Guildhall School announces finalists for its most prestigious music prize: The Gold Medal

Thursday 12 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 2022 it’s the turn of the instrumentalists, and the finalists are: William Bracken (piano), Kryštof Kohout (violin), and Stephanie Tang (piano).

On Thursday 12 May each finalist will perform a concerto of their choice with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Adrian Leaper, before a Barbican Hall audience.

The programme features Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4, Op. 58, performed by William Bracken; Berg’s Violin Concerto performed by Kryštof Kohout; and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op. 15, performed by Stephanie Tang. The evening closes with the adjudication by the panel and the winner of the Gold Medal is announced.

This year's distinguished panel of judges will include the editor of the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, Emma Bloxham; artistic director and chief conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Jessica Cottis;  artistic and executive director of Wigmore Hall, John Gilhooly CBE; Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Spain’s RTVE Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Adrian Leaper; and Interim Principal of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Jonathan Vaughan.

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 William Primrose (1922), Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Patricia Rozario (1979), Tasmin Little (1986) and Bryn Terfel (1989).

Recent recipients of the Gold Medal include pianist Joon Yoon (2018) who took part in the Gurwitz International Piano Competition in Texas in early 2020 and Samantha Clarke (2019) who is due to make her debut at the Royal Opera House. Shortly after performing as a finalist of the Isang Yun International Music Competition in Tongyeong, South Korea, Soohong Park won the Gold Medal in 2020, and last summer baritone Tom Mole (2021 Gold Medal winner) made his Glyndebourne Festival debut, where he was a Jerwood Young Artist.

Tickets

£10-20 (£5 concessions)

Tickets for the Gold Medal are now on general sale via the Barbican website.