Back

40 years of History, Talent, and Vision

Competitions

The Toscanini international Conducting Competition celebrates its anniversary with a great symphonic edition

Founded in 1985, the International Conducting Competition in Parma is one of the great conducting contests in the world. Over the 40 years of its existance, it has awarded talents such as Carlo Rizzi, Kazushi Ono, Tstsuji Honna, Jin Wang, Darrell Ang, and Vitali Alekseenok. Its jury was led by great artists such as Rudolf Barshai, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Fabio Luisi.

Selected from among 178 candidates from all five continents, twelve candidates were selected to take part in this year’s Toscanini Competition to conduct the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic in three rounds. Interestingly, while there was only one woman among the twelve invited candidates and none among the finalists, the jury was comprised -except for its chairman- entirely of women: Chaired by Ruben Jais (superintendent and artistic director of the Toscanini Foundation), th jury was composed of: Han-na Chang (chief conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra), Lu Jia (artistic director of the China National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra in Beijing), Mónica Lorenzo (artistic coordinator of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España), Sandra Parr (artistic planning director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra), Cristina Rocca (vice president for artistic planning of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and Marian Van der Meer (artistic coordinator at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam). It was a significant change from the Toscanini’s last edition in 2021 which featured mostly conductors on the jury and focused entirely on operatic repertoire.

"This year’s Toscanini Competition holds a particular meaning, as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra Arturo Toscanini. It’s a milestone that invites reflection- not only on the extraordinary legacy of the Marstro whose name we proudly bear, but also on the mission that drives our Foundation: to support and elevate the next generation of musical talent."
"The Toscanini Competition is, at its core, about legacy and future. It´s our way of ensuring that Toscanini’s spirit contitues to inspire- not only through memory, but through action."
Ruben Jais

The 2025 Toscanini winners: Richard Kogima, Stepan Armasar and Leonard Weiss

While all finalists showed an outstanding level, the jury chose Stepan Armasar (25) from Moscow as the winner, followed by Richaard Octaviano Kogima and Leonard Weiss. The audience also awarded Stepan Armasar, while the orchestra chose Richard Kogima as the winner of the orchestra prize.

Born in the Moscow region and based in St. Petersburg, Stepan Armasar (25) is currently completing a Specialist degree in orchestral and operatic conducting at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He has conducted the Saint Petersburg Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and appeared with ensembles such as the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmonic, the Concert Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory, and the Karaganda Philharmonic Orchestra in Kazakhstan.

Stepan Armasar (25), First Prize

Richard Octaviano Kogima (34, Zurich) – pianist and conductor trained in São Paulo, Paris, and Zurich, with further studies at the Järvi Conducting Academy. He has worked with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and was invited by Herbert Blomstedt to join a U.S. tour. His prizes include the Nelson Freire Award and multiple first prizes in chamber music and piano competitions.

Leonard Weiss (32, Canberra) – recently completed a residency at the Deutsche Oper Berlin through the Berlin Music Opera Award. He has been a finalist for the Assistant Conductor position at the Royal Swedish Opera and participated in the Concours de Genève. He previously received the Faber Conductor Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival and several fellowships in the United States and Australia.

Richard Octaviano Kogima (34), Second Prize

Leonard Weiss (32), Third Prize

Renown conductor and jury member Han-Na Chang comments on the Toscanini Competition:

Every day was a discovery for the jury. The competition gave each candidate ample time—an hour in the preliminaries, 70 minutes in the next round, and a final three-hour rehearsal—to fully express their musicality and vision for the conductor's role. This generous format sends a clear message: "We really want to get to know you." I was deeply impressed by the commitment of both the competition and the jury.

Parma was a beautiful setting for a competition. For candidates and jurors alike, it was a chance to discover a new culture, from the history behind its famous prosciutto to the stunning Duomo. Ultimately, this experience revealed a common denominator in both the city and the competition: an unwavering attention to detail, care, and dedication. That, of course, is what music is all about.

This made me realize that competitions are not a sports tournament. They are about bringing people together to share different ideas. Our winner, Stefan from Russia, had never been outside his country. Just imagine what an eye-opening experience this was for him, even from watching the other candidates. It's a breeding ground for cultural exchange.

At the Toscanini Competition, I truly felt, "This is why we do competitions." It was a very inspiring time for the entire jury.

 

Laureates:
First Prize and audience prize: Stepan Armasar
Second Prize and orchestra prize: Richard Octaviano Kogima
Third Prize: Leonard Weiss

Jury: Ruben Jais, Sandra Parr,  Han-Na Chang, Lü Jia, Christina Rock,  Mónica Lorenzo, Xian Zang

Artists:
Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Parma, Italy

 

©WFIMC2025/FR