Kate Whitley and I are very pleased to have won the eleventh Yvar Mikhashoff Trust Pianist / Composer Commissioning Project Award. Kate will be writing me a major new work for the 2018/19 season, which I will premiere at the City University concert series. Kate and I sometimes play together in piano duo or duet, so this is a particularly interesting commission as Kate knows my playing intimately.

Mikhashoff was an astounding pianist and interpreter of contemporary work – he worked closely with composers including Cage, Feldman, Scelsi, Nørgård and Ruders. The goal of the competition is to encourage the composition and performance of new works for solo piano reflecting and continuing his legacy.