Summary of the Jorma Panula Conducting Competitions during 3-7 September 2024

The Viljo and Maire Vuorio Foundation started the process of preparing the ninth Jorma Panula International Conducting Competition in January 2023. The competition changed its date from November to the first week of September and was held 3-7.9.2024.

Professor Jorma Panula, chairman of the selected jury, judged the competitors together with the colleagues for 4 days during the competition week 4-7 September. In addition to Jorma Panula, the international jury included Professor Ed Spanjaard from the Netherlands, conductors Maria Badstue from Denmark, Vytautas Lukočius from Lithuania and Mikko Franck from Finland. The secretary of the jury was Mr Michael Claussen. The competition orchestras' representatives on the jury were: Inoko Isobe, principal oboist of the Jyväskylä Sinfonia and Maano Männi, concertmaster of the Vaasa City Orchestra.

More than 150 conductors under the age of 40 applied for the competition, of which 20 were selected to participate. The contestants came from 21 different countries. Since 2003, the Vaasa City Orchestra and the Jyväskylä Sinfonia have been the competition orchestras, and so also this time.

The selected 20 competitors were: Bénati Félix (France), Cagnasso Francesco (Italy/Switzerland), Castro Grinstein Anna (Spain), Gwizdalla Mateusz (Poland), Haugli Guro (Norway), Malek Anna (Germany), Mosnier Pierre (France), Müller-Monod Louise (Switzerland), Måseidvåg Nils Erik (Norway), Nilsen Carl Anders (Norway), Petrenko Konstantins (Latvia), Sauer Benedikt (Germany), Sieber Joseph (Switzerland), Siret Vincent (France), Sorokine Nikita (France), Staiger Eric (Germany), Tibone Federico (Italy), Toikka Erno (Finland), Uusitupa Kasmir (Finland), Zinca Sebastian (Romania). The first round of the competition was held on 4 September from 10.00 to 21.00. The repertoire was: Claude Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune – The afternoon of a Faun.

The 10 competitors the jury chose to continue to 5 September in the second round of the competition were: Bénati Félix (France), Cagnasso Francesco (Italy/Switzerland), Gwizdalla Mateusz (Poland), Sieber Joseph (Switzerland), Siret Vincent (France), Sorokine Nikita (France), Staiger Eric (Germany), Tibone Federico (Italy), Toikka Erno (Finland), Uusitupa Kasmir (Finland).

The repertoire for Thursday was demanding, Jukka Tiensuu: FUNFARONE, Divertimento for orchestra and two of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's arias from the opera The Marriage of Figaro: Susanna's Aria, ‘Deh vieni, non tardar’, Iiris Candelaria, soprano, Figaro's Aria, ‘Se vuol ballare’, Luke Terrence Scott, baritone.

The six who went to the semi-finals on 6 September were: Bénati Félix (France), Cagnasso Francesco (Italy/Switzerland), Siret Vincent (France), Sorokin Nikita (France), Staiger Eric (Germany), Uusitupa Kasmir (Finland). Both competition orchestras, Vaasa City Orchestra and Jyväskylä Sinfonia totalling 70 musicians were on stage. The repertoire consisted of Claude Debussy's La Mer and Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47. The soloist in the violin concerto in both the semi-final and the final was Tami Pohjola.

For the final on 7 September, the jury selected three competitors: Bénati Félix (France), Staiger Eric (Germany) and Kasmir Uusitupa (Finland), who each led a movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto and Debussy's La Mer in the final.

The jury's decision was taken at 21.00. Results of the IX International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition: The third prize, a shared prize, was won by Eric Staiger (Germany) and Kasmir Uusitupa (Finland), who each received €7,500. The second prize, €10,000, was won by Félix Bénati (France). The jury decided not to award the first prize.

Félix Bénati was the favourite of the competing orchestras. He was invited to conduct a symphony concert each in Jyväskylä and Vaasa.

The Korsholm Music Festival's special prize went to Kasmir Uusitupa. He is invited to conduct the opening concert of the festival in 2026.

Jorma Panula's MINIKAPU - conducting competition 4 - 7 August 2024

Professor Panula introduced a new conducting competition for young musicians in 2024, the Jorma Panula Minikapu Conducting Competition 4-7 September 2024. The competition is aimed at Finnish and foreign students in Finland and was organised at the same time as the international competition in Vaasa but is a few days shorter. Maestro Panula says the reason for this is to encourage young music students to learn orchestral conducting and to have the opportunity to perform in an earlier age. The competitors in Vaasa were able to attend the international competition rounds at the same time.

The age limit for applicants was 20 years, and 7 competitors aged 12-19 were selected for the competition. The competition orchestra was the Wasa Sinfonietta. The competition had its own jury, whose members were: Professor Atso Almila, as chairman, and conductors Jukka Iisakkila and Ville Mankkinen. The secretary of the jury was Milla Virta. The repertoire consisted of Mozart's Symphony No 36 in C, first movement Adagio - Allegro Spritoso and Jean Sibelius' Pelléas et Mèlisande, Op. 46, movements, I At the castle gate, III A Spring in the park and VII Entr´acte.

The seven young competitors who took part in the first and second rounds of the competition on Thursday and Friday 5-6 September were Maximilian Fagerlund, Touko Hukkanen, Helena Kujala, Maximilian Leicher, Arijus Šereckis, Leo Vauhkonen and Elviira Väyrynen.

For the final on 7 September, the jury selected 4 contestants: Maximilian Fagerlund, Helena Kujala, Maximilian Leicher and Arijus Šereckis. After the decision at 21.15, the winners were announced as follows:

The winner of the MINIKAPU competition was Maximilian Fagerlund. The prize was €1000. In second place was Maximilian Leicher, with the prize of €750 and in third place was Helena Kujala with €500. A fourth prize of €200 was awarded to Arijus Šereckis. In addition to the prize money, the first prize winner also received a place on the Panula Academy masterclass.

The participants will also have the opportunity to participate in Pirkanmaan Pinna r.y.'s orchestra conducting courses.

The Wasa Sinfonietta's favourite conductor was voted for and the winner was Maximilian Fagerlund.

Both competitions will be organised again after three years.