Vitali Alekseenok Wins 11th International Arturo Toscanini Conducting Competition

The 29-year-old Belarusian conductor was awarded First Prize, valued at 15,000 Euros

Alekseenok currently directs both the Munich University Orchestra and the Italian Monferrato Classic Orchestra.

"I'm so glad to have won the Arturo Toscanini Conducting Competition, taking place in Teatro Regio di Parma, Italy!" wrote Aleekseenok on social media. "I'm also very grateful to have worked with the fabulous La Toscanini orchestra — you did just an incredible job! Thank you to all singers and choir members... and thank you to the audience of the Teatro Regio, who gave me the Audience Award. You will always remain in my heart."

The second prize went to 29-year-old Sasha Yankevych of Ukraine, while Austrian conductor Felix Hornbachner was placed third.

The competition is different from many other conducting competitions, in that it focuses on opera rather than on symphonic repertoire. Contestants had to progress through four different stages: two weeks of workshops, three days of elimination, and then the semi-final and final. Repertoire for the final included a Rossini duet and a complete act of an opera by Verdi.