TALENTED Hampshire pianist Ashley Fripp has been awarded the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s gold medal – the most prestigious prize for outstanding soloists.

The 23-year-old, pictured, who was born in Southampton and grew up in Chandler’s Ford, scooped the accolade while performing a concerto at The Barbican with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra.

Ashley, whose winning performance was Liszt’s Totentanz (Danse Macabre), told Your Entertainment: “It is a tremendous privilege and has been an enormous pleasure. I enjoyed the occasion and opportunity to perform Liszt’s Totentanz with such enthusiastic musicians before a generous public in a beautiful hall.”

Ashley returns to his former school on Friday, September 21 to perform works by Beethoven and Rachmaninov in a solo recital at Thornden Hall.

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