World-renowned pianist to head Leeds International Piano Competition as it confirms 2027 revamp

The future is bright for classical music in the North, one of the world's leading pianists and composers has said, with Yorkshire a "global" platform for a new generation of incoming talent.

Sir Stephen Hough is revealed today as the new artistic director for the Leeds International Piano Competition. He will serve as jury chair, it is confirmed, as applications open for 2027 and with a raft of artistic reforms to both broaden its opportunity and outreach.

The competition, known as The Leeds, is the Grand Slam of classical music, he said, or the football World Cup when it comes to prestige.

Now for the first time, competitors are to be free to choose the music they wish to perform throughout, with age limits raised to 35, and with new prizes and career support.

Sir Stephen, Knighted by the late Queen, said this marks a "reimagining", with a renewed focus on individuality and exceptional talent.

"When I was a kid just playing the piano 'The Leeds' was the big thing, certainly in this country but also all over the world," he said. "It has a tremendous musical clout. Leeds is a launching pad for the next generation," he added. "We want to see who someone is,"

Applications open at 1pm today for the 2027 competition, with early rounds in New York, Paris, Beijing, and Seoul among others, before a return to Leeds from early September. This is one of the world's most influential events of its kind, founded in 1963 by Dame Fanny Waterman, and is now hailed as a career-development programme as much as a competition, with prizes linking winners with the likes of Warner Classics and Steinway & Sons.

Sir Stephen, himself brought up in the North said it is only right that Yorkshire holds such status in the world of classical music.

"Pianistically, people do think 'Leeds'," he said. "It's wonderful that everything isn't about London - there are other stories to the UK. This is important. As musicians we need to go to people, and we take music to all sorts of places.”

Chief executive Fiona Sinclair, describing changes as a "defining moment", said they will set a space for individuality. Now Sir Stephen said the competition hould be a platform rather than a gladiator-style knockout in the Colosseum.

"I don't like competitions very much," he added. "In classical music this is not a test as much as it is a platform. We are looking for excellence. The ones that delight us the most and move us the most will be the ones that we choose."