Guildhall School of Music & Drama is delighted to announce that double bassist Eduard Marcu has been awarded First Prize at the final of Junior Guildhall’s most prestigious award: The Lutine Prize. Cellist Yoko Afi was awarded the James Wilson Prize for second place.
The competition took place on Saturday 20 June in Guildhall School’s Milton Court Concert Hall. Eduard Marcu performed a winning recital of Adolf Mišek’s Legende and Giovanni Bottesini’s Grande Allegro di Concerto ‘alla Mendelssohn’.
The Lutine Prize is Junior Guildhall’s equivalent of the senior school’s annual Gold Medal competition. Six students were selected by adjudicators Jonathan Lipton and Evan Rothstein from the preliminary round to perform in the final, where they presented a 20- minute solo recital. The First Prize winner is awarded the opportunity to perform a concerto with one of the Junior Guildhall ensembles, in addition to a cash prize.
The other finalists were:
Yoko Afi cello
Nahuel Angius-Thomas bassoon
Mayukhjit Chakraborty flute
Evie Cooper violin
Emma Sandford horn
This year also marks the introduction of the James Wilson Prize, awarded to the Second Prize winner of the Lutine Prize. The award has been established in memory of James Wilson, a much-loved and deeply valued member of the Junior Guildhall community, who sadly passed away in July 2025.
James served with distinction on the Junior Guildhall Administration Team for many years and was admired for his exceptional professionalism, generosity, warmth and unwavering support of students, colleagues and families. An accomplished musician himself, he brought insight, care and enthusiasm to every aspect of his work and was a devoted supporter of Junior Guildhall performances and events.
The Lutine Prize held a special place in James’s heart. As the competition’s official page turner, he was a familiar and reassuring presence throughout rehearsals and performances, carrying out the role with characteristic humility, kindness and meticulous attention to detail. It is therefore with great pride and affection that Junior Guildhall commemorates his life and contribution through the establishment of the James Wilson Prize. We hope that this award will serve as a lasting tribute to a much-missed colleague, friend and member of the Junior Guildhall family, whose memory continues to inspire all who knew him.
The adjudicators this year were Emma Bloxham, BBC Radio 3 Commissioning Editor, Live Music; Matthew Jones, Head of Chamber Music at Guildhall School of Music & Drama; and Lieutenant Colonel Lauren Petritz-Watts, Principal Director of Music (Army) within the Royal Corps of Army Music. The certificates were presented by Rosie Whitfield, Head of Junior Guildhall.
2015 Lutine Prize Winner Dan-Iulian Drutac performed with pianist Louisa Lam during the panel’s deliberations.
The accompanists were Jane Beament, John Flinders, Louisa Lam, and Krystal Tunnicliffe
The Lutine Prize was inaugurated in 1982 and Eduard Marcu joins a long line of winners, many of whom have enjoyed professional music careers, including composer Thomas Adès, and pianists Tom Poster and Annabel Thwaite.
This marks the second time a double bassist has won a major prize at Guildhall School with Strahinja Mitrović winning the Guildhall Gold Medal for Music in 2024. Strahinja will give his debut recital at Wigmore Hall on 22 July, as winner of the School’s annual Wigmore Recital Prize.
Eduard Marcu is an 18-year-old double bassist from London whose musical journey began in primary school, where he first took up the double bass and met his teacher,
Elizabeth Hosford, with whom he continues to study today.
Since joining Junior Guildhall in 2018, he has developed into a committed and accomplished young musician, gaining extensive experience as both an orchestral and chamber performer. For the past two years, he has also been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
Alongside his orchestral work, Eduard has a strong passion for chamber music. In 2022, he was a member of the Central Foundation School String Quartet, which was awarded the Founder’s Trophy at the Pro Corda National Chamber Music Festival. More recently, he achieved first place in the Double Bass Class at the North London Festival of Music, recognising his growing accomplishments as a solo performer.
Eduard aspires to pursue a professional career as a classical double bassist. While he greatly values orchestral performance, his particular ambition is to further establish the double bass as a solo instrument, championing its rich and expressive repertoire and bringing greater prominence to the instrument on the concert platform. Through his studies and performances, he continues to explore opportunities to expand the visibility of the double bass within the classical music world.
This summer, Eduard will perform with the National Youth Orchestra at the BBC Proms 2026, under the baton of Thomas Adès, an exciting milestone in his continuing musical development.
Eduard Marcu, winner of the Lutine Prize, says: ” I am so delighted and grateful to have won the Lutine Prize 2026! Being the first ever double bassist to win is so special to me and I hope that this will help highlight what can be achieved on this incredible instrument outside of orchestral playing.”
Rosie Whitfield, Head of Junior Guildhall, says: “This was a truly memorable evening, showcasing the exceptional depth and diversity of talent at Junior Guildhall. We are immensely proud of all those who took part and particularly delighted that we have our first-ever double bassist winner of the Lutine Prize in Eduard Marcu.
Eduard’s performance was a powerful reminder of the remarkable expressive range of the double bass. Combining virtuosity, warmth and artistry, he demonstrated not only the instrument’s technical capabilities but also its extraordinary ability to sing with lyricism and emotional depth. His performance showcased the very best qualities of this magnificent instrument and was a worthy winner of this year’s prize.”
Yoko Afi, who won the James Wilson Prize for second place, says: “I am very honoured and thrilled to have been awarded the James Wilson Prize at the final of the Lutine Prize 2026. It was wonderful to perform the Debussy and Ligeti cello sonatas at Milton Court on an evening filled with such great music and musicians. I will miss all my friends and teachers from Junior Guildhall and will cherish my time there. Thank you very much!”
