The Leeds Piano Trail has won one of the classical music industry’s highest honours, a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

Billed by BBC Radio 3 as the ‘BAFTAs for classical music’, the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards are classical music’s annual good news story, shining much-needed light on inspirational individuals, groups and initiatives whose music has lifted hearts and minds across the nation.

Presented by Leeds International Piano Competition (LIPC) and LeedsBID, the Leeds Piano Trail brings music to every street corner. In 2021, over 206k people experienced the pianos and sculpture trail. The unique Edinburgh-based artist collective, Pianodrome, handcrafted a set of iconic sculptures created entirely from recycled pianos and placed them alongside artist and community-decorated playable instruments. Through the sculptures, performances and workshops, the theme of the Trail highlighted the dangers of the climate crisis, and the permanent piano trail has environmental sustainability running through it.

The recognition of the Leeds Piano Trail builds on the recent popularity of street pianos with Channel 4’s ‘The Piano’, hosted by Claudia and judged by pop star Mika and international pianist and LIPC’s global ambassador Lang Lang, making national headlines. Last week saw the show come to Leeds, with Lucy, a 13-year-old who is visually impaired and neurodiverse, leaving the judges speechless.