Press-release Days of Kazinik 2025

The 15th anniversary international competition of young performers - instrumentalists and vocalists "Rising Stars" is accepting applications for participation.

The organizers of the competition - "International Talent Center" and the world-famous musicologist, violinist, teacher, great educator Mikhail Kazinik (Sweden), this year for the 15th time will hold a series of concerts around the annual international competition "Rising Stars".

Applications are accepted on the official website of the competition ict-stars.eu in the "Competitions" section until February 25. Soloists and musical groups in the nominations "Classical Music" and "Academic Vocals" are invited to participate in the competition. The first round of the competition is held online. Auditions for the second round of the competition will be held on February 28 and March 1 in the Reformed Church (Mārstału 10, Rīga).

The jury of the Rising Stars 2025 competition included renowned musicians and teachers from different countries: Dr. art., professor of music history and ethnomusicologist of the Latvian Academy of Music Boris Avramets (Latvia); world-famous opera singer, bass Mikhail Svetlov (USA); winner of the Rising Stars 2009 Grand Prix and numerous international awards, violinist Dainis Medjanik (Germany); prima of the Latvian National Opera, soprano Julia Vasiljeva (Latvia); pianist Vyacheslav Zubkov (Israel), violinist, violist, music organizer, conductor, teacher, Nazar Kozhukhar (Kazakhstan), professor of violin at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, concertmaster of the National Orchestra of Belgium, Alexey Moshkov (Belgium) chairman of the jury – world-famous musicologist, teacher, musician, educator, maestro Mikhail Kazinik (Sweden).

The winners of the "Rising Stars" competition will receive awards and grants from the MCT itself, cash grants from the VIVAT FUTURE charity foundation, individual master classes with jury members, the opportunity to represent the country at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood (Worldstars Olympiad www.wcopa.com), an invitation to participate in the Nelly Shkolnikova Summer Academy in France for violinists and cellists (https://www.shkolnikovaacademy.com), and a performance at the Gala Concert with members of the competition jury. So, previously, the winners of gold medals, the titles of Grand Champions of the prestigious championship in Los Angeles from Latvia were in 2018 - the Latvian trio of instrumentalists "Brothers Grinberg", in 2019 - guitarist Peteris Paclicsans, in 2020 - violinist Ankit Tripathi, in 2022 - the ensemble of the Liepaja music school Amber Srings, and in 2023 the winner of gold medals and Champion in her age category was a blind girl Marta Cornelius. In 2024, the entire Cornelius family: Marta, her brother Gustav, mother Inga - all took part in the Championship with the direct assistance of the production company "International Talent Center". And they won awards in very different nominations. The finalists of the young talent competition receive invitations to participate in events organised by the International Talent Centre and the Mikhail Kazinik Academy both in Latvia and abroad.

The competition is traditionally held within the framework of the "Days of Mikhail Kazinik", which for the 15th time will fill the cultural life of Latvia with bright and significant events.

In the program of events:

On February 26, in the Art Barn (Alksnaya 7-1) there will be a meeting with Mikhail Kazinik. He will talk about his new book, which is dedicated to the work of A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin", and about the main secret of Pushkin.

On February 27, in the Small Guild (Amatu 5) there will be an evening of vocal masterpieces "Serenades of Love". The performer of serenades is Mikhail Svetlov, who has performed in Riga many times, the owner of the phenomenal Shalyapin bass, and a Grammy nominee. The prima of the Latvian Opera and Ballet Theater, Julia Vasilyeva, the owner of a bright soprano, distinguished by amazing lightness and sophistication of sound, will take part in the concert. And also the pianist from Israel, Vyacheslav Zubkov, who captivated the audience of the 2024 Gala Concert with his performance of Liszt.

On February 28, the Reformed Church (Marstaļa 10, Riga) will host the concert "Flame". The audience will be treated to an already famous artist, who has performed many times in different halls of Riga, at the opera festival in Sigulda, Dainis Medjanik. Since 2009, when he first performed at the competition and won, receiving a ticket to the Copenhagen Summer Festival, and up to the present time, he has made a career up to the accompanist in the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra. He plays a violin made by Vlado Tilev, made in 2022 in Bulgaria. A master whose violins have enjoyed great success in recent years and are increasing in price year after year. He is joined in the concert by pianist, laureate of international competitions and multiple winner of the Latvian Ministry of Culture awards Marija Virki. Her achievements include the Grand Prix at the Rising Stars competition. The concert takes its name from the absolutely fiery program:
P. de Sarasate, J. S. Bahs, M. Ravels, I. Brāmss, E. Izaiji, F. Šopēns, P. I. Čaikovskis.

On March 2, the Small Guild (Amatu 5, Riga) will host the gala concert of the Rising Stars competition - the most significant event of the Kazinik days with the participation of the best participants of the competition and members of the jury: Mikhail Svetlov and Yulia Vasilyeva, Vyacheslav Zubkov and Dainis Medyanik, preparing surprises for the audience. The grand final point of the evening will be the performance of the symphony of Mozart's concertante for violin, viola and chamber orchestra. Soloists Nazar Kozhukhar and Alexey Moshkov, conductor Artur Gailis.
The host of the evening is maestro Mikhail Kazinik.

On one of the days, guests Nazar Kozhukhar and Alexey Moshkov will perform with a separate program "Music for Two".

During all the days, master classes and a meeting with Andrea SCHUDTZ, a violin maker from Cremona, will be held. Additional information and more details about the conditions of participation on ict-stars.eu and by phone +371 28 491 488.

Organizer of the competition: International Talent Center.

For up-to-date information, follow the official project pages on the social network Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KazinikvRige
https://www.facebook.com/TalantuCentrs