Sarah Nemtanu
Conducting Jury 2025
Biography
Franco-Romanian violinist Sarah Nemtanu graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in the class of Gérard Poulet. She was awarded First Prize at the Maurice Ravel Academy in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1998 and Third Prize at the Stradivarius International Violin Competition in 2001. In 2002, she was appointed concertmaster of the Orchestre National de France, a post she has held for the past 20 years. In 2007, she was named “Young Instrumental Soloist of the Year” at the Victoires de la Musique Classique. She has been Professor at the CNSMD in Paris since 2023.
August 2025
Events
Dedicated to the great symphonic repertoire, the second Final of the Conducting Competition sees the three finalists conduct the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in works by Bartók, Mahler, Prokofiev, Strauss and Stravinsky.
The Final is followed by the Awards Ceremony.
Broadcast live on RTS-Espace 2 and streamed live on our YouTube channel, medici.tv and amadeus.tv.
Joint final for the Composition and Conducting Competitions: the three finalist conductors will, by drawing lots, conduct one of the three finalist works for symphony orchestra from the Composition Competition, performed by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
Finalist works :
SING-YAT CHEN (26, Hong Kong)
Shattered sky / remaining land
HANURIJ LEE (21, South Korea)
Stuff #1
RAFAEL MARINO ARCARO (37, Brazil / Italy)
invention in language of child, op. 22
The final is followed by the Composition Competition Awards Ceremony.
Broadcast live on Espace 2 and streamed live on our YouTube channel, medici.tv and amadeus.tv.
The six semi-finalists of the Conducting Competition each lead a 45-minute public rehearsal with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, working on excerpts from Debussy’s La Mer and the first movement of either Schumann’s Piano Concerto or Cello Concerto, assigned by draw at the beginning of the round.
Session 1: 2:30 PM
Session 2: 7:30 PM
Semi-Finalists:
Soloists:
Kevin Chen (1st Prize, Piano 2022)
Michiaki Ueno (1st Prize, Cello 2021)
With the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The six semi-finalists of the Conducting Competition each have a 45-minute public rehearsal with Ensemble Contrechamps, working on excerpts from Ligeti’s Kammerkonzert and a contemporary work of their choice: Unsuk Chin’s Gougalon or Rebecca Saunders’ Scar.
Session 1: 2:30 PM
Session 2: 7:30 PM
Semi-Finalists:
With the Ensemble Contrechamps
The six semi-finalists of the Conducting Competition each have a 45-minute public rehearsal with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, conducting excerpts from symphonies by Bizet, Farrenc and Mendelssohn, assigned by draw at the beginning of the round.
Session 1: 2:30 PM
Session 2: 7:30 PM
Semi-Finalists:
With the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève