New York City - The Musical Olympus Foundation, led by Irina Nikitina, presented an international festival at Carnegie Hall on February 24 featuring six International Music Competition winners. German percussionist Johannes Fischer, South Korean tenor Jaesig Lee, Chinese violinist Ning Feng, Hungarian cellist Istvan Vardai, Russian soprano Julia Novikova and Azerbaijani conductor Ayyub Guliyev performed to a sold-out audience at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, garnering rave reviews from fans from all over the world.

Dr. Kevin Plancher.

The performance was followed by a cocktail reception at the Helen Yarmak studio, where guests toasted the young musical prodigies. The evening also featured the Olympus Chamber Orchestra, a group formed under the auspices of the Musical Olympus Foundation, featuring some of the most promising young musicians in New York City.

All the musicians will take part in the annual Musical Olympus Festival in Saint-Petersburg, Russia in May.These young performers are being among the best and brightest in the industry; after taking part at the festival they get the unique opportunity to perform on prestigious international stages in Berlin and the London Philharmonic, as well as Carnegie Hall.

Friends, colleagues and guests including Malisa Azarm, Jackie Drexel, Anait Bian, Michael Arguello, Alexander Shedrinsky, Graciana Del Castillo, Aspasia Zoumas, famed designer Jamie Drake, Michael Siegel, Diana Orlova, Michelle Marie and Jon Heinemann, Rona Landman and Dr. Kevin Plancher, Joseph Saline, Tribal Couture designer Veronica Zhou and David Zhou, Samir Tehan and Timothy John, congratulated the musicians and the Musical Olympus team over cocktails amongst a display of Helen Yarmak's world-class designs.

Timothy John.

Musical Olympus, with support from the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations," is proud to have the opportunity to present this festival annually, as they have been doing for the past 14 years. This year, their rising stars were the winners of the following musical competitions: Fischer won the 2007 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Lee won the Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens (2009), Feng was the winner of the 2006 Paganini International Violin Competition in Genova, Vardai won the Geneva International Music Competition in 2008, Novikova brought home First Prize at the Musik Debut in Germany in 2008, and conductor Guliyev won the Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition in Athens in 2008.

The Musical Olympus Foundation was established in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1995. The foundation develops and implements a range of international cultural projects, and is producing unique international musical presentations. The International Musical Olympus Festival has come to be known as a showcase of winners.

For more information go to www.musicalolympus.com.