20 competitors announced for 18th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, coming to Sky Arts next year
Donatella Flick and HRH The Duke of Kent announce Nicolò Foron as winner of 17th Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2023 © Mark Allan
Twenty young conductors from 9 countries will compete in London for the opportunity to win £15,000 prize and LSO Assistant Conductor Role
Competition to be filmed for new Sky Arts series to be broadcast next spring, with results to be revealed in final episode
Esteemed jury to be chaired by Sir Antonio Pappano, joined by Sir James MacMillan, Sian Edwards, Thomas Søndergård, Sarah Quinn and Rachel Gough
Competition takes place 2-4 December 2025, LSO St Luke’s, London
The Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition today [24 November] announces the twenty young conductors that will compete at the 18th edition of the Competition in December.
Now in its 35th year and internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading conducting competitions, the Competition will see the conductors compete for the £15,000 prize awarded by Donatella Flick and for the opportunity to become Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to one year.
This year, for the first time, the competition will be filmed for a new Sky Arts series, Making A Maestro, airing in 2026. Produced by Love Monday, the programme will capture the competition as it unfolds, following the competitors and judges to demystify the role of the conductor as the 20 finalists vie for the top spot. The winner will be unveiled in the final episode of the series, airing in spring next year.
The finalists announced come from nine countries: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The competitors are drawn from the best conductors aged 30 or under who are citizens of the UK; countries having full membership of the European Union; and Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein or Switzerland.
The 20 young conductors competing in the 18th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition are:
| Name | Nationality |
| Felix Benati | French |
| Sieva Borzak | Italian |
| Jooyoung Chang | Austrian |
| Giovanni Conti | Italian |
| Riley Court-Wood | British |
| Matteo Dal Maso | Italian |
| Nina Haug | Swiss |
| Daniel Hogan | British |
| Piotr Jaworski | Polish |
| Maria Keller | German |
| Leonhard Kreutzmann | German |
| Julia Kurzydlak | Polish |
| Kingsley Lin | British |
| Jacob Niemann | German |
| Alison Norris | British |
| Friedrich Praetorius | German |
| Roman Reshetkin | French |
| Matthew Rhodes | British |
| Konstantinos Terzakis | Greek |
| Andreas van Tol | Swedish |
Biographies for the competitors can be found on the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition website.
Donatella Flick, Founder of the Competition, said: “I’m delighted to announce the young conductors who will be participating in this year’s Competition. These incredible musicians are some of the most talented in Europe and I’m excited to be able to see them in action later in the year, and to give them the opportunity to work with the wonderful London Symphony Orchestra and our esteemed jury. I wish all the conductors the best of luck for the Competition and I look forward to meeting them in London in December.
It’s also wonderful to be able to bring the Competition to a whole new audience through Sky Arts, and I hope audiences at home will enjoy watching these fantastic musicians in action.”
Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, Executive Director, Unscripted Originals at Sky said: “Platforming the best young artists around is at the heart of what we do at Sky Arts, so it couldn’t be more fitting for us to partner with Donatella Flick and the London Symphony Orchestra to bring this competition to a wider audience of classical music lovers. Judging by the shortlist of international talent in the final, the future for the baton is bright.”
The winner is awarded £15,000 by Donatella Flick and will have the opportunity to become Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to one year. During this time with the LSO the successful conductor will work with the LSO’s Principal and guest conductors on the preparation of concerts, often on the assessment of new scores; take part in the LSO’s education and outreach programme, LSO Discovery; accompany the orchestra on tour and, should the opportunity arise, conduct the LSO in concert.
After the first day of competition the Jury selects ten conductors to go through to the Second Round, and from these three finalists will be chosen for the Final Round. Sir Antonio Pappano chairs the 2025 jury, joined by an impressive roster of musicians including composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan, conductors Sian Edwards and Thomas Søndergård, and LSO musicians Sarah Quinn (Sub-Principal Second Violin and LSO Chair) and Rachel Gough (Principal Bassoon).
Established in 1990 by Donatella Flick, the biennial competition bridges the gap between conservatoire training and professional careers for young conductors. For over 30 years it has launched the careers of many esteemed winners, including Elim Chan (2014), who recently conducted the Last Night of the BBC Proms, Clemens Schuldt (2010), Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and David Afkham (2008), Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España.
The Competition takes place at LSO St Luke’s in London between 2-4 December – further information can be found on the DFCC website.
Making A Maestro comes to Sky Arts and streaming service NOW in spring 2026.