His Majesty meets competitors Matteo Dal Maso, Leonhard Kreutzmann and Félix Benati with Donatella Flick at Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition 2025 (c) Mark Allan
Thursday 4 December, 2025
His Majesty King Charles III paid a surprise visit to the 2025 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for rising conductors on the brink of international careers.
As Prince of Wales, His Majesty was Patron of the Competition for many years. The King now serves as Patron of the London Symphony Orchestra and remains a lifelong champion of young talent and classical music.
At LSO St Luke’s in London, His Majesty watched aspiring conductors lead the Orchestra in performances of Verdi’s Sicilian Vespers Overture, Brahms’s Second Symphony and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
Escorted by competition founder Donatella Flick, The King met several of the young conductors, including Félix Benati (aged 29, France), Matteo Dal Maso (aged 28, Italy), and Leonhard Kreutzmann (aged 22, Germany). They are among 20 maestros from 10 countries competing for the £15,000 top prize and the coveted role of LSO Assistant Conductor.
His Majesty also greeted the Orchestra’s Managing Director, Dame Kathryn McDowell and members of the distinguished jury, chaired by LSO Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano – who conducted The King’s coronation service at Westminster Abbey in 2023 – and including acclaimed composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan; conductors Sian Edwards and Thomas Søndergård and LSO musicians Sarah Quinn and Rachel Gough.
For the first time, the Competition has been filmed for a Sky Arts series, Making A Maestro, airing in Spring 2026. The three-part programme produced by Love Monday follows the competitors and judges, demystifying the role of the conductor as the finalists vie for the top spot.
The winner will be unveiled in the final episode of the series, airing in spring next year.