The 2025 Norah Sande Award is open to PIANISTS who are aged 18 to 25 (inclusive) on 1st July 2025 who were born, or who are resident, training or working in Kent, Sussex, Surrey or the London postal area.
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Please Note
Due to unforeseen IT issues the closing date for entries to the
2025 competition has been extended to mid-day 10th May.
The Sande Award welcomes entries from all eligible applicants
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The Norah Sande Award has been enabled by a substantial bequest from the late Norah Sande, in memory of her Grandmother, Alice Mary Caffin. Its object (and the wish of the legatee) is to encourage and support young musicians at the commencement of their careers.
First prize £2000 and two performance opportunities
Second prize £1000
Third prize £500
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The winner will be invited to be the Piano Concerto soloist with the prestigious Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra and there is also a possible second recital opportunity. The organisers reserve the right to alter or withdraw these opportunities if necessary. |
Royal Academy of Music graduate Jamie Cochrane wins the 2024 Norah Sande Award
Jamie Cochrane - Winner of the 2024 Norah Sande Award |
Jamie Cochrane presented with the Norah Sande Award Winner's cheque by Richard Deering |
The 2024 Norah Sande Award, an international piano competition held annually at the Birley Centre in Eastbourne was won on 7th July by Royal Academy of Music graduate Jamie Cochrane in Eastbourne. Jamie won a cheque for £2000 and opportunities to play with the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra in their 20th October concert and a recital at the Hinchingbrooke Arts Centre. A previous Essex Young Musician of the Year winner, Jamie has already performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the Sheldonian, Oxford and played concertos with the Colchester Symphony Orchestra and the de Havilland Philharmonic. Jamie has just finished his Masters at the RAM where he was also awarded a DipRAM for outstanding performance in a postgraduate final recital.
The audience was treated to twelve varied programmes on Saturday 6th July which led to detailed speculation about which three finalists the adjudicators might choose. The prestigious panel, Richard Deering (Chairman), Graeme Humphrey and Michael Young – all keyboard exponents of international repute, chose Jamie, fellow RAM masters’ student Yuk Yu Yang who had recently won the Steinway Youth Piano Competition and Firoze Madon, an undergraduate at Royal College of Music who was a BBC Young Musician of the Year keyboard finalist.
The three finalists played a full recital programme on Sunday 7th July incorporating classical, romantic and contemporary pieces the following day. Jamie’s winning weekend repertoire included Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No 3, Bach’s Prelude & Fugue in E Major, Rachmaninoff’s Etude-tableau in Eb minor, Hough’s Piano Sonata No 4 and Granados "Los Reqiuebros”.
JOIN THE AUDIENCE FOR THE FINAL ROUND
PIANO RECITALS
BY AN EXCITING NEW GENERATION OF INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ADULT PIANISTS TRAVELLING TO EASTBOURNE TO COMPETE IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS TWO DAY EVENT
Birley Centre, Eastbourne College, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne BN21 4EF
SATURDAY 5th JULY 2025 - From 9:30am
Semi-Final
Free entry and the audience is welcome to join and leave between performances.
SUNDAY 6th JULY 2025 - 2:30 pm
Final Three finalists play a full recital programme
Tickets: £15.00 on the door (Under 18s Free)
Three finalists perform a full recital programme incorporating classical, romantic and contemporary pieces
c. 5.30pm Announcement of winner and runners-up
Tickets for Sunday's final can be booked at the Award's front of
house desk at the semi-final on Saturday 6th July with any remaining seats sold at the door.
Children can have free entry to hear these inspirational musicians in the Final.
Patron Freddy Kempf wishes all entrants well for the 2025 Competition.
Photo: Monique Deul