The Terence Judd-Hallé Award

Pianist Terence Judd, only 22 years old when his life was tragically cut short, had a meteoric rise to fame, achieving international recognition for his artistry and virtuosity at the piano. The Terence Judd-Hallé award, given in his honour, offers an exceptional young pianist on the cusp of an international career a foothold on the world stage.

Born in London in 1957, Terence began playing the piano at the age of five. By 10, he had become the youngest ever First Prize winner of the National Junior Piano Competition, which led to him appearing at the Royal Albert Hall. He performed Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall at the age of 11, a concert that was also broadcast on BBC TV, and shortly after that he returned to perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his North American debut in Cincinnati at 14, later returning to the USA for a series of recitals and concerto performances, and his South American debut in Caracas at 15.

He rapidly went on to win a host of awards, including top prizes in the Italian International Busoni Competition (1975) and the International Casagrande Competition (1976). Terence won First Prize in the British Liszt Competition, where his co-prize winners included Peter Donohoe, Martin Roscoe and Barry Douglas, all of whom have gone on to have stellar artistic careers of their own. In 1978, Terence was awarded a Music Fellowship by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.

As a prize-winner at the 1978 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he received unanimous acclaim and was immediately invited to remain in the USSR for a ten-day concert tour. Shortly after this he returned for recitals in Siberia, performed with the Gabrieli String Quartet and repeated his prize-winning performance of Prokofiev’s Third Concerto in Moscow. He was invited to return to the Soviet Union again in 1979 for an extended tour of recitals and concerto appearances with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time, he also performed with most of the major British orchestras and appeared throughout the UK, USA, Italy, Holland, Poland and Ireland.

One of the most gifted concert pianists in the world, Terence was adored by his parents and all those who sensed the thrill and tingle down the spine when hearing him play some of the most beautiful piano music ever written.

The Terence Judd Trust, set up to honour and perpetuate his memory, has been working with the Hallé since 1982 to assist and administer the award. Previously connected to the Leeds International Piano Competition, it was awarded to a pianist selected by members of the Hallé and its then Music Director, Sir Mark Elder, in addition to the finalists’ positions.

In 2021, the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme came on board and the award was relaunched as an annual prize. Designed to support the continued development of an outstanding young pianist who is coming to the end of their time on the BBC’s NGA scheme, the award in Terence’s name helps to further nurture these exceptional young artists.

The Trustees

There are four trustees of the Terence Judd Trust. They are:

Diana Judd, Terence’s sister

Marilyn Blank, pianist and teacher

Martin Roscoe, pianist and teacher

David Butcher, CEO of the Hallé

The BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Scheme helps to support talented musicians to reach the next stages of their careers and brings some of the world’s most promising new talent to listeners across the UK through BBC Radio 3 broadcasts.

As a recipient of the Terence Judd-Hallé award, the outstanding young pianist will benefit from exclusive opportunities and support including:

• At least one concerto performance with the Hallé at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
• A chamber recital with Hallé musicians at Hallé St Peter’s, as part of a hugely popular chamber concert series.
• A solo recital at The Bridgewater Hall, as part of the Manchester Mid-Day Concert Series
• A cash prize of £7,000

Year     Pianist

1982    Stephen Hough

1985    Karoly Mocsari

1990    Kevin Kenner

1992    Benedetto Lupo

1995    Nikolai Lugansky

1996    Katya Apekisheva

1999    Momo Kodama

2005    Martin Sturfalt

2009    Michael McHale

2012    Andrew Tyson *

2015    Heejae Kim *

2018    Eric Lu *

2021    Elisabeth Brauß ^

2022    Alexander Gadjiev ^

2023    Tom Borrow ^

2024    Giorgi Gigashvili ^

2025    Julius Asal ^

2026 Lukas Sternath ^

* awarded at the Leeds International Piano Competition

^ former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist

Austrian pianist Lukas Sternath has become the 2026 winner of the coveted Terence Judd-Hallé Award, which is presented annually to a promising young pianist on the brink of a successful international career.

Already a multi-award winner, Lukas Sternath was named an ECHO Rising Star of the 2024/25 season. As a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, he has performed with leading orchestras and in recitals across the UK, including making his debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo in September 2025.

Lukas will be joining us in the 2026/27 season. Details of next season will be launched on Thursday 21 May 2026.