An international piano competition is taking steps to address male dominance by implementing new rules aimed at favoring female musicians.
The Leeds International Piano Competition has announced changes for this year’s event to enhance opportunities for women. Under the new judging guidelines, juries are instructed to advance female competitors over male counterparts in the event of a tie. Additionally, a revote is mandated if any stage of the competition results in a “single gender outcome” or significantly diminishes the ratio of women to men.
These changes follow comments made by Fiona Sinclair, the competition’s CEO, who indicated earlier this year that organizers felt “compelled to confront” the gender disparity highlighted by last year’s all-male final.
In a Guardian article published in March, Sinclair stated, “We’re taking a wide-ranging approach at this year’s Leeds piano competition. Through initiatives like blind pre-selections, minimizing biographical details during all rounds, unconscious bias training for jurors, and targeted career support for aspiring pianists, we are committed to creating a more equitable stage. We have also reviewed our voting processes with a lawyer, even though no legislation specifically applies to competitions.”
The Leeds International Piano Competition is currently in progress, with the finals set to take place over the next two days at St George’s Hall in Bradford. This year’s finalists include two female pianists, Junyan Chen from the UK and Khanh Nhi Luong from Vietnam, alongside three male competitors: Jaeden Izik-Dzurko from Canada, Julian Miles Trevelyan from Britain, and Kai-Min Chang from Taiwan.
Judges have been instructed that in the event of a tie between a male and female competitor, they should “consider advancing her first.” The rules also specify that if a round results in a “single gender outcome” or a significant reduction in the ratio of women to men, a revote by the jury will occur.
It remains unclear whether this situation arose during this year’s competition.
In announcing these measures in February, the Leeds International Piano Competition emphasized its commitment to tackling the persistent issue of male dominance in the piano world. Jurors this year are also required to undergo “Anti Bias Training,” designed to eliminate both conscious and unconscious bias and foster a more equitable environment for all competitors.
The winner of the competition will receive £30,000, along with a debut recording with Warner Classics, a management deal with Askonas Holt, and various international touring opportunities. Second and third place will receive £18,000 and £12,000, respectively, along with additional benefits, while fourth and fifth places will each receive £6,000.
