Trinity Laban alum Christos Fountos has achieved outstanding success at the 65th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy, securing Third Prize and the Chamber Music Prize at one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for emerging pianists.
Christos began his musical training in Cyprus, graduating from the National Conservatory of Cyprus with Highest Distinction at just 16. A year later, he made his concerto debut with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
At the age of 18, he joined Trinity Laban to study with pianist Philip Fowke. He graduated in 2019 with a BMus (Hons) Performance, receiving top marks and numerous accolades including the Director’s Award for Excellence in Piano, the Silver Medal, the prize for the highest achieving undergraduate piano student, and a nomination for the Gold Medal.
Christos went on to complete both a MMus in Performance (2021) and an Artist Diploma (2022) on full scholarship under Martino Tirimo and Sergio de Simone. He recently completed a two-year Philip Carne Junior Fellowship in Chamber Music, generously supported by Philip Carne MBE.
Christos maintains an active international profile as both a soloist and chamber musician. His concerto repertoire encompasses Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Ravel. As pianist of the Waldstein Trio, he has appeared at leading venues across Europe and North America, including the Musikverein Brahms Saal (Vienna), Mozarteum (Salzburg), Beethovenhaus Bonn, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Room (New York).
He has also collaborated with artists and organisations such as cellist Raphael Wallfisch, Canadian composer Rodney Sharman, and the Centre of Cypriot Composers.
Reflecting on this international recognition, Ji Liu, Head of Keyboard at Trinity Laban, commented: “We are incredibly proud of Christos’ fantastic achievement at the Busoni Competition. This is a true testament to his artistry, as well as to the dedicated work from his teachers and the generous support of Philip Carne MBE during his Junior Fellowship. We wish Christos every continued success and look forward to hearing more exciting news as his professional career unfolds.”
Success at the Busoni Competition will see Christos perform in high-profile concerts in Bolzano and Trento later this year as part of his Chamber Music Prize.