adagio sostenuto Matison Stokes, Soloist
- Wieniawski Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 II. , Annalicia Loveridge
- Carl Stamitz – Viola Concerto, Rachel Horman
- Antonin Dvorak – Violin Concerto, Morgan Doman Smith, soloist
- Max Bruch – Violin Concerto, III. Finale. Annalicia Loveridge, Soloist
Previous Years – 2020
The third edition took place in August 2020 virtually due to the covid-19 pandemic. Two weeks of online classes featured a stellar cast of professors and students from Europe and the United States. Special sessions on injury prevention for musicians were presented by licensed physical therapist Heather Salyers, and yoga sessions were led by Ceara Caisido.
- Ovidiu Marinescu, Artistic Director, Cello,
- Cello: Cheung Chau, Harro Ruijsenaars (former principal Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra), Amparo Lacruz (Barcelona – Lyceum, Madrid), Ovidiu Marinescu
- Violin: Blanka Bednarz, Sylvia Ahramjian
Previous Years – 2019
Second edition of the International Musicians Academy had a talented group of young artists from USA, China, and Australia. Featured were concerti by Goldmark, Mozart, Prokofiev (piano #3, cello, violin #2), Ravel G Major, Elgar, Scriabin.
2019 Faculty:
- Ovidiu Marinescu, Artistic Director, Conducting, Cello
- Cheung Chau, Conducting, Cello
- Blanka Bednarz, Violin, Viola, Chamber music
- Dmitry Rachmanov, Piano
2019 participants:
- Kaiyan Qian, Piano
- Serena Rose Clement, Violin
- Natalie Browning, Cello
- Isaac Browning, Percussion
- Max Jacobs, Violin
- Karissa Haeun Lim, Cello
- Alan Murray, Piano
- Jane Liu, Piano
-
Lily Eckman, Cello
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- Previous Years – 2018
- The first edition of the International Musicians Academy showcased an exceptional group of musicians from seven countries: USA, Russia, China, Canada, Brazil, Romania, and Korea. The participants came from reputable music institutions such as Juilliard School of Music, Moscow Conservatory, California State University – Northridge, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Maastricht Conservatory. Exceptional artist faculty inspired the participants during the two week festival.
- 2018 Faculty:
- Ovidiu Marinescu, Artistic Director, Conducting, Cello
- Dmitry Rachmanov, Piano
- Sylvia Ahramjian, Violin/Viola, Chamber Music
- Dimitri Chassouros, Composition
- Vera Volchanski, Conducting
- Diana Bucur, Lyric Soprano
- 2018 Guest Artists:
- Dan Cavassi, Principal Cellist, Bucharest Philharmonic, Romania
- Carmen Maria Carneci, Composer, Romania
- 2018 participants:
- Alan Murray, piano
- Tudor Cioceanu, piano
- James Devor, composition, bass
- Lily Eckman, cello
- Kaitlyn Waterson, mezzo-soprano
- David Brown, composition
- Haeun Karissa Lim, cello
- Catherine Ma, piano
- Hyewon Jo, cello
- Ceara Caisido, cello
- Sarah Ann Palma, piano
- Shara Sun, piano
- Elvania Caram, piano
- Amber Kowal, bass
- Cameron Kuzepski, conducting
- Ming Luo, piano
- Yaroslav Tchistov, cello
- The International Musicians Academy and Artistic Director Ovidiu Marinescu extend their gratitude to all faculty and participants as well as to our partners in Bulgaria: Miroslav Krastev, Director and Sinfonietta Vidin.