Stella Unica International Young Artist Piano Competition

07/24/2026

07/24/2026

06/29/2026

Dear colleagues,
We are delighted to share some exciting news with you!
The inaugural Stella Unica International Piano Competition is just around the corner, and we are thrilled to have assembled an outstanding panel of distinguished musicians and exceptional educators who have graciously agreed to join us as members of this year's jury.
Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Professor Shijun Wang
We are honored to introduce Professor Shijun Wang, an internationally acclaimed pianist, concert artist, and educator, as a member of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition jury.
Praised for his artistry, sensitivity, and musical depth, Professor Wang has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recital halls across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He is Associate Professor of Piano and Director of the Keyboard Division at Baylor University, and a frequent guest professor at leading conservatories and international piano festivals around the world.
A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music, Professor Wang is an award-winning pianist whose career combines outstanding performances with an exceptional commitment to teaching the next generation of musicians.
We are delighted to welcome Professor Shijun Wang to the Stella Unica jury and look forward to his inspiring contribution to our inaugural competition.

06/29/2026

Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Jan Loeffler

We are delighted to welcome Jan Loeffler as a distinguished member of the jury of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition.

An internationally respected pianist and pedagogue, Jan Loeffler has built an outstanding career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator, performing and teaching throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and North America.

He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg in Germany and the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he developed a distinguished artistic and pedagogical career. Since 2013, he has been a member of the piano faculty at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he teaches a class of principal-study pianists and serves as Keyboard Department Coordinator of the Junior Conservatoire.

An internationally sought-after teacher and masterclass presenter, Jan has given lectures and masterclasses at leading institutions, including the Colburn School, Mannes School of Music, Vanderbilt University, and the Hochschule für Musik Dresden.

His students have earned top prizes at prestigious international competitions and have continued their studies at some of the world's most renowned conservatories and universities, including the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, the Franz Liszt Academy, and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

An experienced international adjudicator, Jan Loeffler regularly serves on the juries of major piano competitions around the world. We are honored to welcome his exceptional artistry, pedagogical excellence, and international expertise to the inaugural Stella Unica International Piano Competition.

06/27/2026

Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Professor Alexander Peskanov
We are honored to introduce Professor Alexander Peskanov—an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, composer, educator, and recording artist—as a distinguished member of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition jury.
Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Professor Peskanov is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York. Throughout his remarkable career, he has appeared with leading orchestras around the world and collaborated with legendary artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Maurice André. His recordings have been released by Naxos, and his piano compositions and pedagogical publications are performed and studied by musicians worldwide.
Professor Peskanov is the founder of the BMTG Intercontinental Piano Competition, whose winners perform at Carnegie Hall, and his lifelong dedication to inspiring young pianists has earned him international recognition.
We are proud to welcome Professor Alexander Peskanov to the Stella Unica jury and are honored to have his extraordinary artistry and experience as part of our inaugural competition.

06/27/2026

Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Irina Mints
We are honored to introduce Irina Mints (Friedberg, Germany) as a member of the jury of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition.
Irina Mints is an internationally acclaimed piano teacher, concert artist, adjudicator, and author, widely recognized for her outstanding achievements in the education of young pianists.
Originally from Ukraine, she graduated with highest excellence from the Academy of Music and Arts in Kharkiv, where she studied with Professor Sergei Polusmiak and Professor Regina Horowitz, sister of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz.
Her students have performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall (New York), Royal Albert Hall and St. John’s Smith Square (London), Wiener Musikverein, and Laeiszhalle (Hamburg).
Since 2008, her students have received over 230 awards, including numerous first prizes and grants at leading national and international competitions such as the International Steinway Piano Competition (Hamburg), Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition (USA), and “Chopin for the Youngest” (Antonin, Poland).
As a dedicated educator, Irina Mints has prepared more than 500 prize-winning students, and she is widely respected for her pedagogical excellence, master classes, workshops, and presentations across Europe, China, and the USA.
Her piano teaching method for beginners, “Hello, Piano!”, has been published and distributed in more than 90 countries worldwide.
We are proud to welcome Irina Mints to our jury and deeply honored to have her exceptional pedagogical experience and international artistic contribution as part of the inaugural Stella Unica International Piano Competition.

06/27/2026

Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Tatiana Kolossova Bercu

We are honored to welcome Professor Tatiana Kolosova Bercu as a member of the jury of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tatiana Kolossova Bercu is an accomplished pianist, organist, and chamber musician with a rich international career.

She became an accomplished pianist by the age of 12 and began her professional path early, working as an accompanist and stage performer with the Lenconcert (Leningrad Concert Company). She later served as Music Director at Lenfilm (Leningrad Film Company) and several leading theaters in St. Petersburg.

After completing her musical education, she moved to the United States in 1991, where she worked as Music Director for the theater company at Boston University and later earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the Longy School of Music.

Tatiana Kolossova Bercu is an active performer and chamber musician in the New England region, co-founding the River Rose Chamber Music Ensemble and the Bercu Duo. She is also an Artist-in-Residence in Piano, Harpsichord, and Clavichord at Groton Hill Music School, and serves as Music Director and Organist at Trinity Lutheran Church of Boston.

She joined the jury as a highly experienced pedagogue with extensive teaching experience, bringing decades of artistic and educational expertise to the competition.

We are proud to welcome Tatiana Kolossova Bercu to the Stella Unica jury and are deeply honored by her lifelong dedication to performance, collaboration, and music education.

06/27/2026

Meet Our Distinguished Jury Member – Dr. Anastasia Seifetdinova

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Anastasia Seifetdinova as a distinguished member of the jury of the Stella Unica International Piano Competition.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dr. Seifetdinova gave her first solo recital at the age of eleven. She is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg (Germany) and holds both Master’s and Doctoral degrees from The Hartt School, University of Hartford.

An internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Dr. Seifetdinova is a prizewinner of prestigious international competitions, including First Prize and the Special Prize at the International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Rome, as well as First Prize at the Puigcerdà International Piano Competition in Spain.

Her distinguished performing career has taken her to renowned venues around the world, including three solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Bolshoi Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and the celebrated Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago. Her recordings have been released by NAXOS and Centaur Records, and her performances continue to inspire audiences across Europe, the United States, Japan, and Mexico.

A highly respected educator, Dr. Seifetdinova previously served on the faculty of The Hartt School and as a freelance pianist at the New England Conservatory. She currently teaches at the M. Steinert Piano Academy, is a faculty member of the O. Yablonskaya Piano Institute, serves on the Board of the New England Piano Teachers' Association, and maintains an active private studio.

We are proud to welcome Dr. Anastasia Seifetdinova to the Stella Unica jury and are honored to have her exceptional artistry, international experience, and dedication to piano education as part of our inaugural competition.