Leonidas Kavakos Masterclass

🕯The Leonidas Kavakos International Violin & Chamber Music Masterclass was dedicated this year to the memory of Costis Gaitanos, pianist, educator, author and founder of the ΩΔΕΙΟ ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟΙ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΕΣ/ THE MUSICAL HORIZONS CONSERVATORY (1 June 1934-23 February 2025).

Kostis Gaitanos, one of the last Spiritual Masters of Music, a sharp writer, an exuberant personality, a charming conversationalist and an accomplished pianist, planted the seeds of his High Art in the Panhellenic and Cypriot scene.

The Opening of the Masterclass started with a memoriam ceremony with speeches from the director of the Musical Horizons Conservatory and his wife Ms. Betty Barzouka-Gaitanou, the general manager of the Academy Mr Christos Zerefos and Mr Leonidas Kavakos, who was a pupil of Mr Gaitanos and also the director of Hellenic conservatory where he studied. The speeches followed a one minute silence and a tribute video played in the intervals of LKM.

🇰🇷The Ambassador of Korean Embassy in Athens, his excellency Mr LIM Soo-suk with his wife, supporting their compatriots- participants of LKM 2025, Sunjae Ok and Sueye Park.

🌟We are excited to share that active participant of LKM 2025 Sueye Park from Korea has just won the Sibelius competition 2025!👏

2 generations of Sibelius competition winners between 40 years:
1985 winner Leonidas Kavakos
2025 winner Sueye Park

We wish Sueye a fruitful musical development ahead with lots of strength and success✨🎼

LKM Participants 2025🌟

Chen Fiona (China)🇨🇳
Chen Wei - Lin (Taiwan)🇹🇼
Garoufalidou Nikolia (Greece)🇬🇷
Karls Lorenz (Austria)🇦🇹
Kyparos Athanasios (Greece)🇬🇷
Mandylas Antonis (Greece)🇬🇷
Markova Lora (Bulgaria)🇧🇬
Milenkovic Teofil (Italy)🇮🇹
Mkrtichian Sergei (Russia)🇷🇺
Munday Joel (U.K.)🇬🇧
Nikolis Ioannis (Greece)🇬🇷
Ok Sunjae (South Korea)🇰🇷
Panova Ani & Cristina (Bulgaria)🇧🇬
Park Sueye (South Korea) 🇰🇷
Preuß Darius (Germany)🇩🇪
Rochlin Sophie (Israel)🇮🇱
Samaras Euripides (Greece)🇬🇷
Wang Julia-Xiaozhuo (China) 🇨🇳

LKM 2025 moments🎼

📸Photos by Skitzakos George

LKM 2025 moments🎼

📸Skitzakos George

🎼LKM 2025 was successfully concluded🌟

🙏Thanks to the boundless and tireless enthusiasm for music making and generosity of knowledge sharing of Kavakos, the talent and dedication of the active participants from all around the world, the musicality and support of the pianists, the wonderful organisation of the ΩΔΕΙΟ ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟΙ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΕΣ/ THE MUSICAL HORIZONS CONSERVATORY and the production of the Kallos team, the unique atmosphere inside the Academy of Athens under the eyes of gods Apollo and Athena, and all the warm and dedicated audience who embraced this musical journey and traveled from many cities around Greece to attend this three days outstanding experience where time stops, and we dive deep into the unseen side of composer's messages behind the notes, where music is one; its just the different means of instruments that they reveal its powerful messages and emotions.

📸Here are some moments from this unique time we shared together.

Photos by Skitzakos George

🤩🎵🎻 A lovely surprise happened today at the break of the Masterclass with Leonidas Kavakos!
Little Annie Du, 4 years old, performed during the break for Maestro Kavakos. In a few years she will become one of the active participants of the Masterclass. Her incredible talent, natural charisma and hard work astonished the spectators!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Congratulations to her teacher Elli Papagrigoriou!

🌟LKM Schedule 2025

30, 31.5 & 1.6

Μeet LKM 2025 supporters🎼
Stretton Society

The Stretton Society e.V. is a non-profit organization initiated in 2021 by Stephan Jansen, Maximilian von Schierstädt, and Johannes Freiherr von Salmuth.

Over the past years, the Society has evolved into an international network of philanthropists with backgrounds in industry and cultural leadership, committed to supporting selected world-class musicians through various forward-thinking platforms.

Co-initiated and orchestrated by Stretton Violins GmbH, its main mission is to grant extraordinary artists access to rare and exquisite stringed instruments by Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, and other important violin makers.

In addition, the Stretton Society supports young musicians with outstanding talent through scholarships and the Stretton xMP mentorship program, aiming to nurture, support, and develop their careers. The Society preserves and projects culture and heritage into the future by uniting the most successful artists of our time with rising talents and presenting classical music to an inspired audience. Members and guests are invited to be part of every aspect of this support, experiencing unplugged musical moments and in-depth conversations with Stretton’s protégés in a globally unique and private atmosphere.

You can find more here:
https://stretton-society.org