Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces 2025 Gold Medal Finalists
Final to take place on Thursday 8 May in Barbican Hall
Three singers will compete for Guildhall School’s most prestigious prize, the Gold Medal, with repertoire to include works by Clara Schumann, Wolf, Ireland, 임태규(Taekyu Lim) and Woseley Charles.
Leading experts from the classical music industry including Armin Zanner, Christopher Maltman, Maria Mot and Rosemary Joshua will judge this year’s competition.
Previous winners of the Gold Medal include Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Tasmin Little (1986), Sir Bryn Terfel (1989), Anna Stéphany (2005), Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (2006) and Natalya Romaniw (2011).
The evening will also feature the world premiere of HOLME by alumnus Ben Pease Barton, which will be performed during the jury deliberation.
Guildhall School of Music & Drama is pleased to announce the finalists for its most prestigious prize for musicians: the Gold Medal. The prize is awarded to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. In 2025, the singers take centre stage, and the finalists are: Manon Ogwen Parry (soprano), Redmond Sanders (baritone) and Seohyun Go (soprano).
On Thursday 8 May each finalist will perform a short programme accompanied by pianists Zany Denyer and Sooyeon Baik, followed by a second half of arias with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, in front of an audience in Barbican Hall. The evening will also feature the world premiere of alumnus Ben Pease Barton’s HOLME, supported by the inaugural Jane Manning – Anthony Payne Award, with text by alumnus David Bottomely, featuring Guildhall mezzo-soprano Karima El Demerdasch.
This year’s judges are Guildhall School’s Vice-Principal & Director of Music Armin Zanner, acclaimed baritone Christopher Maltman, Director of MWA Management Maria Mot and Artistic Director of Dutch National Opera Studio Rosemary Joshua.
The finalists have chosen a variety of repertoire for the final, including songs and arias by Meirion Williams, Debussy, Wolf, Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, Donizetti and Stravinsky (Manon Ogwen Parry); Ireland, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Wolseley Charles, Humperdinck, Mozart, Verdi and Ravel (Redmond Sanders); and Marx, Liszt, 임태규 |(Taekyu Lim), Respighi, Richard Strauss, Mozart and Ravel (Seohyun Go).
The Gold Medal award was founded and endowed by Sir H. Dixon Kimber in 1915. Since 1950 it has been open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. Previous winners include Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Tasmin Little (1986), Sir Bryn Terfel (1989), Anna Stéphany (2005), Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (2006), and Natalya Romaniw (2011).
Recent Gold Medal winners are forging impressive careers. Winner of the Gold Medal in 2021, baritone Thomas Mole is this season performing with Bayerische Staatsoper in performances of Pagliacci, Turandot, Le Grand Macabre, Hansel and Gretel, Lucrezia Borgia and Káťa Kabanová. In the coming seasons, Thomas returns to the Glyndebourne Festival to make a major role debut. Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Achillea Pouta, winner of Gold Medal in 2023, continues to perform with the Idrîsî ensemble, as well as having been supported as a Samling Young Artist in 2024. Last year’s winner, Strahinja Mitrović – the first double bassist to win the Gold Medal – continues his studies at Guildhall School, alongside his performing career. Strahinja has performed as part of Patrick McDowell’s show at London Fashion Week, a celebration of chamber music and ballet at the Royal Ballet and Opera and plans to give recitals at Wigmore Hall and as part of the Chipping Camden Festival.
Finalists’ programmes
Manon Ogwen Parry soprano
With piano, accompanied by Zany Denyer
Meirion Williams- Pan ddaw’r Nos (When night falls)
Debussy- Nuit D’etoiles
Wolf- ‘Ganymed’ from Goethe-Leider, No 50
Clara Schumann- Lorelei
With orchestra
Richard Strauss- ‘Cäcilie’ from 4 Lieder, Op 27 No 2
Donizetti- ‘Prendi, per me sei libero’ from L'elisir d'amore
Stravinsky- ‘No word from Tom... I go to him’ from The Rake’s Progress
Redmond Sanders baritone
With piano, accompanied by Sooyeon Baik
Ireland- Sea Fever
Schubert- Erlkönig, D328
Tchaikovsky- ‘Nyet, tolko tot, kto znal’ (None but the lonely heart) from Six Romances, Op 6 No 6
Wolseley Charles - The Green-Eyed Dragon
With orchestra
Humperdinck- ‘Father’s aria’ from Hansel and Gretel
Mozart- ‘Hai già vinta la causa’ from Le nozze di Figaro
Verdi- ‘O Carlo, ascolta’ from Don Carlo
Ravel- ‘Chanson à boire’ from Don Quichotte à Dulcinée
Seohyun Go soprano
With piano, accompanied by Sooyeon Baik
Marx- Hat dich die Liebe berührt
Liszt- Oh! quand je dors
임태규 (Taekyu Lim)- 돌아가는꽃 (Returning Flower)
Respighi - ‘I fauni’ from Deità silvane
Marx- Pierrot Dandy
With orchestra
Richard Strauss- ‘Amor’ from Brentano Lieder, Op 68 No 5
Mozart- ‘Non mi dir, bell’idol mio’ from Don Giovanni
Ravel- ‘Je réchauffe les bons’ from L’enfant et les sortilèges