Natalia Panina-Rummel

Founder & Festival Director since 2017

Natalia Panina-Rummel is the Founder, visionary, and Artistic Director of the festival, which she established in 2017.

After graduating with distinction from the D. D. Shostakovich School of Music and the A. I. Herzen State Pedagogical University in Saint Petersburg, where she specialised in piano and vocal performance, she moved to Germany to continue her artistic career. There, she developed her professional path as a pianist, organist, educator, and cultural organiser.

Her academic background includes three university degrees. Alongside her professional music education, she earned a Master's degree in Philology and Linguistics and a Master's degree in Neuropsychology in Germany. She combines this unique interdisciplinary expertise with her artistic vision, using it to support and inspire the next generation of young musicians.

In 2018, she was recognised by BR-KLASSIK (Bavarian Broadcasting) as "Germany's Most Popular Piano and Voice Teacher."

For many years, Natalia Panina-Rummel has cultivated close relationships with internationally renowned musicians and cultural institutions. In 2017, the festival received its symbolic blessing from Maxim Shostakovich—conductor, pianist, and son of the legendary composer Dmitri Shostakovich—whose personal message marked an important milestone in the festival's history. Since then, numerous collaborations with distinguished artists and international partners have followed.

Under her leadership, the festival continued uninterrupted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by successfully transforming into an online platform featuring competitions, concerts, and educational projects. To date, more than 1,000 young musicians from over 30 countries across almost every continent have participated in the festival.

Her vision is to share the beauty of classical music with wider audiences, build international cultural bridges, and support those who dedicate their talent, passion, and educational commitment to nurturing young musicians.

For several years, the festival has enjoyed a close partnership with Hohenschwangau, where concerts are presented at the Museum of the Bavarian Kings. At the same time, its long-standing connection with Max Rill Gymnasium Schloss Reichersbeuern remains at the heart of the project, hosting the annual international competition, which has evolved from a piano competition into a vibrant international forum for piano, chamber music, voice, and other instrumental disciplines.

Since 2025, the festival has proudly carried the motto "Young Experts for Young Talents." Former prize winners who have since established successful international careers now return as jury members, lecturers, and mentors. This unique continuity between generations has become one of the defining characteristics of the festival.

In addition, Natalia Panina-Rummel completed advanced private studies in Early Music, Organ, and Harpsichord. She subsequently served for two years as Cantor and Organist at the Protestant Christuskirche in Füssen, Germany. Her experience in historical performance practice continues to shape her artistic vision and broadens the festival's musical perspective.

A particular focus of her educational work is the individual development of young talent. Her students have received prizes at numerous national and international competitions, including the prestigious Jugend musiziert competition in both Piano and Voice. Many of her former students have gone on to study at some of Europe's leading conservatoires and music universities, including the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the University of Music and Theatre Munich, and the University of Music and Dance Cologne.

Alongside her work as Festival Director, Natalia Panina-Rummel is a passionate teacher of music and languages, coordinates cultural projects at Max Rill Gymnasium, and inspires young people through her warm, positive, and demanding approach to education and artistic excellence.