Among the string-playing nominees are Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Timothy Ridout and Lawrence Power
The team behind the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards has announced its shortlist for 2020.
Among the string playing nominees are cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and viola player Timothy Ridout (Young Artist category), and violist Lawrence Power (Instrumentalist category).
The 18 performers and composers shortlisted range in age from 21 (cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason) to 77 (composer Frank Denyer), with nominees hailing from all over the country. This year’s nominees, from the City of London Sinfonia to tenor Nicky Spence, are commended for imaginatively reinventing their approach to inspire audiences during lockdown. In connection with this, a new ‘Inspiration’ Award will honour the music-making that has uplifted the nation in lockdown. For this, the RPS opened nominations to the public for the first time, inviting households nationally to share what has moved them musically since March. An unprecedented 2,600 nominations were received, and the RPS will announce six winners of this award alongside all other award recipients in November.
Winners will be announced at the 2020 RPS Awards digital broadcast at 7.00pm on Wednesday 18 November on the RPS website. Filmed at London’s Wigmore Hall and presented by BBC Radio 3’s Georgia Mann, it will feature performances by several nominees. Longstanding RPS Awards partner BBC Radio 3 will then present a musical celebration of the RPS Awards winners at 7.30pm on Monday 23 November.
The Awards digital broadcast will also feature a guest appearance by an international musician, set to receive this year’s RPS Gold Medal, awarded to outstanding musicians since 1870 from Brahms, Elgar and Bernstein, to Sir Simon Rattle, Dame Mitsuko Uchida, Jessye Norman and – most recently – Sofia Gubaidulina.
Read: String players honoured at 2019 RPS awards
Read: Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Castalian Quartet shortlisted at RPS Awards
RPS Chief Executive James Murphy says: ‘The RPS Awards have always shone a light on great musical achievements, but now that light is a beacon: reminding the nation of the essential, invigorating, connective force that classical music is for so many people. The nominees represent a nation of selfless, inspirational musicians, and a picture of all that risks being lost if they cannot wholly return to work soon.’
For the full shortlist see below
| Award | Shortlist |
|---|---|
|
Chamber-Scale Composition supported by Boosey & Hawkes in memory of Tony Fell |
Liza Lim – Extinction Events and Dawn Chorus Naomi Pinnock – I am, I am Raymond Yiu – Corner of a Foreign Field |
|
Concert Series and Events supported by PRS for Music |
Beethoven Weekender – Barbican Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Ryedale Festival Venus Unwrapped – Kings Place |
|
Conductor supported by BBC Music Magazine |
Dalia Stasevska Jonathon Heyward Martyn Brabbins |
|
Ensemble supported by Schott Music |
City of London Sinfonia Manchester Collective Scottish Ensemble |
|
Impact supported by ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) |
Across The Sky – Cheltenham Music Festival RPO STROKESTRA Sound Young Minds – City of London Sinfonia The Lullaby Project – The Irene Taylor Trust |
|
Instrumentalist supported by ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) |
Lawrence Power – viola Sean Shibe – guitar Yuja Wang – piano |
|
Large-Scale Composition supported by the Boltini Trust |
David Sawer – How Among the Frozen Words Errollyn Wallen – This Frame is Part of the Painting Frank Denyer – The Fish that Became the Sun (Songs of the Dispossessed) Oliver Vibrans – More Up |
|
Opera and Music Theatre supported by Sir Simon and Victoria, Lady Robey OBE |
Opera Holland Park Nixon in China – Scottish Opera The Turn of the Screw – Garsington Opera |
|
Singer |
Lise Davidsen – soprano Natalya Romaniw – soprano Nicky Spence – tenor |
|
Storytelling |
‘Bright Stars Shone for Us’ by Tama Matheson Our Classical Century – BBC Radio 3 ‘Rough Ideas’ by Stephen Hough |
|
Young Artists |
12 Ensemble Sheku Kanneh-Mason – cello Timothy Ridout – viola |
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