25-year old Italian-German conductor awarded £15,000 prize by Donatella Flick and becomes Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to one year
Final available to watch on-demand on medici.tv
Nicolò Foron was today [23 March] announced as the winner of the 17th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, following three days of competition and incredible music-making at LSO St Luke’s, London.
Internationally renowned as one of the world’s leading music competitions, the Competition’s prize package is unparalleled and will enable the 25-year old Italian-born German conductor to lay the foundations for a successful conducting career, following in the footsteps of esteemed previous winners such as Elim Chan, François-Xavier Roth and Clemens Schuldt.
After a thrilling Final where Nicolò Foron, Jiří Habart and Jakub Przybycień eachconducted the London Symphony Orchestra in pieces by Wagner, Grieg and Berlioz, Foron was chosen as the winner by an expert panel of judges, including David Alberman (chair), Sally Beamish, Martyn Brabbins, Sian Edwards, Juliana Koch and Sir Antonio Pappano. The Orchestra also had a collective vote as part of the judging panel.
Donatella Flick, the founder of the Competition, announced the winner along with David Alberman and HRH the Duke of Kent, whom the Competition was honoured to have in attendance.
The Final was live streamed on medici.tv and hosted by Gramophone Editor-in-Chief James Jolly, and will now be available to view globally on-demand for 90 days.
Foron is awarded a £15,000 cash prize by Donatella Flick and becomes Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra for up to one year. During this time, they will work with the LSO’s Principal and guest conductors on the preparation of concerts, often on the assessment of new scores; take part in the LSO’s education and outreach programme, LSO Discovery; accompany the orchestra on tour and, should the opportunity arise, conduct the LSO in concert.
Nicolò Foron said: “Thank you so much to the jury, to Donatalla Flick and to the magnificent players of the London Symphony Orchestra. It has been such a great week. I’m ecstatic.”
David Alberman, Chair of the Jury, LSO Principal Second Violin and Chair, said: “We have witnessed some tremendous music-making this week with 20 exceptional conductors from all over Europe inspiring us to feel that the future of music is in great hands. We offer our huge congratulations and thanks to each of them.
However in the end the jury came to the clear decision that of all the competitors, it was Nicolò’s outstanding combination of charisma, energy, technique and musicianship which demonstrated the greatest potential for an exciting future career. We look forward to many more performances conducted by him!”
80 conductors applied to the Competition this year, with 20 shortlisted for the First Round by an expert selection panel; ten of these then progressed to the Second Round, before three Finalists were chosen to compete in the Final Round. The Competition is open to conductors aged 30 and under who are citizens of the UK; countries having full membership of the European Union; and Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein or Switzerland.