In Conversation with the 2025 Gold Medal finalists
In Conversation with the 2025 Gold Medal finalists
On Thursday 8 May 2025, the final of Guildhall School’s most prestigious music prize returns to Barbican Hall.
The evening features three outstanding Guildhall singers, who will perform with piano accompaniment in the first half, followed by performances with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra.
Ahead of the performance, we spoke to this year's finalists about their chosen repertoire and what it meant to be selected for the Gold Medal Final.
Our 2025 finalists are Manon Ogwen Parry (soprano), Redmond Sanders (baritone) and Seohyun Go (soprano).
Manon Ogwen Parry
How did it feel finding out that you would be performing at this year's Gold Medal Final?
Initially, I was really shocked and couldn't quite believe it. I phoned my mum, who shouted "Oh my god, oh my god!", and then the excitement started to kick in. Very quickly after, I started to become quite terrified. Now I'm living with those three emotions all the time, skipping between terrified, excited and shocked.
Could you tell us about the programme you'll be performing, and how you chose these?
I wanted to sing pieces that I really love and wanted to make sure they aligned with who I am as an artist. Being from Wales, it was also really important for me to choose a piece that was in the Welsh language, so I'll be starting my programme with Pan Ddaw'r Nos by Welsh composer Merion Williams.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at this year's final?
It's such an amazing event. I've been in the audience for the last three or four competitions and it's always such a delight to hear different musicians and singers perform the pieces that mean the most to them. But I think what I'm most excited about, is singing for my family. There's around 30 of them travelling from Wales, so it means a lot that they're coming to support me.
Redmond Sanders
Can you tell us the pieces you’ll be performing at the Gold Medal Final and how you chose these?
I will be starting the song round with Ireland's Sea Fever, before going on to Schubert's Erlkönig, Tchaikovsky's ‘Nyet, tolko tot, kto znal’ (None but the lonely heart) from Six Romances, and finishing the round on The Green Eyed Dragon with Thirteen Tails. Then for the orchestra round, I have ‘Vater’s aria’ from Hänsel und Gretel, ‘Hai già vinta la causa!...’ from Le nozze di Figaro, ‘O Carlo, ascolta’ from Don Carlo and finally 'Chanson à boire' from Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée. All the pieces I've chosen have been favourites and they capture my imagination.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at this year's final?
Starting off with the song round and opening with Ireland's Sea Fever. It's an old favourite that I've been singing for six or seven years now, so I'm really looking forward to taking that first breath and singing one of my absolute favourite songs in the Barbican Hall.
How did it feel finding out that you would be performing at this year's Gold Medal Final?
I was absolutely delighted. It's an amazing opportunity to be able to sing in the Barbican Hall with a full orchestra. There's so many talented singers here at Guildhall, so I feel very fortunate and lucky to be one of the three to be competing at this year's final.
It's going to be difficult to top performing at the Gold Medal Final, but do you have any other highlights from your time at Guildhall?
One of the highlights for me was doing the Russian Song Project last year with Lada Valešová. It's actually where I learnt Tchaikovsky's None but the Lonely Heart and the enjoyment I got from learning Russian and the music stuck with me, so I'm looking forward to performing that one.
Seohyun Go
Can you tell us the pieces you’ll be performing at the Gold Medal Final and how you chose these?
I am preparing five songs for the piano round: two songs by Marx; one song by Liszt; one song by Respighi; and one song by a Korean composer, Taekyu Lim. For the orchestra round, I am doing Richard Strauss' Amor and arias by Ravel and Mozart.
How did it feel finding out that you would be performing at this year's Gold Medal Final?
I didn't expect it! When I first heard I was chosen as a finalist, I was really excited and I'm looking forward to singing in the Barbican Hall.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at this year's Gold Medal Final?
I'm from Korea, so I'm really looking forward to singing a Korean song at the Barbican. My accompanist for the piano round is also from Korea, so we'll be sharing our culture with the audience and we're looking forward to that.
Hear this year's finalists performing at the Gold Medal Final in Barbican Hall on Thursday 8 May. Tickets on sale now.
