The Gold Medal 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.

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

Milen Earath pianoCyrus Yuen violinCaroline Durham violinJonathan Bloxham conductorGuildhall Symphony Orchestra

Errollyn Wallen CBE Composer and Master of the King’s MusicAimee Chow Joint Head of Artist Management, IntermusicaBill Chandler Director, BBC Symphony Orchestra & ChorusArmin Zanner Vice-Principal and Director of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama