The Finals of the Fifth Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition took place on Saturday 14^th March 2009 at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings.

Winner of the Blüthner Trophy and £1000 was Jonathan Wilson playing Tchaikovsky Concerto no 1.
In second place was Philippa Harrison playing Beethoven Concerto no 3, and in third place Madalina Rusu playing the Grieg Concerto.

A large and very appreciative audience also enjoyed the Sussex Concert Orchestra’s Overture to Glinka’s “Ruslan and Ludmilla” and the Carmen Suite no 1 during the Jury’s deliberations.

The Jury of Christopher Elton, Richard Evans, Dr Peter Katin and SCO’s conductor Kenneth Roberts, was chaired by Sir Philip Ledger CBE who often won prizes at Hastings Musical Festival as a boy.
The annual competition has been sponsored by  Piano Centre, London for the last five years.