Sant’Agostino Conference Center and Teatro Signorelli
Each year, NUME Academy becomes a meeting point for some of the greatest figures on the international music scene.
Artists such as Steven Isserlis, Gidon Kremer, Augustin Hadelich, Mihaela Martin, Tabea Zimmermann, Frans Helmerson, the Belcea Quartet, Alban Gerhardt, Stella Chen, Charlotte Hellekant, Adelina Oprean, Mi-kyung Lee, Antonio Lysy, and many others have shared their artistry, experience, and vision with the Academy.
These extraordinary encounters offer selected students the opportunity to learn from masters who have shaped the history of contemporary music in a human and artistic dialogue that goes far beyond the classroom.
For the 2026 edition, NUME Academy will have the honor of welcoming three figures of exceptional prestige: the American pianist Robert Levin, the Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen, the Norwegian violist Lars Anders Tomter, and the Danish violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider — world-renowned artists who, alongside their brilliant solo careers, share a deep commitment to teaching and to the transmission of musical knowledge.
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider is an internationally acclaimed Danish violinist and conductor. Born in Copenhagen in 1975, he studied with Boris Kuschnir and rose to prominence after winning the Queen Elisabeth International Competition in Brussels in 1997. He regularly performs with the world’s leading orchestras—including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic—under conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Chailly, Valery Gergiev, and Mariss Jansons.
Alongside his solo career, he is Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
He plays the legendary “Kreisler” Guarneri del Gesù (1741), generously loaned by the Royal Danish Theater Foundation.
Znaider is admired for his noble tone, interpretative precision, and commanding stage presence.
Robert Levin is an American pianist, musicologist, and educator internationally celebrated as one of the foremost interpreters of Mozart, Beethoven, and the Classical–Baroque repertoire. Renowned for his performances on period instruments and his spontaneous improvisations in 18th-century style, he has completed several unfinished works by Mozart.
He has taught at Harvard University and the Mozarteum University Salzburg, and has collaborated with the world’s leading orchestras and festivals. His career bridges performance, scholarship, and artistic outreach, making him one of the most respected figures in contemporary classical music.
Torleif Thedéen is one of Europe’s most acclaimed cellists. Winner of the Hammer-Rostropovich, Pablo Casals, and EBU competitions in 1985, he performs regularly with orchestras such as the Czech Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, and BBC Philharmonic, working with conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen and Paavo Järvi.
A frequent guest at festivals such as Verbier and Salzburg, he is equally esteemed as a chamber musician and educator.
His extensive discography includes the Bach Suites and Shostakovich Concertos.
He performs on a 1783 Guadagnini cello (ex-Rostropovich).
Norwegian violist Lars Anders Tomter is widely recognized as one of today’s leading violists. After studying with Leif Jørgensen and Max Rostal, he embarked on a distinguished career as a soloist and chamber musician.
He has performed with major orchestras including the BBC Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Staatskapelle Dresden, and Oslo Philharmonic, working with conductors such as André Previn, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Franz Welser-Möst.
Renowned for his interpretations of both classical and contemporary repertoire, Tomter has premiered numerous works written for him.
He is Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and Artistic Director of several chamber music festivals in Norway.
He plays a 1590 Gasparo da Salò viola.
