site.btaItalian Federico Tibone Wins Plovdiv Opera’s International Conducting Competition

Italian conductor Federico Tibone is the winner of the 2026 International Conducting Competition of State Opera Plovdiv, the cultural institution said on Monday.

According to the organizers, the second edition of the competition featured exceptionally strong international participation and confirmed its development as a significant professional platform for young conductors.

A total of 204 candidates from around the world applied for this year’s edition. Sixty of them were selected by an international jury chaired by Maestro Dian Chobanov, with members including Maestro Frederic Deloche of the Nice Opera (France), Maestro Nicola Simoni of the Avignon Opera (France), the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto and Teatro La Fenice (Italy), Maestro Grigor Palikarov, chief conductor of State Opera Plovdiv and head of the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Vito Clemente of the Traetta Opera Festival and Sinfonica Metropolitana della citta di Bari (Italy), and Maestro Juan Jose Navarro from the University of Almeria (Spain).

Of the candidates admitted to the competitive rounds, 16 advanced to the second round, conducting symphonic repertoire, and eight were selected for the semi-finals.

As the winner, Federico Tibone receives a cash prize and will conduct a production of State Opera Plovdiv, as well as a production at the Astana Opera during the 2026/2027 season. Second prize went to Orhan Murat Cem of Turkiye, who will conduct an opera production and a concert at State Opera Plovdiv this season. Third prize was awarded to Christian Lorca of Chile, who will conduct a concert with the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra.

Special awards were also presented: the Orchestra Prize of State Opera Plovdiv went to Federico Tibone; the Audience Award was presented to Orhan Murat Cem; and the Special Prize of Sinfonica Metropolitana della citta di Bari was awarded to Franz Gobel of Germany.