Judges
2020
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Iain Burnside, Pianist
Julius Drake, Pianist
Leslie East OBE, Chairman ABCD & Former Chief Executive ABRSM
Paul Edlin, Composer, Director of Music QMUL & Artistic Director Deal Festival
James Gilchrist, Tenor
Simon Haram, Saxophonist, Principal Saxophone at the London Sinfonietta
Mats Lidstrom, Cellist & Composer
Tasmin Little, Violinist
Joan Rodgers, Soprano
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
Jeremy Summerly, Conductor
Howard Williams, Conductor
2019
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Eugene Asti, Pianist
Levon Chilingirian, Founder & Violinist, Chilingirian Quartet
Robert Cohen, Cellist
Peter Donohoe, Pianist
Leslie East, Chairman ABCD & former CEO, ABRSM
Jonathan Groves, Founder & Managing Director, Groves Artists
Richard Heason, Director, St John’s Smith Square
Andrew Marriner, Clarinetist (Principal of LSO 1986-2019)
Ivo Neame, Jazz Pianist
Celia Nicklin, oboist (Former Principal of ASMF)
Joan Rodgers, Soprano
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
2018
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Eugene Asti, Pianist
Michael Collins, Clarinetist & Conductor
Gary Crosby, Tomorrow’s Warriors
Leslie East, Chairman ABCD & former CEO, ABRSM
Huw Humphreys, Head of Music, Barbican Centre
Paul Keene, Classical Music Programmer, Barbican Centre
Mats Lidström, Cellist & Composer
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
Roger Vignoles, Pianist
Howard Williams, Conductor
2017
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Ben Pateman, Music Consultant & Flautist
Sandy Burnett, Bassist, Journalist, & Broadcaster
Hilary Davan Wetton, Conductor
Leslie East, Chairman ABCD & former CEO, ABRSM
Paul Keene, Classical Music Programmer, Barbican Centre
Sholto Kynoch, Pianist & Artistic Director, Oxford Lieder Festival
Joan Rodgers, Soprano
Richard Thomas, Trumpeter
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
Andrew Watkinson, Violinist, Endellion String Quartet
Andrew West, Pianist
Louise Williams, Violist
2016
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Jonathan Bloxham, Conductor & Cellist
Sandy Burnett, Bassist, Journalist, & Broadcaster
Iain Burnside, Pianist, Curator, & Broadcaster
Robert Cohen, Cellist
Leslie East, Chairman ABCD & former CEO, ABRSM
Sian Edwards, Conductor
Paul Keene, Classical Music Programmer, Barbican Centre
Mats Lidström, Cellist & Composer
Joan Rodgers, Soprano
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
Daniel Tong, Pianist
2015
Ian Ritchie (chairman), Festival Curator & Artistic Director
Margaret Archibald, Clarinettist
Ben Baker, Violinist
William Bennett, Flautist
Jonathan Bloxham, Conductor & Cellist
Sandy Burnett, Bassist, Journalist, & Broadcaster
Leslie East, Chairman ABCD & former CEO, ABRSM
Paul Keene, Classical Music Programmer, Barbican Centre
Mats Lidstrom, Cellist & Composer
Noriko Ogawa, Pianist
Sebastian Scotney, Editor, London Jazz News
Howard Williams, Conductor
Other previous judges have included…
Alistair Anderson, Folk Musician
Alison Balsom, Trumpeter
Ian Brown, Pianist, Nash Ensemble
Paul Cassidy, Violist, Brodsky Quartet
Jacqui Dankworth, Jazz singer
John Gilhooly, Artistic Director, Wigmore Hall
Jeremy Hayes, Proprietor, Potton Hall
David Jones, Director, SERIOUS
Stephen Lumsden, Managing Director, Intermusica
Sally Matthews, Soprano
Andy Panayi, Jazz musician & Composer
Andrew Parmley, Former Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians
Jennifer Pike, Violinist
Charlie Wood, Jazz musician & Composer