Manchester, United Kingdom
The ninth edition of the biennal James Mottram International Piano Competition took place in Manchester last November. It was entered by almost 100 pianists from all around the world. The Jury chaired by RNCM Head of Keyboard Studies, Graham Scott, said "A total of 27 came to the RNCM to take part in the heats and masterclasses and the level was exceptionally high. It was a magnificent celebration of James Mottram’s favourite composers: Scarlatti, Chopin, and Debussy.’"
The judges awarded First Prize to Yuanfan Yang, who performed Chopin Concerto n°1 at the Finals, and who celebrated his second success in the competition: Fifteen years ago, playing the same piece of music with the same orchestra, he won First Prize in the Under-19s category!
Posting on social media about his win, Yuanfan said: "It was a true joy to share music in Manchester at the glorious RNCM over the last week, over two solo rounds with repertoire specialising in Scarlatti, Chopin, and Debussy, and culminating in the concerto finals last night, where I played Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 with the fantastic Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the wonderful Geoffrey Paterson.
‘This was a particularly moving occasion for me, as exactly 15 years ago, in this very hall, I won the Under-19 Category of the 2010 edition (the junior category has been discontinued), playing the exact same concerto with the exact same orchestra!"
A laureate of the Sydney International Piano Competition and the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, Yuanfan Yang also won First Prize at the 2025 Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition.
Also a composer and improviser, his works include four piano concertos, which have been performed in China and Britain. Highlights include his Piano Concerto No. 4 Ode to the Jing River (2024) with the Opera North Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, and Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra between 2024-2025. His debut album Watercolour, featuring original works and eclectic repertoire, was released on Orchid Classics to critical acclaim.
1st Prize winner, Yuanfan Yang
Concert banner for a performance of Yuanfan Yang's Concerto n°4
The Jury awarded the Second Prize to Julliard graduate Zhu Wang, who also won the Audience Prize, for his performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor Op 16, while Valerio Tesoro, a postgraduate student at the Musik-Akademie in Basel, took home the Third Prize for his performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 in G major Op 58.
Laureates of the JMIPC: Zhu Wang (Second prize), Yuanfan Yang (First prize) and Valerio Tesoro (Third prize)
Prizes
First Prize: Yuanfan Yang (29), Leeds
Second Prize: Zhu Wang (28), New York
Third Prize: Valerio Tesoro, Basel
Jury
Graham Scott (Chair), Uta Weyand, Carlo Guaitoli, Barbara Szczepanska, Erik Tawaststjerna, Chun-Chieh Yen
Artists
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Geoffrey Paterson, Conductor
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The Edinburgh-born pianist wins First Prize for his performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 1 alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Geoffrey Paterson.
