Womanimation! 2026 Judges
After our previous successes, we again assembled a unique jury of talented women musicians to review the festival films.
All of our judges at one point have topped one of the MergingArts Global Radio weekly charts.
Be sure to check out their links below and hear some fantastic music from around the globe!
Jury Members
Camilla Barbarito (Italy) -
A singer and performer working with several music ensembles along with own original research on Mediterranean folk music inspired by Balkan sounds, Portuguese fado, Greek rebetika music, Argentinian tango and Romany music.
Esbe (UK) -
Composer, producer, and vocalist whose influences include her North African and Eastern European heritage as well as Early Music, British folk, jazz, and western and Indian classical music.
Fabienne Magnant (France) -
Composer, educator, and guitarist performing on classical/Brazilian guitar, flamenco guitar, and viola caipira, with classical repertoire, flamenco solos, and other Brazilian gems.
Lia Hide (Greece) -
Songwriter, pianist, composer and producer, with a sound fusing jazz with avant-garde, cinematic with dark wave, post with baroque pop, with skilled and versatile vocals fused with spoken poetry.
Livia Mattos (Brazil) -
Bahia-based singer, song-writer, and accordionist with a background as a circus performer. Her music blends Brazilian roots and popular music, world rhythms, burlesque jazz, and circus sensibilities.
Tatyana Kalmykova (Russia) -
Vocalist, composer, and researcher of ancient music. In her projects, she combines traditional folk instruments, authentic singing and improvisation, with ethnic and electronic rhythms.
Venla Ilona Blom (Finland) -
Member of acclaimed folk-hop vocal ensemble Tuuletar, she specializes in extended vocal techniques, beatboxing, and traditional singing styles rooted in Scandinavian and Finno-Ugric folk music.
Veronika Varga (Hungary) -
Budapest-based folk singer and double-bass player. Her debut release True Picture features traditional Hungarian and Greek songs, with unique arrangements including double bass, solo and group voice, cimbalom, and accordion.
Virginia Nicoli (Italy/India) -
Based in Italy, she's dedicated years to studying Indian classical music, mastering Dhrupad and uniquely adapting it to bansuri and silver flute. She performs, collaborates, and teaches internationally, blending tradition with innovation.