Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
Encyclopedia
The Leeds International Piano Competition informally known as The Leeds takes place every three years in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood
and Fanny Waterman
, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963 (there was a four-year gap before the 2000 competition). It takes place in the Great Hall of the University of Leeds
and in Leeds Town Hall
.
The 16th competition took place 26 August - 13 September 2009. It was the first time that the competition has not housed competitors at Tetley Hall
, a residence hall at the University of Leeds which closed in 2006. (For many years, the supervisor of Tetley Hall during the competition was Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold
.) The competitors are accompanied by the Halle Orchestra.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood
Marion Stein
Maria Donata Nanetta Paulina Gustava Erwina Wilhelmine Stein, CBE , known as Marion Stein, is an Austrian concert pianist and, as a former Countess of Harewood, is also a former member of the British Royal Family....
and Fanny Waterman
Fanny Waterman
Dame Fanny Waterman, DBE is a piano teacher, and the founder, Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition. She is also president of the Harrogate International Music Fesitval.-Life:...
, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963 (there was a four-year gap before the 2000 competition). It takes place in the Great Hall of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and in Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
.
The 16th competition took place 26 August - 13 September 2009. It was the first time that the competition has not housed competitors at Tetley Hall
Tetley Hall
Tetley Hall was a catered hall of residence located in Headingley at the University of Leeds, England. It housed around 218 students in one main block, composed of two sections, Woodhouse and Heathfield, two listed Victorian buildings, Moorfield Lodge and Moor Grange, and four additional houses,...
, a residence hall at the University of Leeds which closed in 2006. (For many years, the supervisor of Tetley Hall during the competition was Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold
Elizabeth Arnold (singer)
Elizabeth Arnold is a retired classical singer and member of the artistic community in Yorkshire, England. Along with her husband, retired Leeds businessman Olav Arnold, she has made many generous financial contributions to a number of arts organisations in northern England and sits on several...
.) The competitors are accompanied by the Halle Orchestra.
Prize Winners
Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Sofya Gulyak Sofya Gulyak Sofya Gulyak is a Russian pianist. In 2006 she won the 1st Prize in the Sigismund Thalberg International Piano Competition. In 2007 she won the William Kapell Competition and shared the Concorso F. Busoni 2nd prize with Dinara Nadzhafova... Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Alexej Gorlatch Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
Alessandro Taverna Alessandro Taverna Alessandro Taverna is an Italian pianist, representing Italy at international competitions. He trained at the Accademia Pianistica "Incontri col Maestro" in Imola with Franco Scala, Leonid Margarius and Boris Petrushansky; he later specialized with Arie Vardi at theHochschule für Musik und Theater... Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
David Kadouch France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Rachel Cheung Rachel Cheung Wai-Ching Rachel Cheung is a young classical pianist born on 27 September 1991 in Hong Kong. She has won numerous prizes and awards in Hong Kong and overseas and performs regularly in Europe and America... China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Jianing Kong China |
2006 | Sunwook Kim Sunwook Kim Sunwook Kim is a South Korean pianist.He came under international spotlight when he won the Leeds Competition in 2006, becoming not only the competition's youngest winner in 40 years, but also its first Asian winner. Kim's performance for the finals Sunwook Kim (born in Seoul, 1988) is a South... South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Andrew Brownell USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Denis Kozhukhin Denis Kozhukhin Denis Kozhukhin is a Russian pianist who was awarded the 2006 Leeds International Pianoforte Competition's 3rd prize. He was awarded too the 2010 Belgian Queen Elisabeth Music Competition's 1st prize .... Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Song Siheng China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Sung-Hoon Kim South Korea |
Grace Fong Grace Fong Grace Fong, D.M.A., is currently the Director of Keyboard Studies at Chapman University Conservatory of Music and continues an active solo and chamber music career. She also performs as part of the Selvaggi Trio.... USA |
2003 | Antti Siirala Antti Siirala Antti Siirala is a Finnish pianist.Antti Siirala’s international career was launched when he won First Prize in the 10th Vienna Beethoven competition as the youngest contestant, receiving the special award for the best performance of a late Beethoven sonata... Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Evgenia Rubinova Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south.... |
Yuma Osaki Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Igor Tchetuev Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
Chiao Ying-Chang Taiwan Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor... |
Sodi Braide UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... / Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in... |
2000 | Alessio Bax Alessio Bax Alessio Bax is an Italian classical pianist. Bax was born in 1977 in Bari, Italy, and graduated from the Bari conservatory at the age of 14. He studied at Southern Methodist University near Dallas, Texas, where he worked as faculty member of the university's Meadows School of the Arts following his... Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Davide Franceschetti Italy |
