Due to the strike on Northern rail train services I only managed to arrive for the final concerto of the evening. BUT, that was a performance by the overall winner of the competition, AND I got to sit in my favourite seat just below the organ. Oran music opened the awards ceremony and I was very nearly blasted off my seat. AND I didn’t expect to see Lang Lang there presenting the prizes, so overall it turned into a rather enjoyable evening.

I’m sitting just beneath the floodlit organ pipe on the right

Organ music opened the awards ceremony. It nearly blasted me off my seat!

View of the organ pipes from my favourite seat in Leeds Town Hall

Lang Lang was awarded an honorary doctorate from Leeds University and he presented the prizes. Last time I’d seen him was in San Francisco – small world!

Dame Fanny Waterman, the founder of the competition in 1961, comes to the stage

Applause for Eric Lu, the 20 year old American pianist who won the overall competition. I was fortunate to see his performance of the Beethoven 4th piano concert with the Halle orchestra under the baton of the charismatic Edward Gardner