Professors
in alphabetical order
Agathe Leimoni
Greece
Agathe Leimoni is born in Athens. She obtained her Diplomas of Piano (class:Gerassimos Kakalis), Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue (class:Andrea Carbone), with the highest distinctions in Greece and continued her musical studies in Italy, obtaining the Diploma of Piano (class: Luigi Mostacci, State Conservatory of Bologna).
She has been a student of Julia and Konstantin Ganev for several years.
She has attended the class of “Perfectionnement” at the “Ecole Normale de Musique” in Paris, for two years, with Germaine Mounier and Young Shin An.
Since her childhood, she has participated in many master classes of famous pianists who have commented her special musical nature, her brio and sensibility and received prizes and distinctions in various International Competitions.
She has given a lot of recitals in Europe (Greece, Italy, Germany, France, England, Bulgaria, Belgium, Norway, Austria, Russia and Rumania), in South and Central America (Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico), participating also in many important Festivals.
She has performed as a soloist in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Rumania and Uruguay with the Orchestras of Athens, Thessaloniki, Bologna, Napoli, Sliven, Arad, Russe, Sibiu and Montevideo. She has been a member of Jury and President in many National and International Musical Competitions, in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, France, Spain and Rumania.
She is a piano Professor and Head of the Piano Department at the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens and in Pythagorio Conservatory of Athens.
Since 2007 she is Professor at Schola Cantorum of Paris, where many of her students have graduated the last years, obtaining the superior Diplomas with the highest distinctions.
Since 2010 she is a regular Professor at the International Piano Academy of Belgium ”Primavera Pianistica”.
Since 2013 she has been nominated Visiting Professor at the Gnessin’s Music Academy of Moscow, starting a new artistic collaboration between the Russian Academy and the Helleneic Conservatory.
She has given master classes in Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Norway and South America with great success.
She has been teaching since the age of 16, and her successful pedagogical career has established her as one of the most promising Professors of piano in Greece and abroad. She has been travelling with her students in many countries and has offered them the chance to experience many musical opportunities and international events. Her pupils have won many prizes in National and International Competitions and have been distinguished abroad.
She has been awarded the golden medal of UNESCO and a special Diploma as a honorary member of the ‘CH.O.N.’ Musical Association of Greece, for her unique teaching and artistic contribution.
She has been awarded the Golden Medal of the “Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers” and she has been acclaimed as the best pedagogue in the International Music Competition “Music and Earth” – Sofia 2006, for her pupils’ success.
She has been presented as a Soloist and Professor several times by the radio and tv in Greece and abroad . She has been interviewed by various newspapers and channels and received very enthusiastic critics from journalists in Greece and abroad.
She is Vice President of ‘CH.O.N.’ Musical Association of Greece.
She is the founder and Artistic Director of the ‘International Seiler Piano Competition – Rhodes 2004′, the ‘International Piano Festival- Rhodes 2004′, the ‘International Seiler Summer Piano Academy – Rhodes 2005′ ,the ‘International Seiler Piano Competition and Festival–Rethymno 2006′ and the International Summer Piano Academy and Festival of Poros since 2009.
Vassilia Efstathiadou
Greece
Vassilia Efstathiadou is a distinguished educator with decades of experience mentoring the
next generation of musicians worldwide. She has been teaching piano at the Hochschule für
Musik, Theater und Medien in Hanover since 2012 and at the Hochschule für Musik und
Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main from 2020 to 2023.
Vassilia Efstathiadou graduated from the Athens National Conservatory and later from the
Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover, where she studied chamber music under
Hatto Beyerle and piano performance with the renowned Karl-Heinz Kämmerling.
Recognizing her profound musicianship, interpretive insight, dynamic artistry, psychological
acumen, and pedagogical charisma, Kämmerling offered her an assistant position. This
close collaboration, which lasted until his death, led her to focus early in her career on
teaching at the highest level.
Her teaching career includes collaborations with prestigious institutions such as the
Sommerakademie Mozarteum, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and the Europäische
Musikakademie Lindau. She has mentored internationally acclaimed pianists, including Igor
Levit, Alice Sara Ott, and Herbert Schuch. Her unique approach to mentorship has made her
a highly sought-after specialist for guiding young, talented pianists.
