Students and alumni of the Piano Department enjoyed continued success this autumn, with prizes at the Leeds Piano Competition and a collaboration with the British Film Institute
A huge congratulations to pianist Junyan Chen, who was awarded Second Prize and the Marion Thorpe Silver Medal at The Leeds International Piano Competition in September. Junyan also received the Alexandra Dariescu Award and the Yaltah Menuhin Award for chamber music. She has been signed to Askanas Holt management, and a packed schedule of international concerts and collaborations lie ahead.
See Junyan play Rachmaninov’s Concerto no.4 in The Leeds Final.
Our two-year project, The Complete Piano Music of Robert Schumann, opened with four recitals at the Autumn Piano Festival in Duke’s Hall, to a large and very enthusiastic audience. Follow us on this journey, with a chance to immerse yourself in some of the most original and poetic piano music ever written. Our next instalment of Schumann will take place during the Summer Piano Festival, June 11 to 13 2025.
Recent postgraduate Aidan Mikdad made his Carnegie Hall debut in October after winning the Manhattan International Music Competition, overseen by Ivo Pogorelich. Aidan now studies privately with Alfred Brendel as he continues his busy performance schedule in Europe, the US and the UK.
Emanuil Ivanov kicked off this year’s Academy Wigmore Hall Piano Series with a searing performance of Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated to five-star reviews. Our piano series continues with Tom Zalmanov playing Janácek, Debussy and Schubert, (November 13) Ignas Maknikas playing Carl Vine, Bortkiewicz and Chopin (December 3) and Kasparas Mikužis playing Rameau and Rachmaninov (December 4). See here for more details.
The Piano Department has begun its collaboration with the British Film Institute, which will provide music for 47 Sherlock Holmes films. Silent Sherlock, the first three restored films from the 1920s, opened to a sold-out Alexandra Palace Theatre, featuring live scores composed by Head of Piano Joanna MacGregor, Visiting Professor Neil Brand and former piano student Joseph Havlat. Watch this space for the DVD release, and future films and music.
A warm welcome to everyone auditioning for the Academy this December, either by video or live audition. Keep up with news of what we offer here.
