With this nomadic approach, the competition is constantly expanding its network and is able to provide engagement opportunities and contacts for the majority of participants – not just the top three winners. Of the approximately 350 applicants, 18 young conductors (the age limit is 40) were invited to Birmingham. The field of finalists was of an exceptionally high standard and highlighted one thing in particular: a conducting competition differs from all other instrumental competitions above all in the utterly unique situation in which a candidate finds themselves in front of a highly professional orchestra at the very moment of the performance. Unlike instrumental soloists, this can only be prepared for to a limited extent. Here, the candidate must confront a psychological dimension of interpretation which, alongside the obvious technical skill, a formidable baton technique and profound knowledge of the score, brings to the fore, above all, an auratic power of persuasion – just as Svetlanov sums it up in the quotation mentioned at the outset. This is what makes conducting competitions so exciting, and it was particularly evident in the final of the Evgeny Svetlanov Competition.
BIRMINGHAM, UK
"Only Forward" The 6th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition
Held in Birmingham, the 6th edition crowned Michal Oren as its winner
“For me, an ideal conductor should be dumb, but not deaf and dumb. A conductor should convey his intentions to an orchestra in other ways, using gesture, glance and mimicry. Finally, he should transmit an impulse of strong will and energy. The fewer words are spoken the better.”
- Evgeny Svetlanov
With these words, the conductor Evgeny Svetlanov – who died in Russia in 2002 – described his own professional role. He was a titan amongst conductors and, from an early stage, was regarded as one of the most sought-after performers of his time, even far beyond the borders of the then Soviet Union. Throughout his life, Svetlanov was committed to passing on his knowledge and experience to successive generations of highly talented musicians. It was therefore only natural that his wife, Nina Svetlanova, together with his impresario Marina Bower, should launch a competition which, in many respects, reflects Svetlanov’s artistic credo and which gave the project a clearly defined profile from the very outset. There have been six editions since 2007, with the venue changing almost every time. Previous partners have included the Luxembourg Philharmonic, the Montpellier Philharmonic, the Radio France Philharmonic, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic and, for the sixth edition which concluded on 6 September, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Laureates: Mikhail Mering, Chyuni Zhao, Michal Oren, Rui Muguel
Michal Oren, 1st prize winner © Aurelien Petit/ Svetlanov Competition
The distinguished jury, chaired by Bertrand de Billy, quickly agreed that this quality was particularly evident in the outstanding conductor Michal Oren from Tel Aviv; as a result, she not only won first prize but also the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s special prize. Mikhail Mering from Moscow, on the other hand, as a successful clarinettist, embodies the type of conductor who always approaches conducting from the perspective of the instrumental challenges faced by the orchestra’s musicians, winning the second price. The performances by another prize-winner, Rui Miguel Marques from Coimbra, were also highly successful. In addition to third prize, he was awarded the Audience Prize and the Online Prize.
Marina Bouwer, the passionate founder and president of the competition, and the artistic director René Koering are influential figures in the international music world; they can act as powerful gateopeners into the international music scene for the competition’s participants and equip them with an authentic ‘Svetlanov fire’ to take with them on their journey:
“I never wasted time and lived by the principle: ‘Only forward.’ So much great music has been written that several lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to perform it all.” Evgeny Svetlanov
Evgeny Svetlanov
Awards
First Prize: Michal Oren (29), London
Second Prize: Mikhail Mering (34), Israel
Third Prize: Rui Miguel Marques (21), Oslo
Jury
Bertrand de Billy (Chair), Mauro Bucarelli, Christoph Ghristi, Sascha Goetzel, Paul Hughes, Ion Marin, Matthias Naske, Deborah Polaski, Kazuki Yamada
Artist
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
September 2026, Peter Paul Kainrath, President WFIMC
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