Gender split achieved in Leeds finals
NewsStrenuous efforts to produce a gender-balanced outcome at the Leeds Piano Competition have apparently paid off.
The five finalists, announced last night, are:
Kai-Min Chang (Taiwan)
Junyan Chen (China)
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Canada)
Khanh Nhi Luong (Vietnam)
Julian Trevelyan (United Kingdom)
There are many things worthy of comment from the Leeds semi-final. The gender balance of the finalists – with the not so subtle suggestion that the female finalists are not there on merit alone – is not one of them.
Tell us more.
Perhaps I should ask you to elaborate why it is that you raise the spectre of gender bias when two out of five finalists are women and not, say, when all five are men, as in 2021.
Given current trends, maybe the first question you should have asked is: How do we know their genders?
Perhaps they all identify as non-binary?
Two years ago I also tried a gender split but I got nowhere.
Sally
So how exactly did they achieve it? Are you suggesting something untoward that you are aware of?
If you have 5 finalists of wich 3 are men and 2 are women, then a really balanced gender split would be to request one of the men to be a transgender. It does not matter which half.
Have you watched or listened to any of the competition this year? Probably not, so just trying to create asomething out of nothing.
Having watched the rounds and semis on YouTube, the finalists all deserve their place. I was also part of the online chat and can say that one of the women finalists is the favourite of many on that.
I do wonder why I bother with this blog any more tbh.
Gender equality is a noble goal. So are many others, like musicianship. To promote a final group “on the basis of gender” implies this was achieved not through pianistic or musical traits alone. One might as well add that there was a Taiwanese and a Chinese next to each other. I just wonder…. where is the Ukrainian candidate?
The implication is that these candidates wouldn’t be finalists if it wasn’t for the gender push (or southeast Asian push). This is demeaning for the very participants, and for the Leeds competition.
Gender equality must be achieved by valuing candidates for their true performance, and not because they happen to be of a desired gender in order to meet a sick society’s bent priorities. Henceforth, as they venture into their careers they will be known as Leeds finalists “because they represented a forced, imposed gender equality”. For those who hold that flag alone, that will be celebrated. But for those who thought the Leeds represented the ultimate pianistic finesse only, they will shun these candidates, and their careers.
If that were truly the case, wouldn’t three women and two men (or even 4 + 1) have made it through to the final?
The biggest concern here is not ‘wokeness’, but the gradual overall decline in the quality of performances at the Leeds in recent years.
Will strenuous efforts be made to produce a gender balanced winner?
A biological male who identifies as a female, or vice versa.
Truly the Age of Stupidity is upon us.