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Apart from Beijing, the first round locations include London, Paris and Berlin. In each of these cities, competitors perform under the same conditions: playing on a Steinway Model D grand piano and with identical camera setups.

"It does pose a challenge for us as jury members. I know that it can be a very valid way of judging so long as the criteria for each competitor is the same, and the recordings and films are of the highest quality," Gatehouse says.

"I say to our juries that we are looking for musicians above all, musicians of individuality and character, honesty and truthfulness."

There is a long relationship between the Leeds International Piano Competition and China.

China's Chen Sa won the fourth prize at the competition in 1996 at the age of 16. She was a jury member in 2018.

Other prominent Chinese pianists who have taken part in juries over the years include Zhou Guangren, Bao Huiqiao and the pianist-conductor Xu Zhong.

The top prize in 2018 was won by Chinese American Eric Lu, while the third prize that year was awarded to Wang Xinyuan, a Chinese pianist who had already carved out a successful musical career.

A large number of Chinese musicians apply for the competition, more than any other country, Gatehouse says.

He adds that the competition's global ambassador, Chinese superstar Lang Lang, who was known to the competition's late founder, Dame Fanny Waterman, is "a unique figure in the musical world and is such a remarkable ambassador for the piano and a role model for young aspiring pianists".