RPS Music Awards Winners
Star names, including conductor Valery Gergiev and violinist Janine Jansen, shared the honours with more unlikely musical heroes – including 3000 Hackney school children, and 100 homeless people – at this year’s Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, the UK’s most prestigious accolade for live classical music, presented in association with BBC Radio 3 (announced 7pm, Tuesday 12 May).
Nearly four hundred guests from the music profession attended the ceremony which was hosted by BBC Radio 3's Catherine Bott and Sean Rafferty and presented by conductor Sir Charles Mackerras. The keynote speech was given by Dame Liz Forgan; one of her her first major public addresses since taking on the role of Chair of Arts Council England. Listen to the speech
The RPS Music Awards are widely recognised as the most prestigious in the field of live classical music. Awards are decided by independent panels consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners. The awards, in 13 categories, honour musicians, composers, writers, broadcasters and inspirational arts organisations for their work in 2008.
Special presentations were also made during the evening: the RPS Gold Medal was presented to eminent German bass baritone Thomas Quasthoff and a posthumous Award for Services to British Music was made to the conductor Richard Hickox. After this year the award will be known as the Royal Philharmonic Society Richard Hickox Award, and will be presented at the discretion of the Society to those, who like Richard, have made a rich contiribution to the music of this country.