Leeds International Piano Competition Finals, Leeds Town Hall, September 14 and 15

THE revamp of “The Leeds” following Dame Fanny Waterman’s retirement builds on her remarkable legacy by enhancing the revered Piano Competition’s presence in the City and worldwide. The entire event - including the International First Round in Berlin, Singapore and New York - has been streamed by Medici TV to a global audience.

The eminent British pianist Paul Lewis and classical music administrator Adam Gatehouse as co-artistic directors have also created Piano +. This exciting and varied programme included masterclasses from Lewis himself, Imogen Cooper and Lars Vogt, conversations with Alfred Brendel, the impressionist Alistair McGowan and a certain Mr Ed Balls. Meanwhile, the Leeds Piano Trail has enlivened public spaces with twelve fabulously decorated instruments. So anyone, whatever their ability, can tinkle the ivories and share their love of the piano.

An invigorating wind of change has refreshed the Jury and choice of repertoire which included a chamber music recital for the semi-finalists. The Concerto Finals with the Hallè Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner, were dominated by Beethoven, Mozart and Schumann which meant that you could actually hear every pianistic nuance. The exception was Prokofiev’s scintillating Concerto No 3 in C major played by Anna Geniushene, a Russian pianist who produced a dazzling spectrum of colours. Earlier, the Croatian Aljosa Jurinic had delivered a crisp performance of Mozart’s Concerto No 24 in C minor - a daring choice as this is one of Mozart’s darkest works. Mario Haring from Germany fared better with his felicitous playing of Beethoven’s Concerto No 1 in C which secured Second Prize. Haring was also awarded the Yaltah Menuhin Prize for the most empathic chamber music performance. Xinyuan Wang, an exuberant young Chinese pianist, was awarded Third Prize and the Medici TV Audience Prize for his beautifully shaded performance of Schumann’s Concerto in A minor.

And the winner is.... The audience erupted in delight when Paul Lewis announced that the coveted First Prize of £25,000 and the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal would go to the 20-year-old Chinese-American pianist Eric Lu. He was also awarded the Terence Judd Hallè Orchestra Prize. Lu’s performance of Beethoven’s Concerto No 4 in G Major - supported by the Hallè’s translucent orchestral accompaniment - was as near perfect as we’re likely to hear. Every note was bathed in light and the solo cadenzas made me hold my breath. It was as though a spell had been cast over the packed Leeds Town Hall.

The prizes were presented by Lang Lang - a great friend to the City and Global ambassador of “The Leeds”. The conferment of an Honorary Doctorate of Music on Lang from the University of Leeds was accorded due processional pomp and ceremony with the assistance of Dr Simon Lindley at the console of the Town Hall’s mighty organ.

Geoffrey Mogridge