The winner of the Prince’s Prize 2018 is the pianist, Ariel Lanyi.

The Award was made at the annual Prince’s Prize concert held at the Music Hall in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama on Wednesday 18th April. The distinguished panel of adjudicators comprised Sir Brian McMaster (formerly Director of the Edinburgh International Festival), Alasdair Tait (the Chief executive of YCAT) and the conductor Alice Farnham.

The Prince’s Prize was established to mark the installation of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales as an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians on 21 November 2003. The Prize is to recognise ‘the most promising young instrumentalist or singer from the Company’s award winners’ in the current year and consists of an award of £10,000 and a Silver Medal.

The Prize received a generous endowment in 2015 from The Eranda Rothschild Foundation and Rothschilds Bank, in memory of Leopold de Rothschild.

Israeli pianist Ariel Lanyi joins a list of past winners that include Amy Dickson, Milos Karadaglic and Duncan Rock. Ariel is studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Hamish Milne; he has appeared as a soloist with a variety of orchestras in the United Kingdom and Israel, including the Israel Symphony Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, In 2017 Ariel was awarded first prize at the Dudley International Piano Competition.

The winner of the Prudi Hoggarth Audience Prize of £500 was the harpist, Oliver Wass.

Ariel Lanyi receiving his medal from the Master, Lady Brewer OBE
(Photo: Amanda Ratcliffe)