Be a star! IMA 2024 7th edition, June 2-9, Brasov, Romania
Join us for the International Musicians Academy
Our Commitment
Our Commitment
Our Commitment
At IMA 2024, Brasov, Romania, we believe that music is a universal language that has the power to unite people from all walks of life. Our vision is to create a world-class music festival that brings together people from around the globe to celebrate the power of music and promote cultural understanding.
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Our Vision
Our Commitment
Our Commitment
Founded in 2018 by the Romanian born conductor, cellist, educator, and composer Ovidiu Marinescu, the International Musicians Academy (IMA) is an intensive summer program for aspiring artists designed to provide a unique and high-level artistic experience working with a professional orchestra as soloists, conductors, or composers.
Our Impact
Our Commitment
Our Impact
At IMA 2024, we are committed to making a positive impact in our community and beyond. That's why we partner with local organizations to promote social and environmental responsibility. We collaborate with top orchestras and artists to privide a superior musical experience that is hard to equall.
About IMA 2024 - Brasov, Romania
Our Partner
Brasov Philharmonic is an orchestra with 150-year history, a rich annual concert season, and regular international tours in the most important venues in Europe and Asia.
Soloist Opportunities
Each participant in the “Solo with Orchestra” category will receive 3 rehearsals with the orchestra and a public performance of at least one movement of a concerto ( 10-12 minutes).
Hello
Cost
$2,000 plus $100 application fee!
It includes: 3 rehearsals and a performance with Brasov Philharmonic, daily masterclasses, and accommodations in the Transilvania University guest hotel.
Our Artists:
Ovidiu Marinescu
Ovidiu Marinescu
Ovidiu Marinescu
Ovidiu Marinescu is internationally recognized as a cellist, composer, conductor, and educator. Marinescu has conducted the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow, the Chamber Orchestra of the Romanian National Radio, “New Russia” State Orchestra, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, the Bacau, Craiova, Ploiesti, Botosani, Targu Mures, and Brasov Philharmonics in Romania, Filarmonica de Gaia in Portugal, Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, the Helena, Newark, and Southeastern PA Symphony Orchestras, as well as Vidin Sinfonietta in Bulgaria.
In 2024 he makes his debut with Wuhan Philharmonic in China.
He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Hall (New York), the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Holywell Room in Oxford, Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, and has appeared as soloist with the London Symphony, New York Chamber Symphony, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Helena, Great Falls, Portsmouth, and Newark Symphonies, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Philharmonic, Limeira Symphony in Brazil, Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, and most of the professional orchestras in his native Romania. The album London Cello Connectionfeatures Marinescu and London Symphony Orchestra in eight newly commissioned cello concertos.
Marinescu’s compositions have been performed in Romania, China, Brazil, Bulgaria, Russia, Guatemala, Montenegro, and across the United States. He has been composer-in-residence for the International Chamber Music Festival in Guatemala City and the International String Encounters in Limeira, Brazil.
Mr. Marinescu’s ongoing MOTO series, developed with Parma Recordings, has been praised as “bold and expressive” (Gramophone Magazine) and “tight, musical, technically virtuosic” (The Whole Note). Since its launch in 2012, the MOTO series has premiered works by nearly three dozen composers in both recordings and performance at Carnegie Hall.
Marinescu has more than 20 album releases for Parma Recordings and Cambria. The recording of the Arthur Gottschalk Sonata for Cello and Piano has received the Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards for 2014 and the recording of “The Sea Knows” by Michael Kurek made its debut as no. 1 on the Classical Billboard list in July 2017.
Marinescu is cello professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania as well as founder and Artistic Director of the International Musicians Academy, an intensive program for aspiring artists. More information can be found at www.marinescu.com
Helen Lin
Ovidiu Marinescu
Ovidiu Marinescu
"The Lincoln Center has Wynton Marsalis. The Philly Pops has Peter Nero. And we have Helen Lin.”;
“Electrifying, soothing, energetic, and uplifting, she envelopes her audience with an intensity that includes emotions and exudes joy.”
—The Doylestown Patriot
“Helen Lin is one of the greatest pianists of her generation…..hear classical piano like you never heard it before”
--Dover News
Voted one of the top eight musicians in the world by the Web Concert Hall International Competition in 2003, Helen Lin’s professional engagements have ranged from performing as a full-scholarship recipient at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Tchaikovsky Music Festival, and Wagner Music Festival, to touring as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician in Germany, France, Austria, Russia, Italy, Spain, the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and her birth place Taiwan. Since 1996, her performances have been broadcast on television and radio stations frequently throughout the United States. The American Music Scholarship Association has made Lin’s performance of Chopin’s E Minor Piano Concerto as an educational videotape. The numerous prizes she has won have include “The Young Artist International Piano Competition”, the “IBLA Grand Prize International Piano Competition”, and the “Rising Star Concert Series Piano Competition”.
