2025 competition announced
Tuesday 2–Thursday 4 December 2025
Entries are now open
35 years of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition
Donatella Flick founded the Competition in 1990 and remains at its helm, working with a small team and the London Symphony Orchestra to present it every two years
The 2023 winner
Nicolò Foron won the 17th Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in March 2023. Find out more about his win and the 2023 Competition Final here.
Donatella Flick, the Competition’s founder
Donatella Flick is a philanthropist who is world-renowned for her support of the arts.
Since founding the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 1990 she has worked hard to ensure it remains in the top tier of the world’s music competitions, offering unparalleled opportunies for the winners whilst making sure that the Competition benefits everyone who takes part.
The Competition was recognised in 2000 by the jury of the Pro-European Foundation for Culture when Donatella Flick received the European Project Award for Music. Donatella Flick was appointed “Commendatore” of the Italian Republic in 2006, and in 2007 was the recipient of a Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, given to “outstanding art patrons whose personal commitment and achievements deserve wider recognition”.
The Queen of Denmark’s Foundation for Culture has also awarded her philanthropic achievements.
What makes a great conductor?
Close friend of the Competition and 2016 jury member Sir Antonio Pappano made time to speak to us about what being a conductor is all about for this video produced for the 2016 Competition. It also features the Competition’s founder, Donatella Flick, 2014 Competition winner Elim Chan, Dame Felicity Lott and others.