Hastings International Piano Competition announces appointments

Hastings International Piano, the charity behind the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, has announced the appointments of Royal College of Music head of keyboard, Professor Vanessa Latarche, as artistic director and former director of the BBC Singers, Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Paul Hughes, as acting managing director. 

After serving on the competition jury earlier this year, Hughes agreed to hold the role of acting managing director while the search for a permanent successor to former managing director Ian Roberts gets underway. Before his six-month tenure ends, Hughes will also be laying the foundations for the competition’s next iteration in 2024.

He said: ‘During my time as acting managing director I want to build foundations for the next competition and make sure that the resources which the competition has are focused in the best possible way to make the most impact for the young pianists setting off on a career.’ He added: ‘I’ve come to realise that it’s really important that things which are not taught or learned in conservatoires are somehow shared with these musicians. We don’t want people to win and then sort of disappear off into the world, we would really like to maintain a relationship with them.’

The first task on the agenda for Hughes will be a gala prizewinners’ concert in March 2023.The concert will feature Shunta Morimoto, who took first prize in the 2022 competition, will perform Beethoven four alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rory Macdonald. Mariamna Sherling, who took third prize earlier this year, will close the programme with Rachmaninov’s Paganini Variations.

Hughes said: ‘I think it should be a great programme because it shows what they do really well, and we have a good partnership with the Royal Philharmonic - Rory Macdonald is an excellent accompanist. We’ll see these young players working back in this country, which is fantastic.’ Hughes also hinted at a possible encore featuring both competition finalists.

Hastings International Piano’s next event will be a fundraising concert given by 2022 semi-finalist Nikita Lukinov on 30 October as part of Vinehall School’s concert series. You can find out more about Lukinov’s eclectic programme of Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev here.