Jury
The 18th year of the Peter Toperczer International Piano Competition
Jan Jiraský
He studied at Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno as a student with remarkable music talent. He has been with the academy since then, he is the head of the department of piano interpretation. During his music career he would participate in most of renowned piano competitions at home and abroad. He has recorded major works by Smetana, Bach and primarily Janáček. As a solo player he cooperates with orchestras and conductors on the interpretation of piano concerts but he is also a sought-after chamber player.
Jordana Palovičová
A graduate of piano play at Bratislava conservatory and Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. She also completed her postgraduate studies at Royal College of Music in London and at Musikhochschule in Lübeck. As both a solo and chamber player she performs at a large number of music festivals in Slovakia and abroad as well. She regularly presents premieres of solo and chamber works by Slovak authors. She is a prominent interpreter of works by Ján Cikker, which brought her Ján Cikker Award back in 2016. Currently she works as an associate professor at the Department of Keyboard Instruments of FMD at APA in Bratislava.
Marian Sobula
He graduated from Akademia Muzyczna (Academy of Music) in Cracow as well as Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (National Academy of St Cecilia) in Rome. He has performed in more than 50 different countries in world-famous halls at over 500 concerts. He is the laureate of highest awards and recognitions at international competitions in Barcelona, Vina del Mar and also at Polish competitions. He cooperates with a large number of orchestras at home and abroad. Since 2007 he has worked at the Piano Department of the Academy of Music in Cracow. In 1996 he was the laureate of the International Piano Competition in Košice.
Mayuko Takine
Mayuko Takine is a graduate of The Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. She completed her studies with the interpretation of a piano concert of M. Ravel with the Košice State Philharmonic in 2001. She continued in her studies at Music und Kunst Universität der Stadt Wien. She has gained a number prizes and awards: in 1994 and 1995 she finished in the 1st place at the piano competition in Ehime and in 1995 at Grand Prix in Shikoku. In 2003 she finished in the 2nd place at the international piano competition Bösendorfer in Vienna. Apart from concert activities she is currently dedicated to chamber play as well as pedagogic activities at J. Kowalski Primary Art School and the State Conservatory in Bratislava.
Vencislava Ilievska
She graduated the piano and musical pedagogics in The National Academy of Music in Sofia. In 1983 she specialized at Frederic Gevers in Brussels. Vencislava llievska has lived in Slovakia since 1991. She attended master classes in some European countries. She teaches in the State Conservatory in Bratislava and actively collaborates in the conductor’s class. She also teaches in the Art school Jan Albrecht.