This year’s Leeds International Piano Competition in England will feature more women artists than ever before.

Competition CEO Fiona Sinclair says women pianists are failing to reach the top of their profession despite an equal number of men and women now training at conservatoires.

In fact she says less than 25% of career pianists are women but at the top piano level, it is men that generally dominate the festivals, recordings and venues.

This year’s Leeds competition will include “blind” pre-selection rounds to disguise genders and overcome bias training and will not identify a musician’s name or gender until an advanced round.

The Leeds International Piano Competition – Concerto Finals – are set for September 20th and 21st.