Baritone Tom Mole is the winner of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Music Gold Medal.

The baritone was awarded the medal after the final on May 6, 2021. He performed music by Rachmaninoff, Wolf, Finzi, and Moss alongside pianist Inês Costa. He also performed music from “The Rake’s Progress,” “Macbeth,” and “Carmen” alongside the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra under the music direction of Natalia Murray Beale.

The other finalists included tenor Thando Mjandana, soprano Laura Lolita Perešivana, and soprano Olivia Boen.

“It’s been a privilege and an honor to perform in the Gold Medal final, and to join the list of previous winners; it is something I am going to hold very fond memories of when I look back on my time at Guildhall School,” Mole said in a press release. “Watching the competition when I first joined the conservatoire as a nervous 18-year-old it never occurred to me that one day I might be able to compete on that stage for the Gold Medal, let alone win; I am absolutely thrilled. I am thankful for the incredible support of everyone around me, not least my teacher John Evans, my parents, my girlfriend Inês Costa who played with me for the piano round, and Guildhall’s Head of Opera Dominic Wheeler who has been so supportive in what has been a tricky year for us all.”

The 2021 Gold Medal was dedicated in honor of Adrian Thorne, who was a teacher, colleague, and member of the Guildhall School’s community for over 50 years.