A world-renowned musician from Leeds who inspired generations of pianists across the globe has died aged 100.
Born in Leeds in March 1920, Dame Fanny Waterman was a "one-off" musical talent who quickly shot to fame.
In 1961, she established the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition, which saw some of the world's most famous musicians visit Leeds to perform over the years.
Her incredible devotion to music and the competition saw her handed the Freedom of the City of Leeds in 2016 in recognition of her achievements.
The grandmother-of-six sadly passed away in her residential care home in Ilkley on Sunday, December 20.
In an emotional statement, artistic director of competition Adam Gatehouse said: "Dame Fanny was a force of nature, a one-off, a unique figure in our cultural firmament who infused everyone with whom she came into contact with a passion and enthusiasm and sheer love of music, particularly piano music, that was totally impossible to resist.
"From nothing she created the world’s most prestigious piano competition and chose to do so not in London but in Leeds, at the time a dark, industrial but incredibly lively and vibrant city in the North of England.
"From small beginnings it swiftly grew as word spread that here was a competition where music and the musicians came first. The lives she has touched, both through the Competition, but also through her teaching and piano books, are too numerous to mention.
"She was quite simply irreplaceable, and to have had the chance to work with her and eventually succeed her as Artistic Director of the Leeds has been one of the greatest privileges and joys of my life."
