Kazakh pianist Beisembayev surges to Leeds victory
Alim Beisembayev has won the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition. The Kazakh pianist, 23, wrapped up victory with a fine account of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in the five-player final, but had already done much of the hard work with his performance of Ligeti’s Studies in the semis. ‘It was breathtaking,’ reflected pianist
Imogen Cooper, chair of the competition jury. ‘They are some of the hardest ones out there and he played without any scores at all.’ As well as taking top prize, Beisembayev also took the Audience Prize, voted for by the public viewing at home, plus the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Prize for a performance of a contemporary work.