26-year-old German conductor Nikolas Benjamin Hoffmann has won the Donatella Flick London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) Conducting Competition, following a public concert by the three finalists with the London Symphony Orchestra.
The competition, established by philanthropist Donatella Flick in 1990, was presided over by a jury of established international musicians, which included conductors Sir Antonio Pappano and Carlo Rizzi and soprano Dame Felicity Lott. Over 200 conductors applied, and the shortlist of 20 conducted the Guildhall Symphony orchestra in the early stages of the competition.
Along with Hoffmann, 31-year-old Romanian Vlad Vizireanu and 24-year-old Kerem Hasan, from the UK conducted the LSO in performances of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, Elgar's Enigma Variations, and the overture to Verdi's The Force of Destiny.
In addition to being named LSO assistant conductor, Hoffmann has been awarded a prize of £15,000 to help fund further study.
To find out more about the competition, click here.