JURY of the 53nd IJMC

Alexander Boldachev, selector (Switzerland)

Alexander Boldachev is a Swiss-Russian artist pushing the boundaries of how people identify the harp in the 21st century. Alexander creates unique adventures in his concerts with his innovative approach and refusal to conform to stereotypes. He has become a modern harp and music ambassador, focusing on including all generations of the public. Alexander won more than 20 different competitions and prizes for performing and composing, including Kleiner Prix Walo (CH), Aoyama Prize (JP), Akademia Award (USA), ProEuropa (EU) As a classically educated harpist (professor – Catherine Michel), composer, and conductor, Alexander has mastered various musical genres, including classical, crossover, rock covers, and neoclassical vibes. He has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as the Bolshoi Theatre, Carnegie Hall, and Theatre Colon, as well as the Burning Man, FIFA World Cup Opening, and late-night shows with experimental programs. Alexander’s creativity extends beyond his live performances, as he is a prolific composer with a unique style that blends tradition with innovation. He has created original works and improvisations that showcase his passion for the harp and music, including film and theatre scores, works with orchestra, e-music, and hundreds of arrangements and covers. Many works and covers are already recorded and can be found on streaming services. Aside from his busy performing schedule, Alexander is passionate about sharing his knowledge and training methods with aspiring musicians worldwide. He was invited to work with the students at top institutions like Juilliard, Liszt, and Royal Academies of Music, Conservatories of Milano, Toronto, Beijing, Moscow, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires. He is a member of the Jury of the International Harp Contest in Israel, as well as Artist-in- Residence at UCLA. With an open mind to collaborations and a readiness to work with diverse instruments, singers, and choreographers, Alexander continues to do innovative cultural research. His creativity also extends to organizing projects such as the Harp Festival Zürich and World Harp Day, which celebrate the beauty and diversity of his instrument. In addition to his artistry, Alexander is also known for his humanitarian work. He has taken a clear anti-war position and founded a society in Zürich called LYUDẎ: Cultural Solidarity to help refugees and arrange charity actions in Switzerland and worldwide.

Milena Stanišić, selector (Serbia)

Milena Stanisic is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade. Previously she held the position of the principal harpist in the Opera Orchestra of the National Theatre in Belgrade (1994-2012). Additionally, she served as the principal harpist of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and played as a member of all orchestras in Serbia, and many in the region. Stanisic performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician. She performed at numerous concerts and festivals in Serbia, the region of western Balkans, and abroad, including performances at the World Harp Congresses in Geneva, Vancouver, Sydney, and Hong Kong and at the international harp festivals in Rio de Janeiro and Saint Petersburg (“Northern Lyra”). She performed as a soloist with several orchestras (Serbia Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, St. George String Orchestra, Skovran String Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Sarajevo Philharmonic String Orchestra, Marinsky Theatre Orchestra, Metamorphosis, etc.).  She has four published CDs, two of them with music by Serbian composers. Many new pieces were dedicated to her. Stanisic was the leader of several artistic projects with strong artistic research aspects. She has participated at two European platforms for artistic research in music – in Stockholm and in Cluj-Napoca. She is also a member of a working group for artistic research at the University of Arts in Belgrade. Stanisic finished her undergraduate and postgraduate studies of harp with Professor Milica Barić at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, and she has spent two years at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, as a recipient of the Headley Trust full scholarship, studying with Mr. Frank Sternefeld. She actively participated in the master classes of David Watkins, Elisabeth Fontan-Binoche, Skaila Kanga, Ann Griffiths, Jana Bouškova, Anna Levina, Ion Ivan Roncea and Susanna Mildonian. Stanisic successfully finished Doctoral studies under mentorship of Professor Ljiljana Nestorovska in 2016.  Stanisic has won prizes in several competitions, including the First prize at the “Young Musician of the Year” competition in England (1997) and the first special prize at the “Petar Konjović” International Music Competition (1994). In 1994 she also received the City of Belgrade Youth October Prize, as well as the City of Belgrade Prize “Despot Stefan Lazarevic” in 2020. She was one of the founders of the Serbia Harp Association, and today she is the President of the Association. Also, she was one of the founders of the Belgrade International Harp Festival (in 2002) and has functioned as a member of the Artistic Board of the Festival ever since. She is regularly engaged in voluntary work with children with Down syndrome, blind and visually impaired people, and other groups of persons with special needs.

Ljiljana Nestorovska (Serbia)

Ljiljana Nestorovska, a full professor at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, is recognized for her exceptional communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, as well as her dedication, determination, and ability to inspire teamwork. Her leadership as the longtime Head of the Polyinstrumental Department enriched the artistic activities of the department, improved its infrastructure and academic programs, and expanded the influence of the Faculty of Music both nationally and internationally. A distinguished artist and educator, Nestorovska combines remarkable artistic talent, performance excellence, and pedagogical expertise. Her optimism and creativity inspire both students and colleagues to strive for continual growth. She has elevated the Harp Department to regional prominence and positioned it among Europe’s finest. Her advancements in harp pedagogy have contributed significantly to the instrument’s development in Serbia and neighboring countries. Her contributions have been recognized with awards, including the Faculty of Music’s Certificate of Appreciation (1999, 2013) and the University of Arts in Belgrade’s Silver Medal (2003). Since joining the Faculty in 1997, Nestorovska has mentored over 20 graduates, including master’s and specialist students, with several receiving prestigious scholarships. Her students have earned over 130 awards at competitions, and many have become successful orchestral musicians and educators internationally. Parallel to her teaching, Nestorovska has built a successful concert career, performing at esteemed events like the World Harp Congresses and collaborating with notable conductors and orchestras. She regularly performs in chamber ensembles and has been instrumental in inspiring Serbian composers to create new works for the harp, many of which she has premiered. Nestorovska also actively contributes to the academic and artistic community as president of the Polyinstrumental Section of the Music Educators’ Association, a member of the Harpists’ Association Presidency, and a founder of the International Harp Festival in Belgrade. Her multifaceted contributions have significantly enhanced the status of the harp and the Faculty of Music in Serbia and beyond.

