Leeds International Piano Competition 2012. The Winner.

First prize winner of the 2012 Leeds International Piano Competition  www.leedspiano.com  and Aung San Suu Kyi Gold Medal is Federico Colli, aged 24 years, from Italy

The other finalists were awarded prizes as follows:

2^nd       Louis Schwizebel

3^rd       Jiayan Sun

4^th        Andrejs Osokins

5^th        Andrew Tyson

6^th        Jayson Gillham 

The Winner of the Terence Judd Award voted for by the members of the Halle Orchestra was Andrew Tyson. 

Federico Colli gave a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto that had a wonderfully sprung lightness and an underlying tension that brought out a real Beethovenian feel. His was a performance that was beautifully poised and shaped.

My own choice, as it was of the Hallé Orchestra, was Andrew Tyson, and we will surely hear much more of him. But Federico Colli is certainly a worthy winner in a final that must have been the closest for a long time.

We should not forget the wonderful contribution by Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra who seemed to perfectly tailor their playing to each performer’s interpretation. They truly added a great deal to the performances.

These performances will be included by the BBC4 in a 6 week series starting on Friday 21^st September 2012, with one concerto played every Friday. www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour

See also:

Leeds International Piano Competition 2012. The Finals Part 1.  http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_15.html

Leeds International Piano Competition 2012. The Finals Part 2. http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_7394.html

Leeds International Piano Competition 2012. The finalist’s recitals. http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition.html