The award, which is the society’s highest honour, recognises the cellist’s outstanding musicianship and humanitarian efforts
On 2 November, acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma received the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Gold Medal backstage at the Barbican before his recital with pianist Kathryn Stott. The medal was awarded by RPS chair Angela Dixon, with RPS Chief Executive James Murphy.
Upon presenting the award, Dixon said: ‘Yo-Yo, on behalf of audiences worldwide, the Board and Council of the Royal Philharmonic Society would like to thank you for the extraordinary musical gifts you have given us all. Few artists have done as much in our lifetime to rouse interest in classical music on a global scale, and to illuminate music’s purpose, power and potential in our lives. You set a gold standard in your musicianship. You are a generous collaborator and commissioner, lowering drawbridges to classical music, presenting it as a fresh, playful force. You’re an exemplar to your fellow musicians, demonstrating how music can be a passport to limitless horizons.’
The RPS Gold Medal was first awarded in 1871. It is the society’s highest honour and recognises the recipient’s outstanding musicianship. The award was initiated during Beethoven’s centenary with the aim to celebrate his relationship with society. The medal therefore bears the image of the composer.
Notable recipients include Johannes Brahms, Fritz Kreisler, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten and Leonard Bernstein, and, more recently, Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, John Williams and Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Yo-Yo Ma is one of the leading musicians of his generation and, alongside a prolific performing career, has dedicated much of his time to projects aiming to bring classical music to larger audiences. He is a United National Messenger for Peace, and was the first artist to be appointed to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees. Other major awards include the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Kennedy Center Honors (2011), the Polar Music Prize (2012), and the Birgit Nilsson Prize (2022).
Watch: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma in conversation on the magic of music, nature, and the future
Read: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma to receive $1 million Birgit Nilsson prize
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