Leeds loses artistic director

Leeds loses artistic director

News

norman lebrecht

November 28, 2024

Ex-BBC man Adam Gatehouse, who took over as artistic director of the Leeds Piano Competition together with Paul Lewis nine years ago, is to step aside in the spring. Gatehouse has been sole artistic director since 2018.

He says: ‘After nearly a decade at the helm of this remarkable organisation, I feel immense pride in what we’ve achieved together. When I first accepted the role in 2015, Paul Lewis and I envisioned a Competition fit for the 21st century. Mindful of the huge legacy of our founder Dame Fanny Waterman, we aimed to make the Competition and its organisation more outward-facing, professional, and impactful – enhancing its global presence, creating new partnerships, and fostering year-round activities to transform it into more than just a competition. I believe we have achieved what we set out to do, and it is now time for someone new to build on this vision.’

In light of the competition’s recent tilt towards positive discrimination, and in light of Dame Fanny’s legacy, expect the next artistic director to be female.

Comments

  • Tim Walton says:

    This year’s competition was pathetic. That’s what happens when anyone with past or present connections to the BBC is involved.

  • horbus rohebian says:

    hmm…

    • Geoffrey Mogridge says:

      Leeds International Piano Competition has gone for WOKE. Dear Dame Fanny will be spinning in her grave…

      • Althea T-H says:

        Are you sure about that?
        After all, the competition was founded by three women! Perhaps they would have been pleased to see steps taken to combat commonplace gender bias in music competitions…? All-male juries, for example, need to be a thing of the past. More equal results start there.

  • competitor says:

    I am one of the contestants in the Singapore International Competition. Apparently Mr. Gatehouse is on the jury list for that competition, so I invested $200 in the competition and was selected because I had plans to participate in the Leeds Competition later. But now he has resigned as director lol

  • Old enough to remember the bad old days says:

    Blimey the brainless retro bots are in full flow in the comments. Just exactly what do they think they’re defending… not a positive, loving, creative, compassionate music loving point between them

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