| Grand Final took place on Sunday 3rd July The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire www.bipcomp.co.uk  Finalists in the 2022 Birmingham International Piano Competition1st Prize Maxim Kinasov (Russia, right) 2nd Prize, and Audience Prize, Gabrielė Sutkutė (Lithuania, second from left) 3rd Prize – Yuxuan Zhao (China, left) 4th Prize – Clara Isabella Siegle (Ireland-Germany, second from right) |
| 2022 Birmingham International Piano Competition PRIZE-WINNERS ANNOUNCED Grand Final took place on Sunday 3rd JulyThe Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoirewww.bipcomp.co.uk Sunday 3rd July proved to be a high point in Birmingham’s cultural calendar as listeners gathered to hear finalists in the Birmingham International Piano Competition (BIPC), now under the proud custodianship of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), part of Birmingham City University. With four finalists playing before the public and an esteemed international jury at The Bradshaw Hall, this important annual contest provided a unique opportunity to enjoy live performance at the highest level as the city presented future stars in the making. Prize-winners announced Having impressed in the earlier rounds, the four finalists competed in the Grand Final for the internationally acclaimed jury: Martino Tirimo, Carole Presland and Philip Edward Fisher. The First Prize-winner was announced as Russian pianist, Maxim Kinasov, who performed a programme of Bach/Siloti, Brahms and Prokofiev. 2nd Prize, and the Audience Prize, went to Gabrielė Sutkutė from Lithuania; 3rd Prize was won by Yuxuan Zhao from China and 4th Prize by Clara Isabella Siegle who has dual nationality from Ireland-Germany. “Exceptional piano talent”“The Grand Final felt very much like a celebration of exceptional piano talent”, said John Thwaites, Artistic Director of BIPC. “Two young women and two young gentlemen from the four corners of the globe brought very different performing styles and repertoire to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where they were enthusiastically applauded by the large and appreciative audience. Since there were four Jury prizes (and an Audience Prize) we can say in all honesty that they all left as winners, which is as it should be.” Ideal performance platform State-of-the art performance facilities, including the Conservatoire’s exceptional fleet of concert grand pianos and flagship concert venue – The Bradshaw Hall – provided the ideal platform for the Competition Rounds and the Final, and a modest entrance fee and Free Choice programming attracted international artists aged from 18 to 28 currently living in the UK. “The standard of the Second Round, where 21 pianists played 30 minute programmes over two days, was exceptional, and the loss of so many of these unique players at that stage was difficult”, added John Thwaites. “My hope is that those who travelled to Birmingham felt that the Competition did everything possible to help them play at their best and to be rewarded accordingly.” Proud Birmingham history The BIPC has a legacy going back to 1979 when it was founded by and later named after, Gladys Lily Brant, who administered the Competition in the city for nearly two decades. The administration then passed to Town Hall/Symphony Hall and in 2017 the event was rebranded as Birmingham International Piano Competition before being inherited by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, in November 2021. Previous winners of the BIPC can be found on the website and include Mark Bebbington and Di Xiao; internationally renowned performance soloists and educators, both of whom are on the RBC piano faculty. Birmingham International Piano Competition Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Road B4 7XR www.bipcomp.co.uk |
Prize-winners announced at Birmingham International Piano Competition 2022.
