The Leeds International Piano Competition (The Leeds) is delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Macdonald as Chair of its Board of Trustees. Jonathan succeeds Ken Beaty, who steps down after six years of transformative leadership at The Leeds and builds on recently announced artistic innovations unveiled under the Leeds’ newly appointed Artistic Director and Chair of the Jury Sir Stephen Hough.
Jonathan brings a valuable combination of skills to the Board of The Leeds. Having studied piano and organ at the Royal College of Music he went on to read Music at Oxford University, where he was Organ Scholar and Director of Music at Balliol College. Jonathan subsequently enjoyed a long and successful career in international finance, working in New York, London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. Since 2020, Jonathan has acted as Chair of Trustees at the Cathedral Music Trust, helping transform a 70-year-old volunteer-led organisation into the leading national charity that provides financial support for cathedral choirs and musicians across the UK and Ireland. Jonathan also previously chaired the Board of the London International Piano Competition.
During his time as Chair of The Leeds Ken oversaw a complete overhaul of the Competition’s strategy, funding and governance, strengthened and formalised its partnership with the University of Leeds, and championed the digital transformation that grew The Leeds’ global audience more than tenfold, from 1 million to 11 million. He was also a passionate advocate for the Leeds Piano Trail and the Competition’s education programmes, and was proud to see community outreach brought into closer strategic alignment with the core Competition — leaving behind the Competition’s most impactful period yet for the people of Yorkshire, and a lasting legacy of more than 30 public pianos across Leeds and Bradford.
The appointment also comes as The Leeds continues to strengthen its Board of Trustees: since the start of the year, Isabel Hunt, Linda Wellings, Frank Finlay and Min-Jung Kym have joined as trustees, bringing valuable skills, knowledge and experience from across culture, education, and business sectors, together with fresh energy and enthusiasm, as the Competition builds towards its landmark 2027 edition.
Jonathan Macdonald, incoming Chair of The Leeds International Piano Competition, 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.”
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 exciting artistic innovations 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 tenfold growth in our reach, and the most impactful period yet for our community programmes across Yorkshire — hands over The Leeds in great shape for what comes next.”
Ken Beaty, retiring Chair of The Leeds International Piano Competition, said:
“It has been one of the greatest privileges and pleasures of my career to serve as chair of the board of trustees of The Leeds for the last six years. Whilst I am very proud of the complete transformation of The Leeds’ strategy, funding and governance achieved over the last six years, and the positive impact this has had on competitors, audiences, partners, supporters and the local communities we serve in Yorkshire, it is the people I have come into contact with along the way that will be my lasting memory and my greatest pleasure. Any organisation, no matter how large or globally significant (as The Leeds truly is) is ultimately characterised by the people in it and around it. It has been such a personal pleasure to work and interact with The Leeds’ management team, trustees, volunteers, strategic partners, financial supporters and competition competitors, as well as the wonderful artistic and creative talents involved in all aspects of The Leeds competition and community activities, and the audience members. I am truly envious of Jonathan starting out now on his journey as chair and wish him every success in the role – the next chapter for the Leeds looks truly exciting and I will be watching and supporting with interest!”