An international music contest that will have its grand final in Bradford later this month has been praised by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The Leeds International Piano Competition holds its final in St George’s Hall on 20 and 21 September.
The contest will bring together the finest pianists from across the globe, and will be broadcast on Radio 3 in Concert on 21 September, followed by a BBC Four television programme later this Autumn.
The build up to the final has already started, with the second round of the contest taking place in Leeds this week.
24 of the finest pianists aged 20-29 from 12 countries compete over the next 11 days in Leeds and Bradford.
To mark the event, floral piano “planters” have been placed in City Park, and pianos have been located in Broadway, Kirkgate Shopping Centre and Airedale Shopping Centre in Keighley.
The organisation behind the competition will host free piano lessons this Saturday from 11am to 4pm at Cliffe Castle Museum, free piano lessons in the Kirkgate Centre from 10am – 4pm on 21 September – the day of the finals and a Day of Play in Broadway on the same day.
This year’s event marks the first time in the contest’s history that the finals are being held outside Leeds. The contest was praised by the Prime Minister earlier this week.
Sir Keir who learned piano, flute and violin as a child, said: “Everyone involved in this competition will know what I mean when I talk about that experience of being truly moved by a piece of music – of losing yourself and finding something new in the space that artistry creates.
“The piano does that like no other instrument. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, in particular, never fails to take me to that state. Although that may also be because my wife chose it as her entrance music for our wedding.
“[Music] gave me the confidence to perform, and taught me so much about culture and creativity. Above all, it made me believe that music was something for me. I want that same belief for everyone.
“So as Prime Minister I am determined to put creativity at the heart of our school curriculum and ensure that every young person has access to music and all the arts – something I know was a lifelong passion of this competition’s long-time Founder, Chair and Artistic Director, the late Dame Fanny Waterman.”
