Cathedral Music Trust Chair Jonathan Macdonald appointed Chair of The Leeds International Piano Competition
Cathedral Music Trust is delighted to share the news that our Chair of Trustees, Jonathan Macdonald, has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Leeds International Piano Competition.
Jonathan will take on the role alongside his continuing position as Chair of Cathedral Music Trust, bringing together his commitment to supporting young musicians, music education and the future of musical performance.
Jonathan Macdonald, Chair of Cathedral Music Trust and incoming Chair of The Leeds International Piano Competition, said:
“I am very pleased to be continuing my Chair role at Cathedral Music Trust alongside a new position chairing The Leeds International Piano Competition. Both organisations have a long and proud track record of promoting and supporting young musicians performing at the very highest level worldwide. There is so much more that we can all be doing to help children and young adults gain better access to a transformative music education and support their early-stage career development. Who can imagine a world without such glorious and uplifting music?”
Chair of Cathedral Music Trust since 2020, Jonathan is a lifelong musician and passionate amateur pianist. Having studied piano and organ at the Royal College of Music before reading Music at Oxford University, where he was Organ Scholar and Director of Music at Balliol College. He subsequently enjoyed a long and successful career in international finance, working in New York, London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. Jonathan has also previously chaired the Board of the London International Piano Competition.
The Leeds International Piano Competition has announced that Jonathan succeeds Ken Beaty, who steps down after six years of leadership. Jonathan takes up the role as The Leeds prepares for its landmark 2027 edition, following the announcement of a series of artistic innovations under Artistic Director and Chair of the Jury, Sir Stephen Hough.
Fiona Sinclair, CEO of The Leeds International Piano Competition, said:
“Jonathan brings a rare combination to The Leeds: a distinguished career at the highest levels of international finance, and a genuine, lifelong devotion to the piano. He understands, from the inside, both what it takes to steward a complex organisation through ambitious change, and what music means to the people who give their lives to it. Sir Stephen, my team, our trustees and I could not be more delighted to be starting this next chapter with him, as we deliver the bold vision for The Leeds 2027 that we announced this summer. I also want to record our huge gratitude to Ken Beaty, whose six years of leadership – a complete overhaul of our strategic planning, funding and governance, the digital transformation that grew our global reach more than tenfold, and the most impactful period yet for our community programmes across Yorkshire – hands over The Leeds in a great place for the start of this next chapter.”
Speaking about his new appointment, Jonathan said:
“Learning the piano changed everything for me – I cannot imagine my life without one. I will never forget sitting on my parents’ sofa in the late 1970s watching The Leeds for the first time and have to keep pinching myself now I’ve been asked to chair this wonderful global celebration of pianism. I feel this appointment very personally. I know first-hand what music can give a person, and I want to help make sure the exceptional young artists who come to The Leeds are given every chance to show us who they are. Sir Stephen Hough’s vision for 2027 is a bold one, and I am hugely motivated to help steward it into being.”
Jonathan’s appointment reflects his longstanding commitment to supporting musicians at every stage of their development and to ensuring that more people have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of music.
The team at Cathedral Music Trust warmly congratulates Jonathan on his appointment and looks forward to seeing the contribution he will make to The Leeds as it enters this exciting new chapter.
For further information or queries relating to The Leeds, please contact: Alfred Mulroy, Head of Audiences: Alfred.Mulroy@leedspiano.com
Visit: www.leedspiano.com
