Here are the reasons for the prize:

Emerging Talent (Instrumental): Federico Colli

Since winning the 2012 Leeds International Piano Competition, Federico Colli has been developing apace. Technically this young Italian pianist is as good as it gets – witness his exceptional control of sonority, voicing and colour – but this is placed at the service of an individual imagination that casts new light on the music while staying essentially true to the composer. His recent Chandos recording of Scarlatti proved a landmark for him, and if his first recital at the Queen Elizabeth Hall a few years ago was unforgettable, his Wigmore Hall debut this autumn confirmed that he’s an artist with potential to rise very high indeed.

Jessica Duchen