Prizewinner of numerous international competitions such as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and other competitions in Tokyo, Montreal, Marseilles, and Cincinatti, concert pianist Oleg Poliansky brings an intensity to all his performances be it a large concert hall or intimate chamber experience.

Cheikhet is famous for his “golden tone” on romantic violin. Graduate of a Doctoral degree from Moscow Conservatory, Mark has built a unique niche for his talents in both worlds of performing and visual arts. A frequent guest of MBAW, Mark has performed as a soloist and chamber musician and is known for multimedia performances with exhibitions and their musical interpretations. “…his warm and beautiful sound transforms the listener to another world…Mark’s clarity of musical thought and virtuosity are truly remarkable… ” (Brescia Oggi)

Concert pianist Elena Portnaya holds two Doctoral Degrees from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and the University of Texas at Austin. Elena is a laureate of numerous international piano competitions and has performed solo and in chamber ensembles in Russia, Poland, England, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Switzerland and the United States.  Elena is currently the Artistic Coordinator at Musical Bridges Around the World and Artistic Director of The Gurwitz International Piano Competition.

Tamara Adira is a dancer, choreographer, and founder/ Artistic Director of Arte y Pasión, which shares, promotes and develops the authentic art of flamenco as a vehicle of healing, restoration, and the promotion of human rights and equality. Adira leverages her experience in experimental and contemporary performance, with seeds based in her Harvard based John Cage residency during her tenure at MIT.

José Manuel Tejeda graduated from The University of Arts in Cuba with emphasis on classical guitar, guitar instruction and professional solo guitar performer. After 13 years of classical guitar training with Master Guitarists, he began to focus on flamenco. He had the opportunity to perform in the most important theaters in the country such as: Gran Teatro de La Habana, The National Theater of Cuba, and plays with as part of Atash, Alante Flamenco, and Arte y Pasión.

La Memphi is a unique combination of musician, recording artist, producer, arranger, songwriter, and flamenco artist. Born in Canada, she has toured across Canada, US, Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Guatemala, showcasing at Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and open for legendary songstress Ana Gabriel. Throughout the years she has had the privilege of studying with some of the most prominent figures in Flamenco .

As part of the mission of The Gurwitz International Piano Competition to discover the next generation of top young pianists, The Gurwitz Youth Ambassadors program develops young pianists in the greater San Antonio area through feature performances as well as community engagement such as playing in schools, attending or participating in masterclasses, performing for community groups, or speaking with students about how and why they chose to play the piano.