BEETHOVEN PIANO SOCIETY OF EUROPE

Julian Jacobson (BPSE Chair) with Tolga Atalay Ün and Lady Tessa Brewer, Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Tolga receiving the Beethoven Medal after his brilliant prizewinner’s recital – unusual, thoughtful Beethoven op 110 followed by heroic Brahms C major Sonata op 1. Joyful occasion!

On Sunday 25 March, twelve young pianists nominated by UK music conservatoires and specialist music schools participated in our 2018 Junior Competition. Each competitor performed a complete Beethoven piano sonata of their choice and compulsory Bagatelle in C minor, Op.119 No.5. We are delighted to share with you this year’s results:

First Prize Matthew Lau (Royal Northern College of Music)
Second Prize Liana Storey (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Third Prize Evgeni Petrichev (Royal College of Music)

The BPSE wishes to express our deepest gratitude to Chetham’s School of Music for their generous hospitality and the use of the Bösendorfer Concert Grand.

The Thomas Harris Award (First Prize) Tolga Atalay Ün (RCM)
Second Prize Soohong Park (Guildhall School of Music and Drama)
Third Prize Yuexuan Song (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)

This year’s Competition was held at St Mary Magdalene Church by kind permission of Markson’s Pianos who are making available their wonderful Bősendorfer VC concert grand piano for the occasion. We would like to express our deep gratitude to Simon Markson for hosting us.

The Beethoven Piano Society of Europe is deeply honoured to have received a substantial grant from the Thomas Harris International Piano Foundation, most generously donated by Mrs Judy Harris as a memorial to her son, the highly gifted young pianist Thomas Harris. This will be of great service to us in the furtherance of our ongoing work of promoting and assisting young pianists who are passionate about including Beethoven in their repertoire, and in doing so we will in turn be honouring the memory of Thomas.

—Julian Jacobson, Chair, BPSE

The Beethoven Piano Society of Europe is very happy to announce our new Honorary Patron, Mrs. Judy Harris.

Many congratulations to First Prizewinner, Ariel Lanyi, of the Dudley International Piano Competition, which concluded last Saturday 4 November. Ariel Lanyi won 1st runner up in the BPSE 2015 Intercollegiate Senior Competition and played for us at our Summer Festival in Regent Hall last year. Also to Second Prizewinner and Audience Prizewinner, Julian Trevelyan, whom we look forward to listen to next Summer, on 8 August, at our Tippett/Beethoven series.

First Prize Adam Heron (Wells)
Second Prize Rebecca Leung (RAM) & Ellis Thomas (RNCM)
Third Prize Gorka Plada Giron (Menuhin School) & Tomos Boyles (RWCMD)

First Prize Andrei Iliushkin (RAM)Second Prize Victor Lim (RNCM)
Third Prize Domonkos Csabay (Birmingham Conservatoire)
Special mention George Fradley (RWCMD)

The BPSE wishes to express their sincere thanks to Birmingham Conservatoire for their generous hospitality and the use of the Steinway Model ‘D’ Concert Grand. We would particularly like to thank John Thwaites, Head of Piano; Mike Flower, Assistant Concerts Manager, and Peter Roscoe, Head Piano Tuner, for their help in planning the event.