The La Maestra Paris International Conducting Competition was founded in 2020 as the initiative of the Philharmonie de Paris and the Paris Mozart Orchestra with a clear vision: to increase the visibility of women conductors and promote greater gender equality in orchestral conducting. In a short time, the competition has become one of the most important platforms for young conductors at the beginning of their international careers.

The initiative is artistically led by renowned conductor Claire Gibault together with the leadership of the Paris Mozart Orchestra, and is organised in close collaboration with the Philharmonie de Paris. In addition to the competition itself, La Maestra also includes a multi-year mentoring programme — the La Maestra Academy — offering selected conductors professional support, artistic mentorship, networking opportunities, and collaborations with leading European orchestras.

A total of 225 conductors from around the world applied for this year’s edition. An international jury selected 16 semifinalists representing 13 countries. After several competitive rounds, four conductors advanced to the final: Molly Turner (USA), Alizé Léhon (France), Jiajing Lai (China), and Mojca Lavrenčič (Slovenia).

The international jury, chaired by Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv, awarded the First Prize to Mojca Lavrenčič, who also received several special awards, including prizes from international orchestral associations, the ECHO organisation, musicians of the Orchestre de Paris, and the media platform ARTE.

Second Prize was awarded to Jiajing Lai (China), while Third Prize went to Alizé Léhon (France). Lavrenčič’s achievement is particularly remarkable as she entered the competition as a replacement candidate shortly before its start and ultimately triumphed over an outstanding international field.

Today, La Maestra is regarded as one of the most influential conducting platforms in the world. Alongside the competition, the two-year La Maestra Academy provides laureates with mentorship, collaborations with leading orchestras, and long-term professional development opportunities.

You can watch recordings of the final performance below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uio8zQP8wNo 

(Mojca Lavrenčič from 1:45:00 onwards)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QispFfIL-4I

(Mojca Lavrenčič from 2:03:00 onwards)