Lin’s performance has been described as “charismatic, contagious, of the highest level from which she communicates the essence of music combined with her vivid imagination and outstanding pianism….” “…unique as she exhibits great individuality, command, and unusually strong musical conviction with fiery temperament.” Lin's series of concerts in held in The National Concert Hall in Taipei, was an outstanding success in December 2000. Lin’s reputation in Taiwan as a sensational phenomenon caused the tickets for this series to be sold out in the first three days of sale. As a result, the Taiwanese President delivered a congratulatory telegram during his duty abroad and the Taipei City Mayor "FedExed" baskets of flowers prior to the event got started. A solo recital in Barcelona, Spain, in May 2001, hosted by Maria Canals International Piano Foundation; a solo recital in Paris, France, hosted by Yamaha Artist Concert Series; two solo recitals and a concerto concert in Muenchen, Germany; a solo recital in Barletta, Italy; and a concerto concert in Como, Italy secured her as a world-class concert pianist in Europe. Since 2000, Lin has collaborated with Armenian concert pianist Sergei Babayan (Casadasu gold medalist and Artist-in-Residence in The Cleveland Institute of Music) and performed piano-duo concerts worldwide. Lin has given concerts at the University of Dayton, Miami University at Oxford since 2002. She has served as the accompanying pianist for the Lima Piano Concerto Competition in March, 2003 to sightread difficult orchestral music for contestants. Her CD “In Remembrance of September 11th” has become the “text book” at universities for music appreciation classes since 2003. Her concert “Dream of Love” was broadcast on PBS TV in the Fall of 2005. Some of Lin’s recent concerts have included the privilege of performing on the Steinway & Sons “Rhapsody” piano (a specially designed art-case piano in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Gershwin); two solo concerts sponsored by Mercedes-Benz in 2006 and 2007; concerts at San Angelo State Museum, TX and master class at San Angelo State University where she performed with Dr. John Irish; a private concert for the Consulate General of Austria and the honor of performing for The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, while he received the Union League of Philadelphia’s Gold Medal Award in 2008; an invitation to perform a solo concert (where she peformed the virtuosic piano tone poem "Schuylkill at Night" composed by Dr. David Laganella) and to teach a master class at Wesley College, Delaware in 2009. Lin was invited to be a guest professor at The National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan in 2010 and has performed throughout Taiwan including a concert with Dr. John Irish to world premiere "Skeletal Dance" which was dedicated to both John and Helen composed by Australian composer Dr. Houston Dunleavy; featured soloist at Chang-Jung Christian University in Tainan in celebration of its 17th birthday with music director Dr. Ching-Shin Ko (renowned cellist); featured jazz soloist at The National Tsing Hua University; and featured soloist at Music Forum Concert Series in Taipei titled "Playing with Fire" (where she world premiered "Trillium" which was dedicated to her composed by New York City composer Jeremiah Bornfield). In 2011, Lin was invited by world renowned soprano Dr. Shudong Braamse (Voice Professor at Southeastern University, Florida and Weifang University, Shandong, China) for an extensive China concert tour, locations including Shandong University, Weihai; Weifang University, Shandong; and the prestigious Shenzhen Concert Hall, Guangzhou. In 2012, Lin gave a series of concerts and master classes in Beijing, Jinan, Taian, Weifang, Zibo, Shenzhen and Zhaoqing where she also premiered works including John Adams's "Phrygian Gates", Tristan Murail's "Territoires de L'oubli", Jeremiah Bornfield's "Trillium", Carol Worthey's "Fantasia" and "Pastorale" hosted by Dr. Shane O'Shea (Dulwich College) in China. Further more, Lin was the featured pianist at "The 1st Diversity Project", 6th and 7th "ISCMS Music Festival" hosted by Dulwich College Beijing and Beijing Central Conservatory of Music where she performed several concerts including a performance of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with Beijing Youth Orchestra under the baton of Shane O'Shea; during this festive event, Lin also Premiered "Tangled Impressions" by American composer Anthony Paul de Ritis. Lin has been serving as the American judge at The Asia Pacific International Piano Competition, Taipei, Taiwan since 2012. In July, Xing-Zi School of Bengbu (Anhui, China) has renamed itself after Lin as "Helen Lin International Conservatory of Music", it is the first international school which has the complete western musical education system for students from age of 3 to 18. Lin is the editor/music critic for the "RGV Beyond Arts and More" magazine (Texas based) since September 2013, her articles "Music Connect" (monthly) have included the most current music issues, people and events. In 2014 and 2015, Lin was invited to judge the International Piano/Chamber Music Competition of Enkor (Germany) and The 7th and 8th China Piano Arts Festival where she also gave her debut concert at the Gulangyu Concert Hall. Late 2014, she gave a winter teaching and concert tour 2014/15 where she performed her faculty concert debut at the newly renovated Yantai Concert Hall and Shanghai Chopin Scholarship Foundation.
