Violinist Caroline Durham wins Guildhall School’s Music Gold Medal 2026

Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces violinist Caroline Durham as the winner of this year’s Gold Medal, the School’s most prestigious music prize for outstanding musicians.

The prize is awarded to instrumentalists and singers in alternate years, and this year saw winner Caroline Durham and fellow finalists, pianist Milen Earath and violinist Cyrus Yuen, take to the Barbican stage on Thursday 30 April.

The instrumentalists each performed a concerto with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, conducted by alumnus Jonathan Bloxham. Caroline Durham’s winning performance of Bartók’s Violin Concerto No 2 impressed the audience as well as the judges. Finalists Milen Earath and Cyrus Yuen gave brilliant performances of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 2 and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1, respectively.

Winner Caroline Durham commented: “I was really surprised and honoured to have won, because all of the finalists were amazing. I wanted to thank the conductor, Jonathan Bloxham. He made it really easy to work through a difficult piece, and was a pleasure to work with, and the orchestra was amazing. And I also want to thank my teacher and my family as well. Thank you.”

This year’s distinguished panel of judges were composer and Master of the King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen CBE, Head of Artist Management for Intermusica, Aimee Chow, Director of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Bill Chandler and Guildhall School’s Vice-Principal & Director of Music, Armin Zanner.

Caroline Durham is an American violinist and recent graduate of the Yale School of Music, where she earned her master’s degree studying with Tai Murray. She is currently continuing her studies at Guildhall School, pursuing a Master of Performance degree, where she studies with Eugène Ysaÿe International Chair of Violin, David Takeno. Caroline completed her undergraduate degree at Columbia University through the Columbia-Juilliard exchange, studying neuroscience alongside violin performance, and worked with Masao Kawasaki and Laurie Smukler at Juilliard. Caroline’s current studies are supported by the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship. During her time at Guildhall School, Caroline has won the Max and Peggy Morgan Violin Award and become a 2026 London Symphony Orchestra String Experience Fellow.

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 OBE (1960), Tasmin Little CBE (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 2024, 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 gives his Wigmore Hall solo debut in 2026 as winner of the Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize.

Last year’s winner, soprano Seohyun Go continues her studies at Guildhall School, alongside her performing career. Since her winning performance, she has gone on to claim first prize at Bampton Classical Opera’s Young Singers’ Competition, has led performances of Poulenc’s Gloria with Exeter Philharmonic Choir. In 2026 she joins Glyndebourne as a Jerwood Young Artist, receiving coaching and performance opportunities, and will become a Jette Parker Artist with The Royal Opera for the 26/27 season.

The Gold Medal final is part of Guildhall School’s summer events season, all of which are available to browse on the School’s website.

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Guildhall School Gold Medal 2026 © Photos by David Monteith Hodge

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Guildhall School of Music & Drama is provided by the City of London Corporation. www.gsmd.ac.uk

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