American pianist wins Leeds

The US pianist Eric Lu was awarded first place and the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal at the 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition last night. He also won the Terence Judd Hallé Orchestra Prize.

In addition to a £25,000 cash prize, Lu receives worldwide management with Askonas Holt, an album on Warner Classics and performances on BBC Radio 3. On Thursday Lu will open the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra season with Vasily Petrenko in Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto.

Second place, £15,000 and the Yaltah Menuhin Award went to the German pianist Mario Häring, 28.

Third placed was Xinyuan Wang, 23 from China.

The competition was refreshingly clean of manipulation thanks to the absence of teachers on the jury.

The prizes were presented by Lang Lang.

Eric Lu with conductor Edward Gardner

The winner (sic)* said afterwards: ‘It’s still surreal, and I am a bit speechless. I am deeply honored to have received the First Prize and Gold Medal at the Leeds International Piano Competition tonight. I want to thank my teachers Jonathan Biss, Robert McDonald, and Dang Thai Son. Also to my previous teachers Dorothy Shi, A. Ramon Rivera, and Alexander Korsantia, all of whom have taught me so much.’

*post-autocorrect