Jason Chang (China)

Jason Chang professor of Harp at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Suzhou University and Shanghai Music Middle School affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory.  Jason Chang has given masterclasses across the US, in music conservatories in China, and at the Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg. Since settling in Shanghai in 2002, his students have won prizes at international and national competitions in Israel, France, Japan, the US, Russia, Serbia, Korea, mainland China, and Hong Kong China.  
he was granted the “Excellent Teacher Award” by the city of Shanghai in 2011.  He has also served on the jury of the USA International Harp Competition, Lily Laskine International Harp Competition, St. Petersburg International Harp Competition, Lille International Harp Competition. Jason Chang was on the Host Committee for the 2017 World Harp Congress in Hong Kong and was the music director of Shanghai International Harp Festival in 2014.
Jason Chang holds Bachelor of Music from Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Jianming Hu and Master of Music degrees from University of Arizona with Dr. Carol McLaughlin.  His early harp training was received form his mother Peixue Gan, who was the principal harpist with China National Symphony. 

Catherine Michel (France)

Catherine Michel was born in Amiens, where she studied the harp, piano and music theory with her mother. After her mother’s untimely passing, Pierre Jamet took the young girl under his wing and she entered the National Conservatoire for Dance and Music (CNSM) in Paris, where she was awarded a First Prize diploma at the age of 15. She won two major international awards, in Israel and the United States, as well as a Gold Medal at the Paris Competition. She joined the Radio France National Orchestra in 1971, performing under the conductors L. Maazel, P. Paray, J. Martinon, K. Böhm, S. Celibidache, L. Bernstein, M. Rostropovitch, to name but a few. In 1978 she became a harpist with the Paris Opera. Her first recordings for the Philips and Vox labels introduced listeners to seldom-performed concertos. She recorded concertos by Villa Lobos, Rodrigo and Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the Monte Carlo Orchestra; as well as Glière, Reinecke, Pierné and Saint-Saëns with the Radio Luxembourg Orchestra. She worked together with François Lesur to create a repertoire of harp music published in the 18th century. It was with Leonard Bernstein that the idea came up, in 1990, of adapting major musical comedies for harp and orchestra. After this unique musician passed away, she got together with M. Legrand to record her first album of film music, winning the French Victoires de la Musique award in the same year. Together they recorded four CDs for the Naïve and Universal labels. Over at EMI she accompanied the leading trumpet player Maurice André, performing a variety of works, ranging from Bach to Steven Sondheim, with the Normandy Chamber Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Her teaching duties took her to Dublin, to the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, then in Detmold followed by the one in Zurich, which she left in 2010 to focus on her career as a soloist and visiting professor.

Felice Pomeranz (USA)

Felice Pomeranz is professor of harp at Berklee College of Music. She began the harp program in the String Department in 2002. She has advanced degrees from New England Conservatory in both classical and jazz harp. She is the first and, currently, the only harpist to receive a master’s degree in jazz studies at NEC. Felice has been a clinician and performer at festivals throughout the US, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. Her classical and popular arrangements are available through harp outlets, and on her website, as are her recordings Tomorrow’s Dream, Felicidade, her instructional DVD Jazzy Beginnings, and the CD/workbook Harp in the Band, Vol.1. Felice owns and directs the popular harp referral network, the Gilded Harps, organizing events throughout New England and beyond. She has been very active in the American Harp Society, serving many roles, including chairman of the Board of Directors. Her American Harp Society Foundation Award, Kids for Camp, provides a summer camp experience for young, underprivileged harpists.

Dragana Jovanović (Serbia)

Dragana S. Jovanović is a distinguished composer and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, specializing in Music Theory. With her academic foundation rooted in the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, she has completed her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies in composition. Jovanović’s professional journey is marked by a progression through roles at the Faculty of Music Arts, including assistant, docent, and, since 2012, associate professor. Her teaching repertoire encompasses subjects such as harmony, harmonic analysis, counterpoint, and musical arrangement. Her contributions to the field extend to administrative and evaluative roles, including serving on committees for exams, scheduling, and the establishment of the jazz and popular music department. Her work is celebrated with awards such as the Golden Badge of the Cultural and Educational Community of Serbia (2010) and accolades for her compositions, including international recognition in Bologna, Italy. As a composer, Jovanović’s oeuvre spans an array of genres, from orchestral and chamber music to multimedia projects. Her compositions have been performed internationally, demonstrating her global artistic influence. Additionally, she has composed applied music for films, television series, and theater productions, showcasing her versatility. A prolific author, Jovanović has published educational materials and research articles focused on harmony pedagogy and musical analysis. Her published works and CDs reflect her dedication to advancing music education and creative expression. Dragana S. Jovanović’s enduring impact on music, education, and culture establishes her as a prominent figure in Serbian and international artistic circles.