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Gen Li wins distinguished intercollegiate piano competition

Wed 21 October 2015

Prodigiously talented young pianist Gen Li has won the 19th Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition, vying with the best candidates from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Royal Academy of Music and The Royal College of Music.

Gen Li became the second Trinity Laban student to win the contest within three years, a remarkable accomplishment in light of such strong competition. Li is currently undertaking the Independent Study Programme (Advanced) at Trinity Laban, after completing his MMus and Postgraduate Artist Diploma under the guidance of Deniz Gelenbe. He has won numerous competitions, awards and scholarships at Trinity Laban, including the Soloists’ Competition, which saw him perform with the Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall conducted by Martin Andre.

Claire Mera-Nelson, Director of Music at Trinity Laban, commented: “I’m delighted that one of our outstanding students, Gen Li, is the winner of the 2015 Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition. Throughout his studies at Trinity Laban Gen has consistently displayed exceptional focus and dedication. I know that he has greatly benefitted from the support of his teacher Deniz Gelenbe, and – building on his already impressive list of accolades – anticipate that this most recent success will only set the tone for the continued development of his future career.”

Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition winners get to play two high-profile concerts, at the Wigmore Hall and at the Fazioli Auditorium in Italy. In addition, an official CD release is produced from recordings of the concert at the Wigmore Hall.

Listen to the just-crowned Gen Li performing on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune (1:36:00): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06hl5vx

You can read Gen Li’s student story on the Trinity Laban website.