The candidates for the Grand Final of the 2025 Iturbi Competition, organised by the Provincial Council of Valencia, are Ruggiero Fiorella, Uladzislau Khandohi and Nabeel Hayek, who will face the final challenge to win the Valencia International Piano Competition this Friday in the Iturbi Hall of the Palau de la Música (7 pm). Now in its 23rd edition, the competition has broken its record for applications with 200 candidates from 40 countries. Spain’s Emin Kiourktchian and Eugenia Sánchez Durán, and China’s Yungyung Guo, have fallen just short of reaching the Grand Final.
The Chairman of the Jury, Joaquín Achúcarro, highlights the youth of the participants in the Iturbi Prize, as demonstrated by the emerging talent of the three finalists, aged between 22 and 23. For his part, the Provincial Councillor for Culture, Paco Teruel, fully agreed with Achúcarro that the Iturbi is “a fantastic competition that ranks among the best piano competitions in the world”, mainly due to “the extremely high standard of the competitors and the commitment of the Provincial Council’s Culture Department to the quality of the competition and the recognition of the best performers, without fear of leaving the prize vacant if the required level is not achieved”.
On this occasion, the competition has been very close since the start of the final phase on 4 June, and the Grand Final, which will take place this Friday at the Palau de la Música, is expected to be no different, with free admission until full capacity is reached. Ruggiero Fiorella and Uladzislau Khandohi will perform Prokofiev’s second concerto, while Nabeel Hayek has opted for Brahms’ first. The three finalists will perform alongside the Orquesta de Valencia, conducted by maestro Guillermo García Calvo. The final day of the Iturbi Competition can also be followed on the Provincial Council’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNp6H8NGxwCAUIfOVtATWnB_TUevd7ehN.
The finalists
Ruggiero Fiorella (Puglia 2002) studies with Pavel Gililov at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and with Eliso Virsaladze. He began piano studies at the age of seven, later graduating from the Florence Conservatory. He then obtained a Master’s Degree at the Mozarteum, in the class of Claudius Tanski, and was also tutored by Riccardo Risaliti in Italy. He performs regularly in halls all over Europe and has received awards in competitions such as Fvg 2024 (second prize) and Venezia 2022 (third prize). Since 2017, he has been a member of Trio ad Libitum, the 2021 winner of the Italian National Prize for the Arts.
Uladzislau Khandohi (Minsk 2001) comes from a family of musicians famous for their mastery of the dulcimer. He started piano lessons at the age of seven and soon gained recognition. At just ten, he won the Grand Prix at the Mendzelevskaya Open Competition in Mogilev, a year later he triumphed at the Sviridov in St Petersburg, and in 2014 he won first prize at the Astana Piano Passion Festival. He achieved worldwide recognition in 2016, becoming a finalist in the Gina Bachauer Competition and releasing his debut album with Melodiya. In 2020, he enrolled at the Moscow State Conservatory, subsequently winning prestigious competitions such as those held in Ferrol and Sanremo. He was a finalist in the Cliburn Piano Competition in 2022 and won second prize in Sydney in 2023.
Nabeel Hayek (Nazareth 2001) is a graduate of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, where he studied with Arie Vardi and Asaf Zohar, and holds a master’s degree from the Juilliard School with Julian Martin. Since 2017, Hayek has been mentored by Murray Perahia. Looking ahead, he will continue his studies for a PhD in Musical Arts at Juilliard. Nabeel is an active chamber musician and collaborative pianist with extensive experience, and continues to expand his solo repertoire with a passion for contemporary and 20th century music. Hayek has given recitals in Europe, Asia and North America, and has performed for the Arthur Rubinstein International Music Society and the Israel Philharmonic.
Closing gala and prizes
The final classification of the 2025 Iturbi Prize will be announced this Saturday at the closing gala to be held at the Teatro Principal in Valencia (7:30 pm), for which tickets must be reserved in advance, also free of charge, at www.servientradas.com. The gala, featuring the three finalists and the Orquesta de Valencia, can also be streamed on the YouTube channel of the Provincial Council, which is organising the competition: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNp6H8NGxwCAUIfOVtATWnB_TUevd7ehN.
As for the prizes, the winner will receive €30,000, the recording of a CD and participation in a concert tour; and the second and third place winners will receive €20,000 and €10,000 respectively, as well as participation in the tour with the winner. The three pianists who fall just short of the Grand Final will receive €5,000 each, and the best of them will receive an additional €3,000. There are also special prizes awarded by the Provincial Council itself and by collaborators such as the Philharmonic Society of Valencia and Kawai. These prizes will recognise the best performance of Spanish music, a piece by Chopin, a Mozart sonata and a Beethoven concerto. Finally, the best contestant chosen by the public will receive €2,000 from Clemente Pianos.
