Noemí Pasquina Wins First Prize at Bucharest Conducting Competition

Spanish conductor Noemí Pasquina will return to the Bucharest Symphony for three concerts in 2025

The Bucharest Conducting Competition was held from July 10-19, 2024. Led by John Axelrod, the competition comprised a masterclass for participants, followed by the competition itself with the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra.

In 2024, the focus was on the works of Tchaikovsky — with competitors working on the Sixth Symphony, the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, and the Piano Concerto No. 1.

The Spanish conductor Noemí Pasquina won First Prize — and conducted Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 at the Gala Concert. She will lead the orchestra in three further concerts in 2025 with all her costs covered, and also receives a cash prize of €3,000. Pasquina was also named the winner of the Orchestra Prize.

Second Prize went to the British conductor Dominic Grier, who also appeared at the Gala Concert and will conduct two concerts with the Bucharest Symphony in 2025. His cash prize is €2,000. Jaehyuck Choi of South Korea won Third Prize, and conducted the Gala Concert's overture. He receives €1,000 and one concert in 2025.

Presently the assistant conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Extremadura, Pasquina initially trained as a cellist. She completed her conducting studies at the Op. 23 Academy, where her teachers were Andrés Salado and Miguel Romea. She has also been assistant conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, where she worked with Xavier Puig.