Guildhall School announces 2025 Gold Medal Finalists
Guildhall School announces finalists for its most prestigious music prize: The Gold Medal
Thursday 8 May at 7pm, Barbican Hall
Guildhall School of Music & Drama is pleased to announce the finalists for its most prestigious prize for musicians: the Gold Medal. The prize is awarded to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. In 2025, the singers take centre stage, and the finalists are: Manon Ogwen Parry (soprano), Redmond Sanders (baritone) and Seohyun Go (soprano).
On Thursday 8 May each finalist will perform a short programme accompanied by pianists Zany Denyer and Sooyeon Baik, followed by a second half of arias with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, in front of an audience in Barbican Hall. The evening will also feature the world premiere of alumnus Ben Pease Barton’s HOLME, supported by the inaugural Jane Manning – Anthony Payne Award, with text by alumnus David Bottomley, featuring Guildhall mezzo-soprano Karima El Demerdasch.
This year’s judges are Guildhall School’s Vice-Principal & Director of Music Armin Zanner, acclaimed baritone Christopher Maltman, Director of MWA Management Maria Mot and Artistic Director of Dutch National Opera Studio Rosemary Joshua.
The finalists have chosen a variety of repertoire for the final, including songs and arias by Meirion Williams, Debussy, Wolf, Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, Donizetti and Stravinsky (Manon Ogwen Parry); Ireland, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Wolseley Charles, Humperdinck, Mozart, Verdi and Ravel (Redmond Sanders); and Marx, Liszt, 임태규 |(Taekyu Lim), Respighi, Richard Strauss, Mozart and Ravel (Seohyun Go).
The Gold Medal award was founded and endowed by Sir H. Dixon Kimber in 1915. Since 1950 it has been open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. Previous winners include Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Tasmin Little (1986), Sir Bryn Terfel (1989), Anna Stéphany (2005), Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (2006), and Natalya Romaniw (2011).
Recent Gold Medal winners are forging impressive careers. Winner of the Gold Medal in 2021, baritone Thomas Mole is this season performing with Bayerische Staatsoper in performances of Pagliacci, Turandot, Le Grand Macabre, Hansel and Gretel, Lucrezia Borgia and Káťa Kabanová. In the coming seasons, Thomas returns to the Glyndebourne Festival to make a major role debut. Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Achillea Pouta, winner of Gold Medal in 2023, continues to perform with the Idrîsî ensemble, as well as having been supported as a Samling Young Artist in 2024. Last year’s winner, Strahinja Mitrović – the first double bassist to win the Gold Medal – continues his studies at Guildhall School, alongside his performing career. Strahinja has performed as part of Patrick McDowell’s show at London Fashion Week, a celebration of chamber music and ballet at the Royal Ballet and Opera and plans to give recitals at Wigmore Hall and as part of the Chipping Camden Festival.
Manon Ogwen Parry is supported in her studies by the Michael Bryant Bursary and the Tallow Chandlers’ Scholarship.
Redmond Saunders is supported in his studies by the Anne Pashley Opera Scholarship, the Robert Easton Scholarship and the Countess of Munster Trust.
Seohyun Go is supported in her studies by the Margaret Easton Scholarship and the Fishmongers Colyers-Edwards Bequest.
The Gold Medal Final takes place on Thursday 8 May at 7pm in Barbican Hall. Tickets are £10–£20 (£12 concessions) available from the Barbican Box Office. Priority booking for Guildhall Patrons & Circle members opens at 10am on Thursday 27 February. General booking opens at 10am on Tuesday 11 March.