In Conversation with our 2024 Gold Medal finalists

The final of Guildhall School's most prestigious music prize, the Gold Medal, returns on 1 May 2024. 

Founded in 1915, the School's premier music prize is open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. This year sees instrumentalists take to the stage and perform concertos in front of a packed Barbican Hall. 

Ahead of the Gold Medal Final on 1 May, we caught up with this year's finalists Heather Brooks (harp), Kosuke Shirai (clarinet) and Strahinja Mitrović (double bass) to hear more about the pieces they'll be performing, how they felt when they found out they'd been chosen and their plans for the future. 

Heather Brooks 

Could you tell us what piece you'll be performing in this year's Gold Medal Final? 

The piece I’ll be performing in the final is Ginastera's Harp Concerto. I chose this piece because it’s one of my favourite harp pieces. I feel like it showcases how powerful and exciting the harp can be. Ginastera uses lots of exciting techniques and rhythms to show the colours and energy in this piece. 

Can you tell us what you’re most looking forward to about performing at the Gold Medal Final? 

I’m most looking forward to getting to share this experience with my family and friends. I’ve had a lot of support over the years and this feels like a lovely way to be finishing my time at Guildhall. 

You’re finishing your course this summer, so could you tell us your plans for after graduation? 

Once I’ve finished my course at Guildhall, I plan to stay in London and hope to develop my freelance career. I really love working as a soloist, but I’ve also been really enjoying working with my chamber group Trio Farben and hopefully, long term goal, I’d love to have a position in a London Orchestra working as a Principal Harpist!

Kosuke Shirai 

Can you tell us the piece you’ll be performing and how you chose this? 

I will be playing American composer, Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. The reason I chose this piece was because it is such a lyrical and virtuosic piece, which makes it a great choice for the Gold Medal Final. 

How do you feel about being picked as a Gold Medal finalist? 

Well, it’s exciting! But at the same time, I’m really nervous because this will be my first time playing with an orchestra. But I will do my best!

Could you tell us your plans for the future and after you graduate? 

My final goal is to be a professional orchestra musician, but I do like performing solo pieces, so I want to be an international soloist and an orchestra musician. That would be amazing. 

Strahinja Mitrović

Could you tell us about the piece you'll be performing at the Gold Medal and how you chose this? 

I will be performing Nino Rota’s Divertimento Concertante for the double bass and orchestra. I selected this piece because I think he represents double bass the best and shows all the different sides of it. The piece has four movements, and each of them is very different to the others. I think it’s a good piece to present the double bass as a solo instrument as I think it’s a very easy piece to connect with as a listener. 

How do you feel about being picked as one of the Gold Medal finalists? 

I’m absolutely delighted about it. When I received the email, I got very excited. Even when I arrived at the School for the first time, in the first month, I’d already heard about the Gold Medal. It’s something that Guildhall is very famous for and it’s an absolute pleasure to be part of it. 

How would it feel to be the first double bassist to win the Gold Medal? 

I think that would be absolutely amazing. I think I would be "on the seventh sky" as we would say in Serbia. Let’s hope for the best and that we can make history.  

What are your plans for the future and after you graduate? 

I’ll definitely be staying at Guildhall and doing a MMus in Performance. But I also want to build my career and make it as diverse as possible: to be a chamber musician, orchestra musician, solo performer etc. 

The Gold Medal final takes place in Barbican Hall at 7pm on Wednesday 1 May 2024. Tickets are on sale here.