Guildhall School’s Gold Medal 2021 awarded to Tom Mole
Hattie Fisk
Monday, May 10, 2021
Guildhall School of Music & Drama has awarded this year's Gold Medal, their most prestigious prize for outstanding musicians, to baritone Tom Mole.
Clive Totman
The final took place on 6 May, and was broadcast on Guildhall School’s website on 8 May. It is available to watch for free for a fortnight.
The 2021 Gold Medal prize was for singers, alternating between instrumentalists and singers each year.
Tom Mole says: ‘It’s been a privilege and an honour to perform in the Gold Medal final, and to join the list of previous winners; it is something I am going to hold very fond memories of when I look back on my time at Guildhall School. Watching the competition when I first joined the conservatoire as a nervous 18-year-old it never occurred to me that one day I might be able to compete on that stage for the Gold Medal, let alone win; I am absolutely thrilled.’
‘I am thankful for the incredible support of everyone around me, not least my teacher John Evans, my parents, my girlfriend Inês Costa who played with me for the piano round, and Guildhall’s Head of Opera Dominic Wheeler who has been so supportive in what has been a tricky year for us all.’
Mole's winning performance included:
- Rachmaninov’s V molchanyi nochi taynoy (In the silence of the secret night)
- Wolf’s Mörike-Lieder: Abschied (Farewell)
- Wolf’s Schon streckt’ ich aus im Bett die müden Glieder (I had already stretched out my weary limbs in bed)
- Finzi’s The Phantom: Earth and Air and Rain
- Moss’ The Floral Dance accompanied by pianist Inês Costa
- Stravinsky’s I was never saner... Come, master from The Rake’s Progress
- Verdi’s Perfidi! All’anglo contro me v’unite... Pietà, rispetto, amore from Macbeth
- Bizet’s Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Toreador’s Song) from Carmen, accompanied by the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Natalia Murray Beale.
The Gold Medal finalists, tenor Thando Mjandana, soprano Laura Lolita Perešivana and soprano Olivia Boen, also performed songs of their choice. Pianists Josh Ridley and Toby Hession accompanied the singers in the first half of the concert.
The Gold Medal final is part of Guildhall School’s online summer season, which is free to view on the School’s website.