Sir Mark Elder to be awarded Leeds Honorary Doctrate at Leeds International Piano Competition

In a special ceremony to be held during the Leeds International Piano Competition, Sir Mark Elder will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music on Saturday 15 September at the live final of the Competition, held at Leeds Town Hall.

Sir Mark became Music Director of the Hallé in 2000. Highly and respected throughout the Arts community, he has held positions with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in the USA, the City of Birmingham Orchestra and English National Opera (ENO). He has appeared regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras and his work in opera has seen him collaborate with major houses across the world, both to critical acclaim. He was awarded a CBE in 1989, won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his outstanding work at ENO and named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2006. He received his knighthood in 2008.

Professor Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: 'We are delighted to award this honorary doctorate to a man who has made such a significant contribution to the field of classical music. We feel particularly privileged that this honorary degree will be awarded during the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, which also enjoys a well deserved reputation for excellence within this field. The University of Leeds aims to secure a place among the world’s top 50 universities by 2015 so it is a particular pleasure to welcome such an eminent figure as Sir Mark Elder, as he is an excellent role model for our students.'

Sir Mark Elder responded, 'It is indeed a great privilege for me to join so many distinguished colleagues in accepting this Honorary Doctorate. Leeds has been for years a significant part of my life; the first time I conducted there was nearly thirty years ago, and the International Piano Competition is a wonderful fixture in my diary.”

Dame Fanny Waterman, Chairman of The Leeds International Piano Competition said: 'Sir Mark Elder is one of the greatest conductors in the world and the Hallé is one of the world’s finest orchestras. I am delighted that he will join the ranks of Nadia Boulanger and Sir Simon Rattle whose association with the Competition also led to this great honour.'

Pianist will be featuring an article on The Leeds International Piano Competition in its upcoming August-September issue, out on 27 July.