Parkhouse Award wittheld for the first time in its 15-year history

The Parkhouse Award Finals Concert was held at Wigmore Hall on Saturday 24 March. The four finalist ensembles were the Morgenstern Trio, Leibniz Trio, Rautio Piano Trio and the cello/piano duo Giovanni Gnocchi and Mariangela Vacatello. Chairman of the jury, Chris de Souza writes:

“The Parkhouse Award for chamber music with piano and strings has earned a reputation, since its foundation, as a competition of the highest standard. Past winners have received acclaim in the concert world. However, for the first time in the competition’s 15 year history, the final heat did not produce a winner, and the 2007 award has been withheld.

This was a decision arrived at with some sorrow. The panel of adjudicators, John Gilhooly, Piers Lane, Colin Lawson, Martin Lovett, Tully Potter and Kenneth Sillito felt that although all four ensembles taking part displayed musicianship and imagination none maintained consistently the highest level throughout to match the standard of previous Parkhouse Award winners.

The award has no monetary value, but gives the winners a series of three London concerts over a period of two years to help them build a career. Some indication of a commitment to such a career is a necessary precondition of entry, and is a factor which carries much weight when applications are being considered.

The 2007 competition had over 50 applications from all over Europe and the USA. About half of these were auditioned in London over two days playing to a distinguished panel consisting of the pianist Sophia Rahman, violinist Paul Barritt, cellist Penelope Lynex, and Roderick Lakin, Director of Music and Arts at the Royal Over-Seas League. They chose the four finalist ensembles which appeared at the Wigmore Hall on March 24th. Although on this occasion the final award was withheld, the audience prize, decided on a simple first-past-the-post system, was given to the Rautio Piano Trio for their performance of Ravel’s Piano Trio.”

During 2007/8 The Parkhouse Award will be presenting three of its former winners, and the next competition will take place at Wigmore Hall on Saturday 7 March 2009 at 2.30pm.