A barnstorming performance of Bartók’s third piano concerto has won a competition Grand Prix for a young St Albans pianist

Julian Trevelyan, 16, was awarded the top Grand Prix at this year’s prestigious Long-Thibaud-Crespin International Competition, staged in Paris.

He was one of only five to reach the final stage of the gruelling competition - the only British contestant to achieve that in 45 years and the youngest ever to win a Grand Prix.

Julian, who was 10 years younger than any of the other four finalists, performed before a capacity audience in the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.

He was also awarded the Prince Rainer of Monaco Concerto Prize for his performance of the piece by Bártok, of whose concertos Julian said: “I think that his are among the most inventive and fascinating of all piano concertos.”

Julian is well-known to audiences in St Albans and recently performed the Schumann concerto with Hertfordshire Philharmonia.

In May this year he was awarded second prize and the Mocsari Prize in the Île-de-France Piano Competition and was a finalist in the keyboard section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2014.

A participant in the Aldeburgh Young Musician scheme for talented young instrumentalists, Julian composes and plays the violin and viola.

Since 2011 he has been studying with the distinguished pianist and teacher Elizabeth Altman who commented: “Exceptional musical gifts require careful nurturing and Julian’s outstanding success comes not only from remarkable talent but also from his self-motivation and inexhaustible enthusiasm.”