Competition Results

Congratulations to winners and runners up of my Love Song Composing Competition! (Full results are on the Competition page). And many thanks to the hundreds of composers from all around the world who took part in the competition. It has taken a long time to sift through all of the 526 entries, but it has been fascinating to see the different ways in which composers have responded to the challenge of writing what the terms of the competition described as a ‘memorable, individual and truly contemporary’ piano piece that can be called a love song. I have learnt a lot!

Originally we said that only the shortlist would be announced today and that the winners would be announced at the final performance, but since we have established clear winners in each category, we thought it would make more sense to announce all the results right away.

I will now continue to study the six pieces that have been selected by the judging panel (Judith Weir, Piers Hellawell, Bernard Hughes, Howard Skempton and myself) and will perform them all at a special concert at Hoxton Hall, London on 26 April. I am hoping that at a later date I will be able to find opportunities to perform one or two of the pieces that didn’t quite make it onto the shortlist. If this is possible I will be in touch with the composers directly.

I will post more details about the competition entries and about the winning pieces and composers in the next week or two, but in the meantime thanks again to all who have taken part, and thanks also to my fellow judges, who have been generous with their support and their enthusiasm and their time.