The Waterman Circle
Dame Fanny Waterman (1920–2020) was the UK’s most loved piano teacher and a national treasure of the musical community.
Universally cherished as the ‘Grand Dame’ of the piano (or ‘Field Marshal Fanny’ to her followers!), she established The Leeds and built a legacy which has not only had a profound impact on the city of Leeds, but the musical landscape of the UK and beyond. Her life’s work was never really about competition — it was about believing in young talent and giving it the chance to be discovered.
That belief is the reason The Leeds exists today. It’s the same belief every member of the Waterman Circle carries forward.
A new chapter of the same belief
Today, we’re building on this legacy in an ambitious new direction. We’re not testing pianists — we’re discovering artists. The Leeds is pulling away from the crowd of piano competitions to find the next generation of exceptional young musicians, help them find their own voice, and give them the chance to become what Dame Fanny always believed they could be: a gift to the world.
This is bigger than a single prize awarded once every three years. It’s about following these artists from the moment they’re first discovered, through to the careers and lives that follow — the poets of the piano, and the people who chose to believe in them first.
We invite you to make a legacy pledge of £10,000 or more to join this close family of supporters.
Join the Waterman Circle and help secure not only our First Prize and the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal — one of the most prestigious musical awards in the world — but the future of discovery itself, for generations of young pianists still to come.
All you need do is include a letter of wishes or attach a codicil to your Will.
Leeds International Piano Competition
169b Woodhouse Lane
Leeds LS2 3AR
A lifetime of achievements
Fanny Waterman’s lifelong love affair with the piano is a colourful tapestry indeed. Born into an artistic family in impoverished circumstances, her prodigious musical talent and immense determination led her to develop many facets throughout her career.
Following a promising early career as a concert pianist, Fanny Waterman gave up her solo ambitions to focus on helping others master the instrument. She always championed the universal and musical benefits of learning the piano, and her ground-breaking teaching method for young children remains a worldwide best-seller.
Her instinct for spotting talent before anyone else did is the same instinct The Leeds is built on today — and the same instinct the Waterman Circle exists to protect.
“We’re expressing everything that a human being is capable of feeling and sharing it with other people – making music is about life”.