Sheepdrove Piano Competition winner announced

Florence Lockheart
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The competition, which is part of Newbury Spring Festival, has been won by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire student Emanuil Ivanov

As well as receiving a cash prize of £3,000 Ivanov receives the audience prize of £250 alongside a recital at Newbury Corn Exchange as part of Newbury Spring Festival’s Young Artist Recital series (Image courtesy of Newbury Spring Festival)
As well as receiving a cash prize of £3,000 Ivanov receives the audience prize of £250 alongside a recital at Newbury Corn Exchange as part of Newbury Spring Festival’s Young Artist Recital series (Image courtesy of Newbury Spring Festival)

Newbury Spring Festival has announced the winner of its Sheepdrove Piano Competition. Emanuil Ivanov, a current student at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, has been confirmed as the winner of the competition’s Kindersley Prize.

As well as receiving a cash prize of £3,000 Ivanov receives the audience prize of £250 alongside a recital at Newbury Corn Exchange as part of Newbury Spring Festival’s Young Artist Recital series. The competition’s second prize of £1500 went to Yuxuan Zhao (Royal Northern College of Music), with the £750 third prize won by Kasparas Mikuzis (Royal Academy of Music) and the £500 fourth prize awarded to Mikhail Kaploukhii (Royal College of Music).

Festival director Mark Eynon said: ‘Once again the Sheepdrove Piano Competition has showcased the extraordinary talent from the British conservatoires, it has been a privilege to welcome them all to the Festival and this year’s winner Emanuil Ivanov is destined for a great career. I am incredibly grateful to the Sheepdrove Trust for their generous support of the competition, now in its 14th year.’

Eynon also participated in the competition judging panel alongside former Philharmonia Orchestra managing director David Whelton, pianists Lucy Parham, Mikhail Kazakevich and Dinara Klinton (who won the competition in 2013) and critic Rupert Christiansen. During the first-round candidates performed solely before the judging panel before shortlisted finalists competed in Sunday' final in front of an audience at Sheepdrove Eco Centre.

Born in 1998 in the Bulgarian town of Pazardzhik, Ivanov began studying the piano at the age of seven and is currently studying on a full scholarship at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. As well as his recent win at Newbury, Ivanov’s accolades include first prize at the 2019 Ferruccio Busoni Piano Competition in Italy, the honorary Silver medal of the Musicians’ Company and the Carnwath Piano Scholarship.

Since it was established by the Sheepdrove Trust in 2009, Sheepdrove Piano Competition has welcomed candidates from the eight major UK music colleges. Candidates are submitted for the competition by their heads of department and, if selected, will not pay an entrance fee. The Sheepdrove Trust also covers each candidate’s expenses throughout the competition.