Page 820 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

Among the 24 pianists are five from China, three from Canada, Russia and South Korea, two from Japan,
and one from Australia, Croatia, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam. This is the
first time a pianist from Vietnam has made it through to the Second Round of the Competition.

Each of the Second Round Pianists will now go on to perform a 40-minute solo recital in the Great Hall of
the University of Leeds – a Principal Partner of the Competition – in front of an audience and the
international, artist-led jury chaired by pianist Dame Imogen Cooper; the other jurors include Adam
Gatehouse, Eleanor Alberga, Ingrid Fliter, Mariam Batsashvili, Pavel Kolesnikov, Sa Chen, Till Fellner and
Adrian Brendel. From these, ten will progress to the Semi-Finals, where they will perform both solo work
and chamber music with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, with five then selected to join the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and their Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan for the Concerto Finals.

Dame Imogen Cooper, chair of the jury (© Sim Canetty-Clarke)

For the first time, the Finals of the competition will relocate outside the city due to renovations at the
Leeds Town Hall. The host venue for the Finals will be the historic St George’s Hall in Bradford (main
picture), known for its excellent ‘shoebox’ acoustic. This relocation coincides with Bradford's status as the
'UK City of Culture in 2025,' and the Competition provides an opportunity to share music made in Leeds
and Bradford with a global audience of millions through multiple streaming services
including medici.tv and the BBC.

In addition to being the partner for the competition Finals, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
provides significant performance opportunities for the medallists. Moreover, they offer the Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Society prize for Contemporary Music, resulting in the commissioning of a new work for the
competitor who best communicates contemporary music during the competition.

Offering medallists not only significant cash prizes and recognition but a major career launch, The Leeds’
pioneering prize package includes artist representation with Askonas Holt, a record deal with Warner