Congratulations to pianist Yuxuan Zhao, who won one of the top prizes at this year’s Sheepdrove Piano Competition.
Established by the Sheepdrove Trust in 2009 and forming part of the Newbury Spring Festival, the competition is open to piano students aged 26 and under from the UK’s eight major conservatoires.
After a private first round, the public final took place on Sunday 14 May in the beautiful setting of Sheepdrove Eco Centre, with third year undergraduate Yuxuan securing the £1500 second prize, donated by the Greenham Trust.
This year’s judges were: David Whelton (former managing director, Philharmonia Orchestra), Lucy Parham (British pianist and professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama),Dinara Klinton (Ukrainian pianist and winner of the 2013 Sheepdrove Piano Competition), Mikhail Kazakevich (Russian pianist and Professor of Piano, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance), Rupert Christiansen (Music critic and writer, and Director, Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation) and Mark Eynon (Newbury Spring Festival director).
