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The Gold Medal 2026

Guildhall School’s most prestigious music prize

,Barbican Hall
Gold Medal Finalists 2026

The final of Guildhall School’s most prestigious music prize returns to the Barbican Hall, presenting three outstanding instrumentalists in concerto performances with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra.

Guildhall School’s premier music prize was founded in 1915 and since the 1950s it has been open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. In 2026, the instrumentalists take centre stage, and the finalists are: Milen Earath (piano), Cyrus Yuen (violin) and Caroline Durham (violin).  Previous winners of the Gold Medal include Jacqueline du Pré OBE (1960), Tasmin Little CBE (1986), and Sir Bryn Terfel CBE (1989).

Each finalist will perform a concerto, accompanied by the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra. Milen Earath performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 2; Cyrus Yuen performs Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1; and Caroline Durham performs Bartók’s Violin Concerto No 2.

The evening concludes with adjudication by a distinguished jury drawn from across the international music profession and the announcement of the 2026 Gold Medallist.

Tagged with: Classical music Guildhall School

Programme

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 in G Minor, Op 16
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 in A Minor, Op 77
Bartók Violin Concerto No 2, Sz112

Performers

Milen Earath piano
Cyrus Yuen violin
Caroline Durham violin
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra

Jury

Errollyn Wallen CBE Composer and Master of the King’s Music
Aimee Chow Joint Head of Artist Management, Intermusica
Bill Chandler Director, BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Armin Zanner Vice-Principal and Director of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama

 

The event is promoted by Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Barbican Hall

Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
​​​​​​​The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.