Severin von Eckardstein Severin von Eckardstein Severin Von Eckardstein is a German classical pianist. He was born in 1978 in Düsseldorf, Germany, and took his first piano lessons when he was six years old.... Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Cristiano Burato Italy |
Ashley Wass UK |
Tatyana Kolessova Russia |
1996 | Ilya Itin Ilya Itin Ilya Itin is a Russian concert pianist of international acclaim currently residing in New York City.-Music Competition:... Russia |
Roberto Cominati Italy |
Aleksandar Madžar Aleksandar Madžar (musician) Aleksandar Madžar is a Serbian pianist.Madžar first studied piano with Gordana Matinovic, Arbo Valdma and Eliso Virsaladze in Belgrade and Moscow, then with Edouard Mirzoian at the Strasbourg Conservatory and in Brussels with Daniel Blumenthal... Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century.... |
Sa Chen Sa Chen Sa Chen is a Chinese classical music pianist. She won first prize in the 1994 China International Piano Competition and fourth place in the 2000 International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition and a prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition... China |
Armen Babakhanian Armen Babakhanian Armen Babakhanian is an Armenian pianist.He received prizes at the Leeds , Van Cliburn , and Gina Bachauer competitions. His performance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Quintet along with the Takács Quartet at the XIII Paloma O'Shea Competition earned him the Chamber Music award. These awards... Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... |
Ekaterina Apekisheva Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
1993 | Ricardo Castro Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Leon McCawley Leon McCawley Leon McCawley is a British classical pianist.He studied with Heather Slade-Lipkin at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and with Eleanor Sokoloff at The Curtis Institute of Music in the United States, and latterly pianist Nina Milkina was a source of inspiration.He won the first prize in the... Great Britain |
Mark Anderson USA |
Filippo Gamba Italy |
Maxim Philippov Russia |
Margarita Shevchenko Russia |
1990 | Artur Pizarro Artur Pizarro Artur Pizarro is a Portuguese pianist of international acclaim. He performs internationally in solo recitals, in duos, with chamber music groups, and as a soloist with the world's leading orchestras. He has an extensive discography available on Linn Records, as well as on Naxos, Hyperion, Collins... Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
Lars Vogt Lars Vogt -Career:Lars Vogt studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. He rose to prominence after winning second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition and has since gone on to give major concerto and recital performances. In the 2003/04 season he... Germany |
Eric le Sage France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Balázs Szokolay Balázs Szokolay Balázs Szokolay is a Hungarian pianist.His international concert career started in 1983, replacing Nikita Magaloff at a concert in Belgrade. Four years later he was appointed a professorship at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music... Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
Haesun Paik South Korea |
Andrei Zheltonog USSR Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... |
1987 | Vladimir Ovchinnikov USSR |
Ian Munro Ian Munro (pianist) Ian Munro is an Australian pianist, composer, writer and music educator. His career has taken him to over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia.-Biography:... Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Noriko Ogawa Noriko Ogawa (pianist) is a Japanese classical pianist.Born in Kawasaki, Ogawa studied at the Tokyo College of Music and the Juilliard School in New York , and later with Benjamin Kaplan. After coming second in a Japanese music competition in 1984, she gained third prize in the 1987 Leeds International Piano... Japan |
Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky (pianist) - Biography :Berezovsky studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze and privately with Alexander Satz. Following his London début at the Wigmore Hall in 1988, The Times described him as "an artist of exceptional promise, a player of dazzling virtuosity and formidable power."In May 2005... USSR |
Hugh Tinney Hugh Tinney Hugh Tinney is an Irish pianist, born in 1958.-Biography:Tinney was a pupil at Gonzaga College, Dublin through the 1970s where he showed strong ability in mathematics and music. He also studied cello under Betty Barrett. He studied physics at Trinity College Dublin... Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Marcantonio Barone USA |
1984 | Jon Kimura Parker Jon Kimura Parker Jon Kimura Parker, OC is a Canadian pianist.- Biography :He was born in Vancouver, Canada, the son of Keiko Parker and the nephew of Edward Parker.He appeared with the Vancouver Youth Orchestra when he was five... Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Ju Hee Suh Korea |
Junko Otake Japan |
Louis Lortie Louis Lortie Louis Lortie, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian pianist. He currently lives in Berlin.He is known for his interpretation of Ravel, Chopin and Beethoven... Canada |
David Buechner, now Sara Davis Buechner Sara Davis Buechner Sara Davis Buechner is an American concert pianist and educator. She has been an assistant professor of piano at the University of British Columbia since 2003, and was formerly a member of the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and New York University.Buechner received her bachelor's and... USA |
Emma Tahkmizyan Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... |
1981 | Ian Hobson UK |
Wolfgang Manz Wolfgang Manz Wolfgang Manz is a German pianist.He won Berlin's 1980 Mendelssohn competition and was awarded 2nd prizes at Leeds' and Brussels' competitions. An international concert career ensued. A professor at Nürnberg's Musikhochschule, he remains active in his homeland.-References:... Germany |
Bernard d'Ascoli France |
