For its fourth edition, the biennial La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors is again collaborating with the Philharmonie de Paris and the Orchestra Paris Mozart for the event. 

This year’s competition received 225 applications from around the world, from which 16 conductors have now been selected. 

Representing 13 different nationalities, the 2026 candidates are as follows:

  • Doğa Çetin, 25 | Turkey
  • Nefeli Chadouli, 32 | Greece
  • Soo Jin Chung, 30 | Canada
  • Mariana Corichi Gómez, 26 | Mexico 
  • Lamar Elias, 26 | Palestine
  • Sunwoo Jeong, 23 | South Korea
  • Sukjong Kim, 33 | South Korea
  • Oksana Krotyk, 26 | Ukraine
  • Jiajing Lai, 34 | China
  • Polina Lebedieva, 24 | Ukraine
  • Alizé Léhon, 27 | France
  • Noemí Pasquina, 39 | Spain
  • Lea Ray, 28 | Germany
  • Jessica Rivero Altarriba, 31 | Cuba
  • Molly Turner, 28 | U.S.
  • Öykü Yanık, 24 | Turkey

 

For the initial rounds of the competition, competitors will be performing with the Paris Mozart Orchestra. The final will be performed with the Orchestre de Paris. 

The first prize winner will receive €20,000, second prize is €10,000, and third place is €5,000. Among other awards include the  European Concert Hall Organisation Prize and the ARTE Prize. 

Additionally, finalists of the competition will take precedence in participating in the 2026 La Maestra Academy, a two-year program offering professional support on an international level.   

Chaired by Oksana Lyniv, the 2026 international jury will comprise Claire Gibault, Wayne Marshall, Vineta Sareika, Matías Tarnopolsky, Fabienne Voisin, and Philipp von Steinaecker. 

The competition is co-directed by Claire Gibault, artistic director of the Paris Mozart Orchestra, and Olivier Mantei, general manager of the Philharmonie de Paris. 

More on each of the candidates can be found here.