Student successes in 2023/24

Romaya Weaver (BA Acting) won the Gold Medal for Acting, awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the Acting staff, has most embraced the spirit and ethos of the training. 

Alec Boaden (BA Acting) appeared in the world premiere of James Graham’s Punch at the Nottingham Playhouse. 

Imogen Elliott (BA Acting) played Sally Middleton in Jermyn Street Theatre’s production of The Voice of the Turtle. 

Shani Bent (BA Acting) won a Lilian Baylis Award. 

Nathaniel Turay-Boxx (BA Acting) came third place in The Concert Artistes' Association Speech Prize for Actors 2024. 

Strings 

Strahinja Mitrovic (BMus Double Bass) won Guildhall School’s Gold Medal for Music, the School’s most prestigious music prize for outstanding musicians, and a Musicians’ Company Award. 

Kryštof Kohout (MPerf Violin) won fourth prize in the Bartók World Competition and was also selected to join the Classeek Ambassador Programme 2024-25 in Switzerland, a dedicated career enhancement programme for young musicians providing performance opportunities and professional development support. 

Cyrus Yuen (BMus Violin) won second prize at the Essex Young Musician of the Year. 

Gabriel Francis-Dehqani (Art Dip Cello) received Irish Heritage’s Music Bursary for Performance. 

Wind, Brass and Percussion 

Thaïs Bordes (MPerf Bassoon) won Guildhall School’s Bassoon Prize, sponsored by Howarth of London, and the Needlemakers’ Prize for Woodwind. 

Lara Ali (BMus Flute) won Guildhall School’s Flute Prize, sponsored by Just Flutes. 

Charis Lai (MPerf Oboe) won Guildhall School’s Oboe Prize, sponsored by Crowther's of Canterbury. 

Stefani Trendafilova (BMus Oboe) won Guildhall School’s Cor Anglais Prize.  

Henry Ward (BMus Horn) won Guildhall School’s Armourers and Brasiers’ Brass Prize. 

Stratford Ryan (BMus Flute) won third prize and The Musician’s Answering Service Prize in the Young Artist category of the British Flute Society Competition, while Belle Brunson (BMus Flute) was Highly Commended. 

Kosuke Shirai (BMus Clarinet) won third prize in the Wind and Brass category of the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition. 

Keyboard 

William Bracken (Art Dip Piano) won first prize, Press prize and Audience prize at the 2023 Euregio Piano Award competition, second prize at the Palma d’Oro International Piano Competition and the Livorno Piano Competition, and fourth prize at the UNISA International Piano Competition. 

Myunghan Kim (MPerf Piano) won the Beethoven Piano of Europe’s Senior Intercollegiate Piano Competition, and second prize at the Birmingham International Piano Competition. 

Xu Peng (Art Dip Piano) won first prize in the Piano category and was name overall winner of the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition. Jeremy Chan (Art Dip Piano) won second prize, as well as first prize in the Piano Section of the North London Festival. 

Hailong Zhang (MPerf Piano) won first prize at the 2023 Elevato Piano Competition. 

Ryan Yip (MPerf Piano) won first prize at the Oxford Music Festival. 

Joanna Lam (Art Dip Piano) won first prize at the Essex Young Musician of the Year. 

Luke Lally Maguire (Art Dip Piano) won the Recital and Concerto Prize at the Feis Ceoil Competition. 

Spencer Klymyshyn (Art Dip Piano) was recommended by the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom to perform at the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey. Spencer performed to a 2000-strong congregation include Senior Members of The Royal Family, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, High Commissioners and senior politicians and dignitaries from across the UK and the Commonwealth. Spencer’s performance was broadcast live on BBC One, BBC World Service and the BBC’s YouTube channel. Spencer also won second prize at the Liszt Society International Piano Competition. 

Yu-Chieh Lin (Art Dip Piano) won second prize at 2023 Bromsgrove International Musicians Competition. 

Chloé Dumoulin (Art Dip Piano) won third prize at the Concours Prix d’Europe. 

Salome Jordania (Art Dip Piano) won fourth prize, Yamaha Prize and Audience Prize in Les Etoiles du Piano International Competition. 

Max Pemberton (MMus Piano) won the Musicians’ Company’s Carnwath Piano Scholarship. 

Chamber Music 

As part of the Fibonacci Quartet, Guildhall students Kryštof Kohout (MPerf Violin), Luna De Mol (MMus Violin) and Elliot Kempton (MPerf Viola), with cellist Findlay Spence, were selected as artists for the prestigious Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) following live Public Final Auditions at Wigmore Hall. In winning a highly sought-after place on YCAT’s roster they will receive high-profile performance opportunities in the UK and internationally, strategic career planning and mentoring, and professional publicity support. The quartet also won first prize and Audience prizes at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition, and were Britten Pears Young Artists for the Chamber Music in Residence 2024-25 programme. 

As part of the Elmore Quartet, Xander Croft (Junior Fellow) and Felix Hughes (Junior Fellow) with violinist Miles Ames and violist Inis Oírr Asano, won third prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition. 

As Trio Farben, Heather Brooks (MPerf Harp), Georgia Russell (MPerf Viola) and Imogen Davey (Flute 2023) were Britten Pears Young Artists for the Chamber Music in Residence 2024-25 programme. 

As Trio Casella, Luke Lally Maguire (Art Dip Piano), Violetta Suvini (Violin 2023), and Gabriel Francis-Dehqani (Art Dip Cello) won the Piano Trio Society Intercollegiate Competition and the St James’ Chamber Prize.  

Yente Lottman (BMus Violin), Isabelle Allan (BMus Violin), Eve Quigley (BMus Viola) and Alice Abram (BMus Cello) won the St James’ String Prize, while Helen Rutledge (BMus Violin), Connor Quigley (BMus Viola) and Daniel Mihailiuc (BMus Cello) were highly commended. 

As the Orelia Trio, Madeleine Dawson (Violin 2023), Kathryn Monteiro (Junior Fellow) and Joanna Lam (Art Dip Piano) won Guildhall School’s Ivan Sutton Chamber Music Prize. 

As the Barbican Duo, Kosuke Shirai (BMus Clarinet) and Alex Ho (MPerf Flute) won first prize at the Sixth Sense Grand Prix. 

Vocal 

Karima El Demerdasch (MPerf Opera), Mariana Fernandes (Art Dip Opera Studies) and Steven van der Linden (MPerf Opera) performed in the final of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards at the Wigmore Hall. 

Roberta Philip (MMus Soprano) won first prize in the Edith Poulsen Singing Prize Competition.  

Katie Ranson (BA Production Arts) won the Gold Medal for Production Arts, awarded to a student who, in the opinion of the Production Arts staff, has consistently surpassed all expectations in whatever role they have undertaken, demonstrating exceptional interpersonal skills and making a significant contribution to the department. 

Josie Ireland (BA Production Arts) was chosen by their peers to receive the Hazel Sharples Memorial Prize, awarded to an outstanding Guildhall School final-year Production Arts student.