In 2015 and 2016, Helen Lin has been awarded by Carnegie Hall for the extraordinary dedication and achievement in the field of teaching music and presenting students to perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Furthermore, she has received a diploma of Recognition from The Taiwan Ministry of Culture in recognition of outstanding musicianship as a juror, a lecturer of masterclasses, and a performer of master recital during the International Taipei Music Festival in April, 2016.
Besides her career as a concert pianist, she has been a Master Teacher and Artist-in-Residence at the Community Conservatory of Music in Doylestown, Pennsylvania since 2006. Lin served as a piano chair at Alvernia College and Albert Conservatory in 2007-2009. During her school years, Lin was the Resident Artist for Steinway & Sons pianos at Premier Pianos in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2005 and an opera coach for the Opera Department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. There, she held students’ recitals regularly under the sponsorship of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Premier Pianos. Currently, she is a piano professor at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan; piano professor at Yantai University (Yantai, Shandong); artist-in-residence/professor at Weifang Univerity (Weifang, Shandong), Taian Univeristy (Taian, Shandong), University of Technology (Zibo, Shandong), Anhui Normal University (Wuhu, Anhui), Ludong University (Yantai, Shandong), and Zhaoqing University (Zhaoqing, Guangzhou), China. After receiving a Master of Music degree at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she continued her studies under the multiple gold prize winners and most wanted piano teachers in the United States, the Pridonoff Duo and the eminent scholar James Tocco for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature. She has attended the Juilliard School of Music and Michigan State University for her Bachelors Degree where she was under the guidance of Tchaikovsky gold medalist Chen-Zhong Yin and Van Cliburn gold medalist Ralph Votapek
Horia Mihail
Ovidiu Marinescu
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Horia Mihail is a renowned Romanian pianist. As a concert soloist with the Radio Romania Orchestras and Choirs, he has performed in numerous concerts and recitals in Bucharest and with orchestras across the country. Horia Mihail is also known for his involvement in various chamber music formations, including the well-known Romanian Piano Trio, where he collaborated with fellow musicians Alexandru Tomescu and Răzvan Suma between 2005 and 20101.
His artistic journey began at the age of 10 in his hometown of Brașov, where he debuted by interpreting Joseph Haydn’s Concerto in D major. Since then, he has graced the stage in over 1,000 performances alongside most of Romania’s symphony orchestras, including the George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest and the National Radio Orchestra. Horia Mihail’s musical education took him from Brașov to the University of Illinois, where he studied under Ian Hobson and earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees. Later, he received an Artist Diploma from Boston University, studying with Anthony di Bonaventura. Currently, he serves as a Concert Soloist for the Radio Bucharest Music Formations and the Brașov Philharmonic. Beyond his performances, Horia Mihail is actively involved in cultural management as the president of the Accendo Cultural Association. His initiatives include organizing tours such as MusicON for the Romanian Piano Trio and Stradivarius, as well as collaborating with Radio Romania Cultural on projects like Pianul Călător and Duelul Viorilor: Stradivarius vs. Guarneri1.
Here are some of his notable CD recordings:
- “Pe urmele lui Franz Liszt”: A recording of his recital at the Sala Radio in Bucharest during the Pianul Călător tour.
- “Stradivarius - Encore”: Collaborative work with violinist Alexandru Tomescu.
- “Stradivarius - Romantic”: Another collaboration with violinist Alexandru Tomescu.
- “Stradivarius - Virtuoso”: Joint effort with violinist Alexandru Tomescu.
- “Romanian Piano Trio”: Featuring performances with Alexandru Tomescu and Răzvan Suma, including works by Schumann and Mozart.
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Brașov is a city in Transylvania, Romania.
Brașov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km (103 mi) north of Bucharest and 380 km (236 mi) from the Black Sea. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the historical region of Transylvania.
Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov's development and were invited by Hungarian kings to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania at different stages between 1141 and 1300. The settlers came primarily from the Rhineland, Flanders, and the Moselle region, with others from Thuringia, Bavaria, Wallonia, and even France.
Connect with other artists
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Connect with other artists
International Musicians Academy has brought together people from over 20 countries, from USA, to China, Korea, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, Romania, and many others. Students fromJuillard School of Music, Moscow Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, and other important schools have participated in the Academy.
Visit Dracula's Castle
Live for a week in a 13th century medieval city
Connect with other artists
Bran Castle, medieval stronghold in the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathian Mountains) of Brașov county, central Romania. Popularly—if inaccurately—identified with the fictional Castle Dracula, Bran Castle is one of Romania’s top tourist attractions.
Application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YRciijJstoRCNmtrVS4_CU5n9tkKE__1YJzEyaY1xvM/edit