Daniel Blumenthal Daniel Blumenthal (pianist) Daniel Blumenthal is a German-born American pianist.Daniel Blumenthal was born in Landstuhl, Germany in September, 1952. His first music studies at age 5 in Paris. Later on he enrolled at American University in Washington, D.C., then continued studies at the University of Michigan, where he... USA |
Christopher O'Riley Christopher O'Riley Christopher O'Riley is an American classical pianist and public radio show host. He is the host of the weekly National Public Radio program From the Top. O'Riley is also known for his piano arrangements of songs by alternative artists.... USA |
Peter Donohoe UK |
1978 | Michel Dalberto Michel Dalberto Michel Dalberto is a French concert pianist.-Biography:Dalberto was born in Paris into a non-musical family which has its roots in Dauphiné and Italian Piemonte. He began studying the piano at the age of three and a half... France |
Diana Kacso Brazil |
Lydia Artymiw Lydia Artymiw Lydia Artymiw is an American concert pianist.Artymiw was born in Philadelphia to Ukrainian parents and began piano studies at age four with George Oransky at the Ukrainian Music Institute... USA |
Ian Hobson UK |
Kathryn Stott Kathryn Stott Kathryn Stott is a British classical pianist who performs as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Her specialities include the English and French classical repertoire, contemporary classical music and the tango... UK |
Etsuko Terada Japan |
1975 | Dimitri Alexeev Dimitri Alexeev -Life:Dmitri Alexeev was a student at the Moscow Conservatory. He also studied under Dmitri Bashkirov. In the 1970s he made his debut in London, Vienna, Chicago and New York... USSR |
Mitsuko Uchida Mitsuko Uchida , born 20 December 1948, is a Japanese naturalized British classical pianist.-Career:Born in Atami, a seaside town close to Tokyo, Japan, Uchida moved to Vienna, Austria, with her diplomat parents when she was twelve years old, after her father was named the Japanese ambassador to Austria... Japan |
Joint 3rd prize: András Schiff András Schiff András Schiff is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist, who has won a number of awards including the Grammy and made numerous recordings.- Biography :... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... and Pascal Devoyon, France |
Joint 5th prize: Michael Houstoun Michael Houstoun Michael Houstoun is a concert pianist from New Zealand.Born and educated in Timaru, Houstoun studied piano under Sister Mary Eulalie and Maurice Till in Dunedin and Christchurch... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... and Myung-whun Chung Myung-Whun Chung Myung-whun Chung is a South Korean pianist and conductor.His sisters, violinist Kyung-wha Chung, and cellist Myung-wha Chung, and he at one time performed together as the Chung Trio. He was a joined second-prize winner in the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Chung studied conducting at... , USA |
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1972 | Murray Perahia Murray Perahia Murray Perahia KBE is an American concert pianist and conductor.-Early life:Murray Perahia was born in the Bronx borough of New York City to a family of Sephardi Jewish origin. According to the biography on his Mozart piano sonatas CD, his first language was Judaeo-Spanish or, Ladino. The family... USA |
Craig Sheppard USA |
Eugen Indjic Eugen Indjic Eugen Indjic is a French-American pianist.-Biography:His father was an army general under King Peter II of Yugoslavia... USA |
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1969 | Radu Lupu Radu Lupu Radu Lupu is a Romanian concert pianist. He has won a number of the most prestigious awards in classical piano, including first prizes in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.... Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Georges Pludermacher France |
Arthur Moreira Lima Brazil |
Boris Petrushansky Boris Petrushansky Boris Petrushansky is a Russian pianist, naturalized Italian citizen.Petrushansky started an intense intercontinental concert career at the mid-70s. After the USSR's collapse he settled in Italy.-References:... USSR |
Anne Queffélec Anne Queffélec Anne Queffélec is a French pianist, born in Paris.-Biography:She started playing piano at the age of five. In 1964, she enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire. She won the first prize for piano in 1965 and the first prize for chamber music in 1966. She continued her education with Paul Badura-Skoda... France |
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1966 | Rafael Orozco Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Joint 2nd prize: Viktoria Postnikova Viktoria Postnikova Viktoria Valentinovna Postnikova is a Russian pianist.-Biography:Postnikova was born in Moscow into a family of musicians. She entered the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory at age six, studying with E.B. Musaelian. She graduated in 1967, having studied there and in postgraduate... , USSR and Semyon Kruchin, USSR |
Alexey Nasedkin Aleksey Nasedkin Aleksey Nasedkin is a Russian pianist and composer.A recipient of the People's Artist of the Russian Federation title, Nasedkin is the president of Russia's Schubert Society. He's a member of the Composers' Union of the USSR/RF and a professor at Moscow's Conservatory, where he has taught since... USSR |
Jean-Rodolphe Kars Jean-Rodolphe Kars Jean-Rodolphe Kars is an Indian-born Austrian pianist.-Biography:The parents of Jean-Rodolphe Kars were both Viennese Jews is who had fled Austria after the Anschluss in 1938... Austria |
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1963 | Michael Roll Michael Roll (pianist) Michael Roll is an English classical pianist, winner of the first Leeds International Piano Competition in 1963.Roll, born in the UK to Viennese Jewish parents, was a child prodigy who performed on the concert platform with the City of Birmingham Orchestra at the age of ten and at the Royal... UK |
Vladimir Krainev Vladimir Krainev Vladimir Krainev was a Russian pianist and professor of piano, People's Artist of the USSR.-Biography:... USSR |
Sebastien Risler France |
Armenta Adams USA |