The Hastings International Piano Competition holds a special place among the piano profession’s career-launching battlegrounds. This year’s, which kicks off on 26th February and runs until 7th March, is the third under the artistic directorship of the pianist and professor Vanessa Latarche, head of keyboard at the Royal College of Music. It finds the organisation amid an ongoing evolution that is bringing it into its brightest international spotlight yet.
When Latarche took up the post early in 2020, she could not have foreseen the upheavals ahead – the Covid-19 lockdowns entailed two postponements. “We had to rejig everything,” she says. Normally the contest is held every two years, but after that disruption, the schedule only went back to normal in 2022.
Its USP is an exceptional focus on concerto repertoire. Partly, Latarche says, that is historical accident: the competition’s roots go back to the ‘concerto class’ of the 1908 Hastings Festival, and it finally evolved into a separate event as recently as 2005. Today, most importantly, it’s about providing valuable opportunities for the participants. “It means that the young pianists get to play with professional orchestras, often for the first time.”
This, she believes, is invaluable both for musical development and for career-building. She views ensemble work as a crucial part of a pianist’s training, yet one that sometimes seems inexplicably neglected. “Too often, young pianists focus on solo repertoire and don’t get enough chamber or concerto experience,” she says. “These chances are rare and they make all the difference.”
Latarche has intensified this element by adding more work with orchestra. “When I arrived, there were two rounds with a second piano for concertos. But I thought, why not have a chamber concerto in the semi-finals with a real orchestra, and the final with the Royal Philharmonic? You get to see what the pianists are really capable of.”
The finalists have the chance to form closer bonds with a conductor through the rehearsals and performance, something that could potentially pay dividends further down the line as they learn how to manage the required collaboration. This year’s baton is in the hands of Rory Macdonald. “He is wonderful with young people,” Latarche confirms.
The result? A flood of entries from all over the world. “We had 356 applications this year,” Latarche says, “and each one included a half-hour video. We watched everything.” She has assembled a jury reflecting a range of backgrounds, including eminent colleagues from the US, Ireland, France, Spain and Ukraine, among others.
From the videos, 40 pianists from 20 countries were selected to come to Hastings, with a few reserves earmarked in case of dropouts. In the first round, each contestant tackles parts of two concertos, one classical and one romantic, from the stipulated lists, partnered by a collaborative pianist. The 20 candidates advancing to the second round play a 30-35 minute recital, spanning two different musical periods of their choice plus this year’s special new commission: Metropolis, by the competition’s patron Sir Stephen Hough, which Latarche describes as “a great piece – really, really difficult and a very good test”.
In the semi-finals, ten survivors tackle a Mozart or Beethoven concerto with Sinfonia Smith Square; subsequently five progress to the final and perform their choice from a tempting list of warhorse romantics with the RPO. There is significant prize money at stake, £20,000 for the first prize for a start; but just as valuable is an impressive package of concert engagements and career support, as part of the Hastings Fellowship. Winning a competition is only ever the beginning.
Latarche, as chair of the jury, is a stickler for fairness and has put a blanket ban on her own present and former students participating. Other jurors might have pupils in the line-up, but cannot vote for them. “We also have a rule that there can be no jury discussion about competitors outside the voting. This helps us to keep judgments independent and focused.”
Other thorny contemporary issues could potentially impact on the participants and Latarche has handled such matters with sensitivity. In 2022, the competition opened by coincidence on the same day that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, and Latarche found herself having to resist calls to exclude the Russian competitors. “These people are not representing their country, but themselves,” she points out. She felt that her decision was vindicated on observing the camaraderie between Russian and Ukrainian candidates, despite the international tensions. This year’s contestants include several from Russia and Ukraine, as well as one Israeli, and three Taiwanese pianists alongside a number from China. The political issues should be left outside.
Gender ratio remains a hot topic in many piano competitions and Hastings is no exception. Just over a quarter of the candidates accepted this year are women, which, startlingly, appears to be quite average; the Leeds International Competition in 2024 and the International Chopin Competition last October offered broadly similar percentages. “This year we have 11 women,” Latarche says. The bottom line is that selection must be merit-based – “it’s as simple as that”. As a safeguard, Latarche has implemented an unconscious bias training session for all jurors.
Beyond the competition platform, Hastings has a flourishing learning and participation element to serve the mixed societal scene along the Sussex coast. This includes school visits by versatile former competitors. “It’s not necessarily the prizewinners,” Latarche says. “We watch the competitors for their communicative abilities, the ones who talk to the audience or introduce their pieces, and we ask the most effective of them to undertake this work.”
The contest has initiated the presence of painted pianos in public spaces, and a ‘Music in the Meadow’ initiative: a grand piano is installed in the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre and anybody can book a slot to play it, while passers-by can simply stop and listen. “We even have wellbeing painting sessions where live music inspires local people. It’s about giving back, while also providing young musicians with a platform to engage beyond performance.”
The first two rounds remain open and free for all to attend, encouraging local schools and young people to come and see the musicians in action. Latarche still marvels at how well-prepared these young audiences have been thus far, thanks to introductory talks and close volunteer guidance.
The complete contest is being livestreamed via the competition’s website and YouTube channel. “Almost all competitions do this now,” Latarche points out, “and for the candidates, a high-quality recording is a calling card.”
Behind the scenes, the logistics remain daunting. “We rely on volunteers for everything from host family arrangements for the competitors to scheduling rehearsals. Then there’s the pianos: Steinway delivers multiple grands for practice and performance spaces all over Hastings.” A dynamic development director and the involvement of organisations such as the Kowitz Family Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and MYA have helped to support the competition’s burgeoning aspirations.
As this year’s players prepare to battle it out, where does Hastings go from here? “There’s always something new, always something to improve,” Latarche says. “But we’ve raised the bar, and the profile is high.” Above all, this competition continues to give young pianists the kind of exposure, opportunity and developmental space that can change lives, in Hastings and far beyond.
Hastings International Piano Competition runs from 26th February and until 7th March at White Rock Theatre, Hastings.
Catch video live streaming on YouTube from 26th February.
More information about Hastings International Piano Competition.
This article was sponsored by Hastings International Piano.