Maria Eshpai
Russia / Denmark
Maria Eshpai was born into an artistic family in Moscow, Russia. She began piano lessons at the Central Music School in Moscow for particularly talented children at the age of 5. In 2005, Maria was admitted to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Over the years, Maria has played many concerts and participated in festivals and competitions in Russia, England, Denmark, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Germany, Finland and the USA. In 2011, Maria began studying in the soloist class at the Jutland Academy of Music with Professor Anne Øland. In August 2012, Maria received a scholarship from the Harby Foundation. From 2014 to 2016, Maria continued her education with a second soloist class – Accompaniment and Chamber Music. During her study years in Denmark, Maria has organized many concerts and festivals dedicated to Carl Nielsen and her grandfather, the Russian composer Andrei Eshpai. In 2014 Maria made her debut with the Odense Symphony Orchestra, where she performed her grandfather’s Concerto Grosso. Among others she played with – Randers Chamber Orchestra, Sønderjylland Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. In addition to working as a soloist and chamber musician at home and abroad, Maria also teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus and Aalborg Culture School. Maria is a member of Duo Plus (with saxophonist Henriette Jensen), Lydenskab (ensemble that works with many different formats), Granhøj Dans Company (pianist for several performances including “Rose – The Rite of Spring – Extended 2â€, “Petrushkaâ€, performer and pianist in “This is not Swansea lakeâ€, composer and musician in “An Eva and An Adamâ€). Maria works also as composer mostly writing a music for the cinema but has done compositions for an art exhibitions.
Massimiliano Ferrati
Italy
MASSIMILIANO FERRATI is one of the most impressive Italian musicians of his generation, renowned for his extraordinary musicality, tecnical strengh and charismatic performances.
Grand Pirx Winner at “Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition” in Monza and Bronze Medal at “Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition” in Tel Aviv, he obtained prizes also at “UNISA Inter. Piano Comp.” in Pretoria (special prize for the “best performance of the Russian piece”: Musorgskij’s Pictures at an Exhibition), at the “Esther Honens Inter. Piano Comp.” in Calgary, at the “Dublin Inter. Piano Comp.”, at the “Ferruccio Busoni Inter. Piano Comp.” in Bolzano, at the “Alessandro Casagrande Inter. Piano Comp.” in Terni.
He has given several recitals in five Continents for the main Seasons and Festivals in prestigious venues, in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia.
He has performed as soloist with the Israel Philh., Calgary Philh., Gli Archi della Scala di Milano, Moscow Symphony, Roma Sinfonietta and collaborated with conductors like M.Brunello, M.Rodan, A.Nanut, and with chamber groups like St. Lawrence String Quartet, Aviv String Quartet, Quartetto del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, performing with musicians as D.Garrett, S.Ostrovsky, Al.Carbonare, F.Paggioro.
His performances have been recorded and broadcasted by TVP (Telewizja Polska S. A.), CBC Radio & Television Canada, RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann), Bayerischer Rundfunk München, Radio Allegro Johannesburg, Israel Radio Voice of Music, BBC Radio, RAI, Radio Ljubljana, Radio Classica, Radio Vaticana, Radio Nacional Clasica Argentina.
He recorded for RS, Velut Luna (Mozart Piano Sonatas) and Brilliant Classics (Respighi Violin Sonatas and Martucci Complete Music for Cello and Piano).
In 2025-26 three more CDs with Prokofiev Piano Music and Violin & Piano Sonatas will be released by Brilliant Classics together with the G.A.Fano Piano Quintet.
Graduated with a first-class honours diploma at the “A.Buzzolla” Conservatory in Adria under the guidance of Mila Zamparo, he studied with Kostantin Bogino, Paul Badura-Skoda (at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena) and Sergio Perticaroli (at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the “Santa Cecilia” Academy in Rome where he received the first-class honours diploma) and for chamber music with Trio di Trieste (De Rosa, Zanettovich and Baldovino) in Duino.
He has given Master Classes in many prestigious Institutes and Festivals like IKIF in New York, the “P. I. Tchiaikovskij” Nat. Academy in Kiev, the Accad. Mus. Pescarese, the Cittadella Inter. Music Festival & Masterclass, the Villa Chiericati Showa Foundation University of Tokyo, the Tbilisi Piano Fest (Georgia), the Wuyishan Inter. Piano Festival (China), ANAM Australian National Academy of Music and he has been invited as jury member in several piano competition like “A.Casagrande” in Terni, “L. Luciani” in Cosenza, Sidney selections in Rome, MacKenzie Scholarship Award in New York, Rina Sala Gallo Piano Comp. in Monza.
