08/11-10   -   Press releases

Benjamin Powell awarded first prize at prestigious contemporary piano competition at the University of Surrey

This year’s British Contemporary Piano Competition was recently held at the University of Surrey, with three prize winners being announced following the final concert and adjudication on 30 October. The result was as follows:

First Prize: Benjamin Powell
Second Prize: James Kreiling
Third Prize: Alex Wilson

Congratulations to Benjamin Powell who wins the University of Hertfordshire Recording prize of £2,000, a CD recording, and a festival engagement at the Guildford International Music Festival in March 2011.

Benjamin studied with Carole Presland at the Royal Northern College of Music and later with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Alexander Melnikov at the Hochschule für Musik Cologne and Royal Northern College of Music respectively.

Benjamin has performed across the UK and Europe in venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Bridgewater Hall, and his trio, with Oliver Heath and Christopher Murray, are currently Young Artists in Residence at Salford University. Since 2007, Benjamin has been a staff pianist at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Philip Mead, Founder, Artistic Director and member of the jury, said of the winner, “Benjamin Powell has shown himself as a consummate musician with a transcendent pianistic technique in the service of a refined musicality. Some of his performances during the competition were truly breathtaking. He was a worthy first prize winner."

The British Contemporary Piano Competition, hosted by Surrey´s Department of Music and Sound Recording, was founded in 1988 by Philip Mead to promote contemporary piano music and to help the careers of those pianists who wish to play it. The competition is unique in dealing only with piano music of the last hundred years with an emphasis on music composed since 1976.

Many of today´s leading contemporary pianists have been past prize winners and eminent musicians serve on the jury.

Editors´ Notes
The Music Department at the University of Surrey has a thriving performance programme. With over 40 events each academic year there are plenty of opportunities to experience some wonderful performances and to hear favourite or different repertoire.

Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191