Competition Jury
Randi Stene (Chair of the Jury)
Artistic Director of Opera, the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo
Randi Stene was appointed Artistic Director of Opera at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in 2020, after being Casting Director and Artistic Director of Opera at Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera.
The mezzo-soprano made her international breakthrough in Cardiff Singer of the World in 1991 and when singing the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Since then, she has appeard on many of the world’s leading opera stages and has also had a significant career as a concert singer.She was permanently associated with the Royal Opera in Copenhagen as a soloist until August 2019.
Tatjana Kandel
Head of Artistic Planning, Danish National Symphony Orchestra,
Tatjana Kandel is Head of Artistic Planning for the DR Ensembles at the Danish National Symphony Orchestra & Ensembles in Copenhagen. Prior to getting this position in 2012, she was the General Manager and Artistic Director at the Danish National Chamber Orchestra.
Kandel has also led the Copenhagen Summer Festival in Charlottenborg.
Michael Heaston
Deputy General Manager, the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Michael Heaston is Deputy General Manager at The Metropolitan Opera, where he leads the entire artistic department and oversees artistic planning and casting at one of the largest arts organizations in the world. Previous positions include Artistic Administrator at the Met, Executive Director of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Associate Artistic Director of The Glimmerglass Festival, Music Director of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, and Director of the Cafritz Young Artist Program and American Opera Initiative at Washington National Opera.
A sought-after clinician and adjudicator, he has presented master classes at many of the world’s leading conservatories and served on the juries of countless competitions.
Christina Scheppelmann
CEO and Artistic Director, La Monnaie/De Munt, Brussels
Christina Scheppelmann began her artistic career at a very early age, performing in the Children’s Choir of Hamburg State Opera. She started out working in an artist management agency before taking up positions at Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Royal Opera House Muscat, and Seattle Opera.
She has also been vice-president of the board of Opera Europa, the main organization of professional opera houses and festivals in Europe. In 2023 she was selected to succeed Peter de Caluwe at the head of La Monnaie. In 2024, Christina received the Good Governance Award for Leadership in Opera at the International Opera Awards in recognition of her services to opera for more than thirty years
Alex Taylor
Head of Artistic Planning, the Oslo Philharmonic
Alex Taylor holds the position of Head of Artistic Planning for the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied musicology at the University of Edinburgh and piano performance at the Royal College of Music in London. As a pianist he has won many prizes at international piano competitions. Alex has performed as soloist with BBC orchestras and as recitalist and chamber musician at festivals and venues throughout the UK, Europe and Japan.
After several years of intense concert and touring activity, Alex chose to develop his career in other directions, whilst continuing to perform as regularly as possible. In 2007 he moved to Norway to take up the position of Director of Programming for Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, before moving to Oslo in 2012.
Carolin Wielpütz
Director of Artistic Planning, MusikTheater an der Wien
Since 2020 Carolin Wielpütz has been director of artistic planning at MusikTheater an der Wien. Carolin studied applied theatre and media studies along with English at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, including study visits to Spain, USA and Ireland. Parallel to her studies the passionate chorus singer took part in chorus activities as well as vocal and musical training at the Institute of Sacred Music. After graduation Carolin Wielpütz moved to Dublin, Ireland, to work in the field of international exchange for a leading business confederation. Following her return to Germany, she started her career in opera as assistant director at Theater Bonn, followed by her work as personal advisor to the artistic director of the same theatre.
Carolin Wielpütz spent several years as project manager and advisor to the casting director of the Bregenzer Festspiele under David Pountney, before returning to Theater Bonn as director of artistic planning in opera.
Jean Denes, France
Director of Opera, Theater Basel
Jean Denes is Opera Director at Theater Basel since 2020. Born in Paris, he studied piano and viola at the CNR in Saint Maur-des-Fossés, later graduating in classical voice at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. As a singer, his performances included engagements with the Berlin Philharmonie, the Opéra-Bastille, the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
In 2010 he joined the classical music agency Opera4u in Vienna as an artist manager for international opera singers and conductors. From the 2014/15 season, he served as Deputy Opera Director at the Zurich Opera House, responsible for casting and artistic planning.
Jean Denes is regularly invited by conservatories for workshops and coaching with young singers.