He is Piano Professor at the Conservatory “E.F.Dall’Abaco” in Verona and Piano Faculty at Inter. Keyboard Institute & Festival in New York and at Tel-Hai Piano Master Classes in Israel.
Marina Pliassova
Norway / Russia
Marina Pliassova was born in Russia, educated in Irkutsk college of arts and Novosibirsk state conservatory, then in Vladigerov music academy in Bulgaria/PhD. She is associate professor in musicology, pianist, teacher, writer, lecturer, the head of piano section of Young Talents at the Barratt Due Institute in Oslo, Norway. Marina’s activities are varied: she is a jury member of various international competitions; she is conducting master classes in different countries, as well as at annual festivals; she gives lectures on piano methodology and history of piano performance, researching and creating books for educational and fictional prose. Her books and articles are published in Russian and Norwegian languages, as well as doctoral work in Bulgarian. Marina’s students regularly perform at various international concerts and festivals, on radio, television, including as soloists with orchestras, many of them are laureates of international competitions, professional musicians and performers.
Johan Schmidt
Belgium
Johan Schmidt, one of Belgium famoust pianists, acquired his reputation through his virtuosity as much as through his sensitiveness. Pupil of Master Eduardo del Pueyo, he then improved his talent with Master Karl-Heinz Kämmerling.
A brillliant laureate of numerous international music contests, he has won accolades in
– the Queen Elizabeth Competition (Brussels, 4th place and Public Prize)
– the Maria Callas Contest (Athens, 1st)
– the Tchaikovsky Comptetition (Moscow, 3rd)
– the Japan Competition (Tokyo, 1st)
– the Van Cliburn Piano Contest (USA, 4th)
Johan Schmidt has been awarded the Rotary Club’s Leonardo da Vinci Prize for young Europeans.
Apart from being a frequent guest of the best Belgian orchestras (Belgian National Orchestra, Liège Philharmonic and Royal Flemish Philharmonic), Johan Schmidt also performs with the New Japan Philharmonic, the Athens Philharmonic, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ukraine Symphony, the RTL Orchestra and the
“Orchestre National de France” conducted by P. Bartholomée, J. Semkov, K. Takaseki, T. Bloomfield, K.A. Richenbacker, F. Schipway, P. Daniel, G. Neuhold and J.C. Casadesus.
His reputation as a soloist has taken him to such prestigious venues as the Gasteig in Munich, Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Châtelet in Paris, Suntory and Casals Halls in Tokyo, Symphony Hall in Osaka, Rachmaninov Theater in Moscow, Herode Aticus Theater in Athens, Bozar in Brussels, the Tel Aviv
Museum and the Shanghai Expo 2010, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Dailan Grand Théâtre, Quindao Grand Théâtre, Paris Théâtre de la ville, Nice Monastère de Cimiez,..
His chamber music partners are Augustin Dumay, the Malher Piano Quartet, the American String Quartet, Eyal Shiloach, David Cohen, Ronald Van Spaendonck. Johan Schmidt has made a number of CD recordings for EMI, Fontec (Japan), EMS, Musica Numeris (Cyprès), Azur Classical, Le Chant de Linos… His favorite repertoire
includes Franz Liszt, the Russian composers and Beethoven. His performances have been broadcasted nationwide by the American Public Broadcasting Service Network, German ZDF, Japanese NHK, the Belgian Flemish and French-speaking channels (VRT and RTBF) and the French channel TV5.
Johan Schmidt is also a very appreciated teacher. Professor in the Royal Brussels Conservatory (Belgium) and Senzoku University in Tokyo, he regularly gives Master Classes in several European countries and in China (Qingdao University of Science & Technology),Shanghai, Japan ( sendai piano forum,Tokyo,Nagoya ) Croatia ( laus academy ) france (académie d’été du grand nancy,académie d’hiver du grand paris ) Belgium (the international piano week in wavre ), Académie international d’été de Nice, Académie d’été du grand Nancy, Luxembourg masterclass Several recording projects will be soon available, in particular for his 2018 China Tour; a CD will be dedicated to Schumman and Lizst and will be on sale in China (march).
In 2018, the Label Azur Classical will released a CD dedicated to Poulenc four hands works with the pianist Jun Kano.
