When the British-based Leeds International Piano Competition is held again in 2018, it’ll be overhauled in an attempt to renew itself and reach larger audiences.

The search for pianists will become global with heats staged in Berlin, New York and Singapore; all will be streamed live on line and for the first time, the winners will receive a recording contract and management by a leading arts agency.

The “Leeds” launched the careers of such luminary’s as Andras Schiff who plays Toronto’s Koerner Hall next March and American concert pianist Murray Perahia.

It’s only real rival is the Moscow-based International Tchaikovsky Competition which streamed all of its rounds last year and achieved 10 million hits in 190 countries.