Alim Beisembayev, a 23-year-old pianist from Kazakhstan, has taken a major step forward in his career since winning the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition. Beisembayev, who is one of The Drake Calleja Trust’s 2021-22 scholars, competed against four finalists from around the world at the finals in September, which took place at Leeds Town Hall. Beisembayev then made his first appointment as the competition winner, playing alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the other finalists.
Beisembayev has received immense praise and recognition for his competition performances. In particular, pianist and chair of the competition jury Imogen Cooper described his semi-final performance as “breathtaking”, noting that Ligeti pieces “are some of the hardest ones out there” and that he “played without any scores at all”.
The Drake Calleja Trust is delighted that Beisembayev has won such a major award.
1. Leeds International Piano Competition Prize
Winning First Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition meant that Beisembayev secured £25,000, the Waterman Gold Medal, a management deal with Askonas Holt, a European tour managed by Steinway & Sons, and a recording contract with Warner Classics. The label has already released an EP of some of Beisembayev’s competition performances.
Beisembayev and the competition runners up, Kaito Kobayashi and Ariel Lanyi, have also won mentorship programmes from members of the competition jury, including
pianists Imogen Cooper, Steven Osborne, and Inon Barnatan. They can also make the most of social media and PR coaching from Premier PR, not to mention concert opportunities at Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall.
Aside from winning First Prize in the competition, Beisembayev also won the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Prize and the medici.tv Audience Prize, which the public voted for from home. Viewers watched the competition more than 1.3 million times from over 140 countries.
The competition’s previous winner, Eric Lu, who won in 2018, has since secured a place on the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Scheme. He has also released an EP and debut album on Warner Classics.
The next Leeds International Piano Competition is due to take place from 4-14 September 2024.
2. Alim Beisembayev’s Story
Born in 1998, Beisembayev found his love for piano at the age of five, when he picked out a toy piano in a toyshop. Fast forward a few years, and one of Beisembayev’s teachers suggested he would benefit from attending a music school. Beisembayev’s parents helped him relocate to Moscow, where he studied at the Central Music School for two years and won the “Nutcracker” International Television Contest for Young Musicians. Winning this award helped Beisembayev build his reputation in Russia, and, by the age of 12, he had already performed with several orchestras and conductors.
Beisembayev then studied at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in Hertfordshire for six years, where Tessa Nicholson coached him. He won various awards during his time here, including the First Prize at the Junior Cliburn International Competition. Beisembayev then continued his studies with Tessa Nicholson at the Royal Academy of
Music. During his education here, he achieved success in the Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Competition, which opened the door to his Wigmore Hall recital debut in 2018. He followed this recital with a performance at the Verbier Festival Academy, where he also took masterclasses.
More recently, Beisembayev has won Second Prize at the Vigo International Competition. He is now studying for his master’s degree at the Royal College of Music. Meanwhile, he enjoys collaborating with other musicians and performing in chamber ensembles in London. He has received generous support from The Drake Calleja Trust and the ABRSM Scholarship and holds a Countess of Munster award from the Hattori Foundation.
Learn more about Alim Beisembayev.
3. About the Drake Calleja Trust
The Drake Calleja Trust offers the financial and artistic support that talented young musicians from across the UK need to launch and sustain thriving musical careers. The Trust provides scholarships and high-level performance opportunities for senior and junior applicants who come from underprivileged backgrounds every year. Philanthropist and entrepreneur James Drake teamed up with Joseph Calleja, the Trust’s patron, to offer these scholarships and performance opportunities. The Trust makes up a key component of Drake’s wider philanthropy programme, which also includes The Drake Foundation, the Troubetzkoy Archive Project, Of Lost Time, and The Drake Yolanda Award.
As part of The Drake Calleja Trust, the Drake YoLanda Award offers the opportunity for 10 emerging artists to accelerate their musical careers every year. Drake launched the award with the saxophonist and presenter YolanDa Brown, both of whom are keen to improve opportunities for young classical and non-classical musicians. Entrants who win
funding can invest these funds however they like. For example, while some record albums, others create music videos, and others invest the funds into building a strong brand.