Guildhall School announces finalists for its most prestigious prize: the Gold Medal

Friday 10 May at 7pm, Barbican Hall

Guildhall School of Music & Drama is pleased to announce the finalists for its most prestigious prize for musicians: the Gold Medal. The prize is awarded to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. In 2019 it’s the turn of the singers, and the finalists are: Ema Nikolovska (mezzo-soprano), William Thomas (bass), Samantha Clarke (soprano) and James Newby (baritone).

On Friday 10 May, each finalist will perform a short programme accompanied by pianists Dylan Perez, Michael Pandya and Panaretos Kyriatzidis, followed by a second half of arias with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Farnes before a Barbican Hall audience. Tickets are available from today from Barbican Box Office.

This year’s distinguished judges are: Guildhall School alumnus and previous winner of the Gold Medal (1989) bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel; mezzo-soprano Ann Murray DBE; Jonathan Vaughan, Guildhall School’s Vice-Principal & Director of Music; Richard Farnes, Gold Medal Final conductor; and Kevin Murphy, Director, Coaching & Music Administration for Indiana University Opera Theatre and Director, Singers’ Programme at Ravinia Steans Music Institute. Murphy is formerly Director of Music Administration & Casting for New York City Opera and Director of Musical Studies at the Opéra de Paris.

The finalists’ repertoire includes songs and arias by Purcell, Schubert, Wolf, Medtner, Rodrigo, Gounod, Britten, Mahler and Mozart performed by Ema Nikolovska; Wolf, Poulenc, Loewe, Rossini, Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov performed by William Thomas; Strauss, Poulenc, Copland, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Puccini and Stravinsky performed by Samantha Clarke; and Warlock, Liszt, Duparc, Butterworth, Handel, Mahler and Mascagni performed by James Newby.

The Gold Medal award was founded and endowed by Sir H. Dixon Kimber in 1915. Since 1950 it has been open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. Previous winners include William Primrose (1922), Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Patricia Rozario (1979) and Tasmin Little (1986).

Recent Gold Medal award winners are forging impressive careers. In 2015, the award’s centenary year, the joint winners were soprano Jennifer Witton, who performs with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera this summer, and mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons, who makes her Royal Opera House debut this season as Hel in the world premiere of Gavin Higgins’ The Monstrous Child at the Linbury Theatre. Harpist Oliver Wass, the 2016 winner, continues to perform a busy schedule of solo recitals and concerts with the award-winning Pelléas Ensemble, which was formed at Guildhall School, and 2017 winner Josep-Ramon Olivé was selected as a 2018/19 Rising Star artist by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO). Last year’s winner, pianist Joon Yoon, is enjoying exciting chamber music collaborations, with upcoming performances including a cello/piano recital at the Korean Cultural Centre in London. In March 2019, he is one of four finalists competing in the prestigious Prix du Piano Bern.

Finalists’ programmes

Ema Nikolovska (Mezzo-Soprano)

with Piano (Dylan Perez)
Purcell Sweeter than Roses
Schubert An die Entfernte
Wolf Lied vom Winde
Medtner Twilight
Rodrigo Un Home, San Antonio!

With Orchestra
Gounod Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle (Romeo et Juliette)
Britten Give him this Orchid (The Rape of Lucretia)
Mahler Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft (Rückert-Lieder)
Mozart Parto, parto (La Clemenza di Tito)

William Thomas (Baritone)

With Piano (Michael Pandya)
Wolf Gebet (Mörike-Lieder)
Poulenc Mazurka FP145
Traditional Phil the fluter’s ball
Loewe Edward (3 Balladen, Op.1)

With Orchestra
Rossini La Calunnia (Il barbiere di Siviglia)
Mussorgsky Song of the Flea
Rachmaninov Aleko Cavatina (Aleko)

Samantha Clarke (Soprano)

With Piano (Michael Pandya)
R.Strauss Das Rosenband (from 4 Lieder Op. 36)
R.Strauss Schlechtes Wetter (from 5 Kleine Lieder Op. 69)
Poulenc Fleurs & Violon (From Fiançailles pour rire PF101)
Copland The Little Horses
Rachmaninov Spring Waters

With Orchestra
Mozart Come scoglio (Così fan tutte)
Puccini Quando men vo (La bohème)
Stravinsky No word from Tom (The Rake’s Progress)

James Newby (Baritone)

With Piano (Panaretos Kyriatzidis)
Warlock Yarmouth Fair
Liszt Die drei Zigeuner
Duparc Phidylé
Butterworth Is My Team Ploughing (A Shropshire Lad)

With Orchestra
Handel Cara Pianta (Apollo e Dafne)
Mahler Revelge (Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
Mascagni Quelle è una strada (Le Maschere)

Tickets

£20, £15 (£5 concessions), available from today from Barbican Box Office.