Pozno sinoči so objavili imena treh finalistov današnjega večernega sklepnega dela mednarodnega dirigentskega tekmovanja Pehlivanian v Festivalni dvrani na Bledu, ki se bo začelo ob 19. uri. Finalisti bodo nastopili s Simfoničnim orkestrom RTV Slovenija. Po koncertu bo slovesna razglasitev in podelitev nagrad.
George Pehlivanian
V veliki finale so se uvrstili: Sheng Hao Cheng iz Tajvana, Connor Lyster iz Združenega Kraljestva/Irske in Hyunsik Shin iz Južne Koreje.
Predstavljamo jih z uradnimi lastnimi ali tujimi predstavitvami na spletni strani mednarodnega tekmovanja, katerega medijski pokrovitelj je slavna londonska revija Gramophone, ki ga je podrobno predstavila in spremlja tekmovanje na Bledu.
Sheng-Hao Cheng
My name is Sheng-Hao Cheng. I was born into a family immersed in music, with both of my parents being well-known musicians in Taiwan. My father, a conductor, has been my role model since childhood and inspired me to pursue the path of conducting. Under the influence of my family, I began studying the piano at the age of four and gradually explored a wide range of repertoire spanning from the Baroque period to contemporary music.
My solo repertoire includes works by Rameau, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Ligeti, Messiaen, and Widmann, through which I have built a solid and diverse musical foundation. I have also performed with the Yi-Sheng Chamber Orchestra in 2015 and 2020, and with the Taipei Municipal University Festival Orchestra in 2025, gaining valuable stage experience. In 2023, I made the decision to further my studies in Vienna, Austria. Studying in the city of music exposed me to musical perspectives and professional training that differed greatly from those in Taiwan. This experience significantly broadened my artistic vision and strengthened my musicianship.
Although I was ultimately unable to continue my studies abroad due to health reasons, the experience became an indispensable source of growth and resilience, shaping me into a stronger and more determined musician. In the same year, I participated in the Allegro Vivo Festival in Austria, where I received guidance from Lilya Zilberstein and Björn Lehmann. In 2026, I attended the International Piano Master Festival and studied with distinguished professors including Fabio Bidini and Tamás Ungár. Through these masterclasses, I gained recognition and encouragement from multiple mentors, further expanding my international perspective. Beyond piano performance, I have actively engaged in choral and orchestral activities.
As a child, I participated in choir, and in 2019 I performed as the Shepherd Boy in Puccini’s Tosca, produced by the National Symphony Orchestra. Since 2024, I have been selected for three consecutive years as a keyboard member of the National Symphony Youth Orchestra (NSYO), touring both domestically and internationally under the baton of Jun Märkl and Shao-Chia Lü. I have also participated in chamber music performances and was honored three times as an Outstanding Member. In July 2025, I was invited by the National Symphony Orchestra to serve as a rehearsal pianist intern for Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. Observing two conductors during the rehearsal process allowed me to absorb their rehearsal techniques and leadership approaches, deepening my understanding of how to communicate respectfully and effectively with orchestral musicians to achieve artistic excellence.
In recent years, I have formally begun studying conducting under my father’s guidance. I have conducted the Orchestra of the Department of Music at National Taipei University of Education, among others. In 2025 and 2026, I was selected to participate in the Lü Shao-Chia Conducting Masterclass jointly organized by National Taipei University of the Arts, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the TSMC Education and Culture Foundation, performing with the NTUA Chamber Ensemble. I have also been invited by a contemporary student composer to premiere a new work, continuing to deepen my engagement with modern repertoire. All of these experiences have enabled me to embrace a wide spectrum of musical styles, from classical to contemporary, and have firmly established my aspiration to become a conductor.
I am committed to continuous learning, stepping beyond my comfort zone, and striving to become not only an accomplished conductor but also a thoughtful and inspiring artist.
Connor Lyster
Connor Lyster is a British – Irish conductor, who has worked internationally in symphonic, operatic and ballet repertoire.
Having gained a first class honours degree in percussion from the Royal College of Music, Connor has gone on to perform and record with professional orchestras across the UK, including the Hallé and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with many conductors and soloists such as Sir Mark Elder, Nicola Benedetti Rafael Payare, Ryan Wigglesworth and Martyn Brabbins; Most notably including a broadcast on BBC Radio 3, featuring a world premiere of Ian Bell’s Beowulf narrated by Ruth Wilson.
Connor later studied conducting with Mark Heron and Clark Rundell on the prestigious Masters course at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During his time, he conducted a wide variety of ensembles both internally and externally of the RNCM and took part in masterclasses with esteemed guests such as Nicolás Pasquet, Sir Mark Elder, Ludovic Morlot, Antony Hermus and Anja Bihlmaier. He has conducted a wide range of ensembles, such as the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, NEW Sinfonia and at the end of his studies at the RNCM, Connor made his debut with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with a performance of Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber, where he was described by the Arts Desk as ‘the gifts of economy of movement and focused contact with his musicians’.
Connor has worked as an assistant conductor with many orchestras and conductors, including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He developed a close relationship with Domingo Hindoyan at the RLPO, who he has assisted many times in a wide range of repertoire, with particular highlights including Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 and highlights from the Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Further highlights include an assistantship to Colin Currie with members of the Hallé orchestra in a programme dedicated to the music of Steve Reich, as well as further assistantships to conductors Mark Wigglesworth, Adam Hickox, Ben Gernon and Joshua Weilerstein. Most recently Connor was the assistant conductor to Nabil Shehata in a production of Cosí fan Tutte with the International Opera Academy of Ghent, and has since been reinvited to work with the IOA on future productions.
In 2026 Connor was a quarter finalist in the inaugural Sofia International Conducting Competition and a participant in the prestigious Athens Conducting Masterclass and competition with Michalis Economou.
Connor is a very versatile conductor, who is comfortable in the concert hall, opera and ballet pit. He has a very diverse repertoire and is passionate about performing new music along side the core repertoire. Connor is a strong believer of innovative programming, and is always looking to engage new and familiar audiences alike.
Hyunsik Shin
South Korean conductor Hyunsik Shin is currently Chief Conductor of the Akademisches Orchester Freiburg and is pursuing his Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim, studying with Stefan Blunier and Cornelius Meister.
In 2025, Shin received First Prize at the Orchestra’s Conductor Competition in Bucharest, Romania, and Second Prize at the International Ferenc Fricsay Conducting Competition in Szeged, Hungary. He was also awarded the Outstanding Conductor Award at the Korean National Symphony Orchestra’s Conducting Workshop under the guidance of Christoph Poppen.
Shin has conducted the Nürnberger Symphoniker and the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, and has worked with ensembles including the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester, and Szeged Symphony Orchestra.
His recent engagements include concerts with the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra in Bucharest and the Nürnberger Symphoniker in Germany in 2026. In March 2027, he will return to Hungary to conduct the Szeged Symphony Orchestra in a programme featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.
Alongside his guest conducting engagements, Shin is actively developing his work with orchestras in Germany and across Europe, with a repertoire ranging from the Classical period to contemporary music.
Marijan Zlobec