page_title: Leeds International Piano Competition
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Leeds International Piano Competition / History
caption_attribution_description: English: 2009 Finals Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
context_page_description: The Leeds International Piano Competition, informally known as The Leeds and formerly the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood, Dame Fanny Waterman, and Roslyn Lyons, with the first competition being held in 1963. Waterman was the chair and artistic director up to the 2015 competition when Paul Lewis and Adam Gatehouse became Co-Artistic Directors. The first round of the competition takes place in Berlin, Singapore and New York and the 2nd round, semi-final and finals take place in the Great Hall of the University of Leeds and in Leeds Town Hall.
context_section_description: The competition was first held in September 1963 when the young British pianist, Michael Roll, became the First Prizewinner. It joined the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) in 1965. After the 1996 competition, there was a four-year break before the 2000 competition, to align with the turn of the millennium. Competitors were formerly housed at Tetley Hall, a residence hall at the University of Leeds, which closed in 2006 and are still housed in University residences throughout the competition. The University of Leeds is the Principal Partner of the competition and has supported it since its inception.
  The list of eminent past Competition winners includes Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia. The roll call of other Competition finalists is equally illustrious as that of the winners and includes Mitsuko Uchida and Sir Andras Schiff (1975), Peter Donohoe (1981), Louis Lortie (1984), Lars Vogt (1990), Denis Kozhukhin (2006) and Louis Schwizgebel (2012). Sofya Gulyak was the first female top prize winner, awarded in 2009. 
  Dame Fanny Waterman was the competition's Chair and Artistic Director until her retirement after the 2015 event and she remains Honorary Life President. She was replaced as artistic director by Paul Lewis (Jury Chair for 2018) and Adam Gatehouse. Gatehouse is now the competition's sole Artistic Director and will be joined by Imogen Cooper as Chair of the Jury in 2021.
caption: 2009 competition finals
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