RNCM’s 2014 Gold Medal Winners

The RNCM held its ninth Gold Medal Competition on Saturday featuring 10 of the College’s finest performers and four of its aspiring young composers.

This year’s winners were Russian postgraduate pianist Alexander Panfilov, who studies with Graham Scott; Welsh postgraduate pianist Leanne Cody, who studies with Peter Lawson; undergraduate percussionist Delia Stevens, who studies with Simone Rebello, Liz Gilliver, Ian Wright, Dave Hassell and Paul Patrick; postgraduate soprano Lauren Fielder, who studies with Mary Plazas; and Columbian postgraduate composer Sergio Cote, a pupil of Adam Gorb and Paul Patterson.

The annual competition, adapted this year from its usual weekend format to a full day event which, for the first time, offered composers the chance to compete by writing a new work for the Borealis Saxophone Quartet, took place at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama while the RNCM’s £3 million Concert Hall refurbishment continues. It was adjudicated by Professor Linda Merrick (RNCM Principal), Dr Michelle Castelletti (RNCM Artistic Director), Jessica Duchen (classical music journalist for The Independent), Robert Saxton (composer), and Simon Webb (General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic).

Talking after the Competition, Professor Merrick said: ‘The RNCM’s much-coveted Gold Medal celebrates exceptional performance and composition by students at the College. Each year the competition between students is extremely high and 2014 was no exception. The adjudicating panel was faced with very difficult decisions on the day and while Alexander, Delia, Lauren, Leanne and Sergio were worthy winners, everyone who competed should be extremely proud of all they achieved on their journey to the final.’

The other 2014 competitors were: oboist Helen Clinton, saxophonist Michael Jackson, violist Kimi Makino, violinist Kana Ohashi, pianist Jeremy So, soprano Meinir Wyn Roberts, and composers Nelson Bohorquez, Richard Evans and Aled Smith.

Picture caption, from left to right: Lauren Fielder, Alexander Panfilov, Leanne Cody, Sergio Cote, Delia Stevens. Copyright Paul Cliff.

16 June 2014