Lithuanian pianist wins 2013 RNCM Gold Medal

The three day event, held at the RNCM Concert Hall between 14 to 16 June, featured 11 of the College’s finest students (three of whom performed works written by RNCM student composers) and was judged by adjudicators Professor Linda Merrick RNCM Principal, journalist and music critic Edward Seckerson, and Gavin Reid, Director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Ugnius, aged 22, performed Scarlatti’s Piano Sonatas in E major K 213 and in E major K 380, Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A minor D 784, Rachmaninov’s Moments Musicaux Op 16 Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Scriabin’s Sonata No 4 in F sharp Major Op 30.

On winning, he said: ‘I am really pleased to be the winner of this prestigious award. This was an amazing opportunity to show my personality and to share the music I like to perform the most. I would like to say thank you to all the friends and family who supported me, and to my piano teacher Graham Scott for helping me to achieve such a big success.’

Edward Seckerson added: ‘The Gold Medal Weekend was a most stimulating and satisfying experience for me. I was honestly in awe of the talent on display – the individuality and diversity of it was so gratifying. What really struck home was the imagination students put into their programming, sometimes over-zealously but with an audacity and imagination that will one day serve them well. Of course, this is work in progress for most of these students but when an artist like Ugnius Pauliukonis steps up to the piano and the magic descends within moments of him starting to play you realise that for the select chosen few progress can be pretty meteoric. He is an astonishing talent and a clear winner and had I happened upon his recital in the course of my professional week I would be asking where he had been all my life. Stardom beckons.’