Yamaha Education News

Cream of UK piano talent celebrated at 2011 YMFE scholarships

Pictured here: Winning finalists (front row, l-r): Qiaojing Dai (RAM), Ji Liu (RAM) and Mihkel Poll (GSMD) with the UK's YMFE judges (back row): Graham Scott (RNCM), Aaron Shorr (RSAMD), Deniz Gelenbe (TLCMD), Christopher Elton (RAM) and Ronan O'Hora (GSMD).

Three students have achieved professional recognition as the best young classical piano talents in the UK after winning the finals of the prestigious Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholarship Awards (YMFE) held at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance on 8 February 2011. Highly prized by students and highly regarded by the music establishment and conservatoires in particular, the 2011 YMFE scholarship awarded £2000 to each of the three winners to assist with the furthering of their studies and classical music careers.

For this year's scholarships a record number of entries was received from top young pianists studying at all the UK's conservatoires. Following the shortlisting process in December, led by Deniz Gelenbe and Douglas Finch (both from Trinity Laban, this year's host for the finals) with Yamaha's music education manager, Bill C Martin, a shortlist of ten finalists was selected, who came from the Royal College of Music (RCM), the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD).

During the finals, each of the ten pianists gave a 30-minute recital and, following the tense but short wait while the judging panel made its decisions, the winners were announced: Qiaojing Dai (RAM), Ji Liu (RAM) and Mihkel Poll (GSMD). In addition to the the £2,000 cash awards for each winner Qiaojing Dai was selected as a winner of a very special prize: an invitation to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.15 with the Milton Keynes City Orchestra on 28 May 2011.

Now in its 21st year and with a rotating instrument discipline, the YMFE scholarship programme has established an international reputation for showcasing the finest emerging talent and boasts particularly strong alumni, many of whom are now enjoying successful careers. These include saxophonist Amy Dickson, euphonium player David Childs and pianists Sasha Grynuk and Eduard Kunz.

This year’s awards proved no exception, attracting a record level of entries from students in full-time music education from all over the UK. The live recital which makes up the finals took place in front of a capacity audience, providing valuable experience for all the performers and feedback from a world class artist and tutor judging panel comprising: chairman and head of keyboard at Trinity Laban, Deniz Gelenbe; Christopher Elton, head of keyboard at the Royal Academy of Music; Aaron Shorr, head of keyboard at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama; Ronan O'Hora, head of keyboard at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; and Graham Scott, head of keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music.

The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe launched in 1989 and is a charitable trust with a remit to assist talented young musicians. It currently operates in 31 countries and since its foundation has provided over 850 scholarships, amounting to in excess of €1 million. The annual YMFE awards are open to students under 25 years old and currently studying on a full-time music course at a higher education institution in the country where the competition takes place.

Each year the instrument emphasis rotates between piano in year 1; brass & woodwind in year 2; and in year 3 the discipline itself rotates between orchestral strings, percussion and voice. Last year was dedicated to orchestral strings.

Bill C Martin, music education manager at Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK) stated, "Yamaha is very grateful to our world-class jury which listened to our ten finalists. Theirs was an unenviable task in selecting three outstanding pianists from such an array of young talent. We say each year that the standard seems to improve and this year has been no exception. We received so many excellent entries and all the finalists were quite outstanding. We are delighted to be able to offer these scholarships so that these talented musicians can further their studies."

The 2011 finalists were: Miss Julia Chaplina (RCM), Miss Soo Jung Park (RAM), Mr Ji Liu (RAM), Mr Mihkel Poll (GSMAD), Mr Oles Klok (RSAMD), Mr Gen Li (RCM), Miss Qiaojing Dai (RAM), Mr Evgeny Genchev (RAM), Miss Jiaqi Li (RNCM) and Miss Julia Hamos (RAM).

(ends - a DJPR story)

(Posted: February 2011)