Sir Stephen Hough has been appointed artistic director of the Leeds International Piano Competition, overseeing a major relaunch of the triennial contest. The competition, first held in 1963, will feature significant changes including free choice of repertoire, an increased upper age limit, and a new emphasis on individuality and imagination.
Key Reforms Announced
The 2027 competition will raise its upper age limit to 35, allowing more mature pianists to participate. Competitors will have complete freedom to choose their performance pieces, from Couperin to Copland, Boulez to Busoni. For the concerto final, finalists will submit three piano concertos of their choice, from which Domingo Hindoyan, Hough, and a fellow juror will select the work to be performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
"I never wanted to be on juries and I don't like competitions," said Hough. "They can seem like a bunch of tests where you're trying to trip up the competitors. That's not what music's about. But, I thought, at Leeds, maybe there's something slightly different we can do here, and find a way to give younger musicians a platform to show us who they are."
Emphasis on Individuality
Hough emphasized that the competition should not be an extension of music college exams. "We want to know what are you going to programme when you are asked to do your Wigmore Hall or Carnegie Hall debut? Give us a programme, show us your best side so that we can see the best of you, not the sort of mediocre sort of half best of everything."
The age limit increase sends a message to younger players that there is no rush. Hough recalled advice from his teacher Gordon Green: "I'm not interested in how you play now. It's how you're going to play in 10 years that interests me."
Jury and Prizes
Hough will chair an international jury including pianists Piotr Anderszewski, Lucas Debargue, Yeol Eum Son, Kathryn Stott, and composer Errollyn Wallen, Master of the King's Music. Alongside the main prize of £50,000, there will be awards for contemporary music, most outstanding encore, a Leeds Piano Trail prize for community-focused projects, and an audience prize.
"If the audience disagrees with the jury, that, for me, would be a positive thing," said Hough. "This is not a test, but a platform. I want to get away from the idea that there is one single winner."
History and Inclusivity
Previous winners include Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia, with finalists including Mitsuko Uchida and Sir András Schiff. Only two women have won the competition: Sofya Gulyak in 2009 and Anna Tsybuleva in 2015, both Russian-born. Blind listening for the first round was introduced in 2024 and will continue in 2027 to combat unconscious bias.
"We need to keep these things in mind and make sure that there's no unconscious bias, and that we're not weighting things towards any particular style," Hough said, adding that balance must start early with parents and schools.
Broadcasting and Applications
The finals will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and livestreamed via Medici TV, with content also available on YouTube and leedspiano.com. Applications for the 2027 competition open today, with finals scheduled for 17-18 September 2027 at Leeds Town Hall.
"The Leeds put itself on the map looking for imagination, for poetry, for a deep kind of musicality. That remains," said Hough. "Ultimately, we just want to find someone who changes our lives during their performance."
