Meet the jury behind
Aurea Music Prize.

President of the Jury

Dr. Leslie Howard

Dr. Leslie Howard is internationally revered as one of the most important pianists for the works of Franz Liszt. His monumental complete recording of Liszt’s solo piano music remains one of the most extraordinary projects in recording history and firmly established his place among the defining Liszt interpreters of our time.

A celebrated pianist, composer and scholar, he is closely associated with leading Liszt academies, institutions and artistic circles worldwide. His role as President of the Jury gives Aurea Music Prize a high level of artistic authority, scholarship and international prestige.

Vocal Department & International Jury

Laura Ansaldi

Laura Ansaldi is an internationally acclaimed dramatic coloratura soprano and multiple award winner, known for her powerful vocal presence, extensive vocal range and theatrical command. Her work is devoted to bringing opera to a contemporary level through ambitious projects and a direct connection between artist and audience.

With more than 15 years of global stage experience as a soloist in primary roles, she has appeared in major contexts including Opéra Bastille, Carnegie Hall, Teatro alla Scala, Boston Opera House, KKL Luzern, the Vatican, Royal Albert Hall and other international venues. For Aurea Music Prize, she contributes to the vocal area, including opera, classical singing, jazz, chamber, pop, musical and crossover profiles.

Conducting, Composition & Ensembles

Silvano Frontalini

Silvano Frontalini is an Italian conductor, artistic director and organist. He is recognized for his important role in the rediscovery of unpublished and forgotten musical works, with more than 100 recorded albums, many of them world-premiere recordings.

Born in Ancona in 1948, he trained at the Conservatorio Gioachino Rossini in Pesaro and furthered his conducting studies with Sergiu Celibidache in Trier, absorbing the phenomenological approach to music. He has recorded for Italian and international radio and television organizations and has conducted extensive operatic and symphonic repertoire, with particular attention to rediscovered Italian music. At Aurea Music Prize he brings authority to conducting, composition and ensemble evaluation.

Piano, Chamber Music & International Jury

Giovanni Calabrese

Giovanni Calabrese is an Italian pianist, chamber musician, educator and cultural organizer. He graduated brilliantly in piano and completed a degree in chamber music under Mariagrazia De Leo at the Conservatorio “T. Schipa” in Lecce, later refining his studies with Michele Marvulli, Cristiano Burato and Pierluigi Camicia.

A prizewinner in numerous national and international competitions, he combines teaching with an intense activity in music dissemination, event organization and collaboration with prestigious musical institutions. He is President of the Associazione di Alta Cultura Musicale “W. A. Mozart” and Artistic Director of the Centro Artistico Internazionale del Mediterraneo, Artistiche Armonie, Apulia Piano Brass Festival and Musicarte Festival & Competition.

He has given more than one hundred concerts as soloist and chamber musician, appearing in Italy, Germany, France, Hungary and the United States, including St. John’s University in New York, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, the America Opera Center, Long Island Conservatory and venues around Lincoln Center. His experience as performer, educator, organizer and jury member strengthens the instrumental and chamber music area of Aurea Music Prize.

Piano, Festivals & International Jury

Milica Lawrence

Milica Lawrence is the Founder, Director and CEO of Malta Piano Academy, Malta International Piano Festival, Malta International Music Competition and Malta International Piano Competition. She completed piano and harpsichord studies at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, where she specialized in chamber music and received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

Her training includes masterclasses with distinguished artists including Sergei Dorensky, Jegor Chugaev, Pavel Nersessian, Huguette Dreyfus, Egon Mihajlovic, Olivera Djurdjevic, Yuri Kot and Maria Luisa Baldassari. She has won numerous awards for solo and ensemble performance and has appeared in recitals and chamber music concerts in Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Macedonia, Libya and beyond.

Since becoming resident in Malta in 2019, she has developed significant educational and artistic projects, including Malta Piano Academy and the first Malta International Piano Festival in Gozo. Her profile brings Aurea Music Prize a strong international perspective in piano education, festival direction, competition organization and artistic development.

Artistic Director, Fairfield Piano Institute

Nick De La Pena

Nick De La Pena is an internationally active concert pianist, classical composer and arranger whose work connects the depth of classical tradition with a refined contemporary sensibility. His artistic profile combines performance, education and institutional leadership.

He serves as Artistic Director of the Fairfield Piano Institute in California. His work as a pianist, educator and artistic director gives the Aurea Music Prize jury a strong pedagogical and international perspective, especially for solo instrumentalists and young artists preparing for professional development.

Artistic Director, Aurea Music Prize

Nicolò Giuliano Tuccia

Nicolò Giuliano Tuccia is a concert pianist and cultural entrepreneur working at the intersection of performance, artist development and international music strategy. His artistic and organizational activity focuses on creating transparent, concrete opportunities for musicians.

He is the Artistic Director of Aurea Music Prize and the CEO of VerboSound Music Agency, where he works on booking, communication, artist identity and professional development. Through Aurea and VerboSound, he supports selected artists with a modern, results-oriented approach to visibility and career growth.