Ilia Tchernaev
Bulgaria
Ilia Tchernaev was born in 1968 into a family of professional musicians. He begin playing piano with prof. Lidia Kuteva. Graduated at Sofia music school and NMA “Pancho Vladigerov” with the professors Milena Kurteva, Julia and Konstantin Ganevi. He took piano master classes in Brussels and Salzburg with the Professors Aquilles Delle-Vigne, Germaine Mounier and Tatiana Nikolaeva. Tchernaev won numerous piano and piano duo prizes at international competitions. He has recitals and concerts with orchestras in Bulgaria, Italy, South African Republic, Great Britain, Namibia, Poland, Greece, Austria, Spain and Switzerland. Author of the book “The Stage – Golgotha, Narcotic or Daily Round…”, published in March, 2011. Professor and PhD in National Music Akademy “Pancho Vladigerov” – Sofia and Head of Piano Department. Prof. D-r Ilia Tchernaev’s students are laureates of over than 100 national and international piano competitions in Bulgaria, France, Italy, Holland, Romania, Austria, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Portugal, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Competitions, Awards, Honors:
-2006 II prize at the International Piano Duo Competition “SEILER” in Rethimno, Greece
-2000 III prize at the International Piano Duo Competition in Tokyo, Japan
-1998 I prize and Grand Prix at the International Competition “TIM” for chamber music and
piano duo in Rome, Italy
-1996 I prize at the International Piano Duo Competition in Caltanissetta , Italy
-1990 III prize and Jacques Klein award for the best performance of a Mozart concerto at
UNISA, International Piano Competition in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
-1989 I prize at the National Piano Competition CHOPIN in Sofia, Bulgaria
-1989 Honour from the Poland Ministry of Culture for the concert tour
-1987 I prize at the International Piano Competition “MARSALA” in Marsala, Italy
-1983 III prize at the International Piano Competition “USTI NAD LABEM” in Czech
Republic
Prof. D-r Ilia Tchernaev’s students are laureates of over than 100 national and international piano competitions in Bulgaria, France, Italy, Holland, Romania, Austria, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Portugal, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. Author of the book “The Stage – Golgotha, Narcotic or Daily Routine…”, published in March, 2011. In June 2014 Prof. D-r Tchernaev led an Erasmus master-classe in the Konservatorium Wien University, Austria; in April 2015 – in the University of Nis, Serbia; in October 2015 – in the music school “Music`all” in London, Great Britain, in February 2017 – at “Valletta International Piano Festival” in Malta.
Solo Recitals and Chamber Performance
Prof. D-r Tchernaev has numerous recitals and concerts with orchestras in Bulgaria, Italy, South African Republic, Namibia, Poland, Greece, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain. He has played as a soloist with all major orchestras in Bulgaria and South African Republic. He was a soloist with Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Varna Philharmonic Orchestra, Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra, Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, Pazardjik Symphony Orchestra, Dobrich Chamber Orchestra, South Africa National Symphonic Orchestra, Cape Town Symphonic Orchestra, Transvaal Symphonic Orchestra, Natal Philharmonic Orchestra etc. He has participated at International Music Festivals in Bulgaria, Italy and South African Republic. He has a national and world premier of piano and piano duo compositions by Rameau, Ligeti, Prokofiev, Britten, Schnitke, Denev, Mladenov etc.
Recordings
Bulgarian National Television- Bulgaria
Bulgarian National Radio- Bulgaria
SABC – South Africa Broadcasting
Pilar Valero
Spain
She was born in Madrid. She began her musical studies very early, graduating with honors in piano at the “Conservatorio Superior de Mùsica de Granada”, under Juan José Pérez Torrecillas, disciple of the great master Eduardo del Pueyo.
Awarded the third prize in the “National Young Pianists Competition”, she received a sholard-ship to continue at the “Conservatoire Sùperieur de Musique” de Mons, in Belgium, where ,under P. Montero, she was awarded a “Premier Prix avec distintion”, in piano, and where she was also specialized in harpsichord with Pierre Hantaï, and in piano with Aquiles delle Vigne, who was essential for her . Since then, she has played solo recitals in several countries, (Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Eslovenie, Russia…), receiving very good reviews. and recitals of chamber music as well, for example with the famous Russian quartet “Kopelman”, and with “Delian” quartett.
She has played also with orchestra: “Ural Philharmonic Orchestra”(USSR), Ploiestï Orchestra, (Rumania), Orquestas Sinfònica y de Càmara de Murcia,Orquesta Sinfònica de Almerìa, “Orquesta del siglo XXI”,etc. She also studies Philosophie, at the University of Murcia, where she`s preparing a tesis of doctorate about “Women Composers”.
Always attracted to the new music, she has recorded several CDs with a group of Contemporary Music. Nowadays, she teaches at the “Conservatorio Superior de Música” of Murcia.