Joaquín Achúcarro, one of the world’s most outstanding concert pianists, with a career spanning more than seven decades, will once again chair the jury of the 23rd Valencia Iturbi International Piano Competition in 2025. The maestro joined the competition as Artistic Director in December 2019 and chaired it in 2021 (21st) and 2023 (22nd).
An international concert pianist and recording artist, he has been named “Artist for Peace” by UNESCO. He has also been awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts and the Medal of the Palau de la Música of Valencia. He is a Professor at Southern Methodist University (Dallas) and Honorary Professor of the Accademia Chigiana (Siena).
As Achúcarro himself explains, “our job as a jury will be to discover and launch a special talent and artist. This talent has to fly with its own wings. And in this competition there are candidates who are already flying… Let’s enjoy these unique days, listening to a group of young pianists giving their best”.
Alongside Achúcarro, the jury is made up of a cast of prestigious artists who are leading figures on the international piano and music scene. Among them is Didier Schnorhk, President of the World Federation of International Music Competitions between 2015 and 2021 and Secretary-General of the Geneva International Music Competition. In 2019, he was awarded the Pierre & Louisa Meylan Prize for his work in support of young musicians.
The other members are Ana Guijarro, Professor of Music and Artistic Director of the Valencia Iturbi Piano Festival, who has been awarded the Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory of Madrid; Catherine d’Argoubet, founder and Artistic Director of the Piano aux Jacobins and Les Grands Interprètes festivals (Toulouse); Nikolai Demidenko, international concert pianist and recording artist, who has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Surrey in recognition of his contribution to music; Janina Fialkowska, international concert pianist, recognised for her award-winning career and for her participation as a jury member in the most prestigious piano competitions; Paul Hughes, renowned conductor of institutions such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the Academy of Ancient Music and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Jorge Luis Prats, international concert performer and recording artist with a distinguished career, including his work as Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Cuba; and Nicola Sani, composer and artistic director of internationally renowned institutions such as the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena.
