A major UK cultural event has chosen Manchester to host its upcoming awards. The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Awards Ceremony, described as “British classical music’s biggest night”, will be held at the Royal Northern College of Music in March this year.
It is the first time the prestigious awards have been held outside London, with organizers describing Manchester as a “cultural powerhouse” with “music pulsing vibrantly in the veins of the city”. Last year, two of the RPS awards went to music organizations in Manchester.
The awards aim to highlight individuals, groups and initiatives in music that inspire communities across the UK, with categories ranging from conductors, instrumentalists, opera and music theater to singers. The nominees have also been revealed today and include several Manchester musicians and organizations.
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When it was first announced that the awards ceremony would be held in Manchester, there was a huge buzz online. Sasha Lord, the City of Manchester’s nighttime economy adviser, wrote to X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was a “huge win” for the city.
He writes: “Another big event leaves the capital and heads to Manchester. In March, the biggest night of the year in British classical music, the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards Ceremony, will be held outside London for the first time. It was also a big win for our nighttime economy. ”
Big names nominated this year include tenor Nicky Spence, soprano Masabane Cecilia Ranwanasha, pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo and conductor François-Xavier Roth. and both wowed audiences at the 2023 BBC Proms. Composer Kaija Saariaho, who sadly passed away in 2023, will be recognized in two opera categories. innocence: Selected in the Large-Scale Composition category and in the Opera and Music Theater category for its British premiere at the Royal Opera.
This year’s Manchester-based nominations go to Manchester Classic, Olympias Music Foundation and LGBTQ+ choir The Sunday Boys. Not far away, Sheffield Philharmonic Choir, Aldeburgh Festival, Derwent Brass in Derbyshire and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival have all received nominations.
The event, which featured performances from some of this year’s nominees, was hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenters Elizabeth Alker and Lynton Stephens, and was presented with the trophy by RPS chairman John Gilhooly. be done. The event will be filmed and available to watch on the RPS website from 12 March, and will be broadcast in a special broadcast on BBC Radio 3 at 7.30pm on Wednesday 6 March, featuring music from the winners and nominees. It’s planned.
Commenting on the shortlist, James Murphy, Chief Executive of the Royal Harmonic Society, said: “The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards tell a truly national story of classical musicians strengthening and revitalizing communities across the UK.
“It was only natural that the awards ceremony itself would be held beyond the capital, so Manchester was the obvious choice as our first destination outside of London.
“As every Mancunian knows, Greater Manchester is a cultural powerhouse and music lives and pulses through the veins of our city. Manchester’s musicians have been celebrated by the RPS Awards since their inception. I did.
“Just last year, the brilliant Manchester Collective won the RPS Ensemble Award for their outstanding film highlighting their commitment to people living with dementia, and Manchester Camerata won the RPS Storytelling Award. This year’s nominations include: Manchester’s continued dedication to music can be seen in local LGBTQ+ choir Sunday Boys, the vibrant Olympias Music Foundation and the Manchester Classical Festival, which brings together many of the city’s musicians.
“Unlike some awards shows, the RPS Awards aren’t just for the glamorous. Tickets start from just £10 and everyone gets a free interval drink. We welcome music lovers from across Greater Manchester. We invite you to join us at all our festivals and networking opportunities.” “We rub shoulders with the stars. Here’s another example of classical music leading the way. Our example inspires BAFTA and BRITS. Will it give Manchester its own celebration for years to come?”
For more than 200 years, the Royal Philharmonic Society has been at the heart of music, creating opportunities for musicians and championing the vital role of music. It began in 1813 when a group of musicians sought to establish a series of orchestral concerts in London.
The Society’s regular performances attracted world-class artists such as Mendelssohn and Wagner, who commissioned new music for enthusiastic audiences. The most famous is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. 200 years later, the association continues to celebrate and empower musicians through awards, grants, commissions, coaching and performance opportunities.
The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards will be held at the Royal Northern College of Music on Tuesday 5 March 2024. Ticket prices are: Tickets: £10, £15, £25 (plus RNCM booking fee) and can be purchased on his website at RNCM.
2024 Royal Full Philharmonic Society shortlist:
Chamber scale composition
- Ben Ran – History has what it takes…
- Lawrence Osborne – TOMB!
- Nilufar Habibian – Az nahāyate tāriki (From the Deep Edge of Darkness)
conductor
- alice farnham
- Alpesh Chauhan
- François-Xavier Roth
ensemble
- bbc singer
- Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
- riot ensemble
impact
- Call of the Mountains – Drake Music Scotland
- Re:Sound – Streetwise Opera
- Music Trust in Secondary Schools
- Olympia Music Foundation
Inspiration
- derwent brass
- glasgow madrigars
- sheffield philharmonic choir
- sunday boys
instrumentalist
- Ayanna Witter Johnson – Cello
- Jasdeep Singh Degun – Sitar
- Pavel Kolesnikov – Piano
large configuration
- Cassandra Miller – You Can’t Love Without Trembling
- Jasdeep Singh Degun – Orpheus
- Kaya Saariaho – Innocence
- Small children – swaddled silk and spider rain
opera and music theater
- Chornobyldorf – Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
- Dialogue of the Carmelite Friars – Glyndebourne Opera
- Innocence – Royal Opera
series and events
- aldeburgh festival
- manchester classic
- Oratorio of Hope – London Borough of Croydon
singer
- Alice Zawadzki – vocalist, songwriter
- Masabane Cecilia Ranwanasha – Soprano
- Nicky Spence – tenor
storytelling
- Composer of the Week – BBC Radio 3
- Eastern Classics – BBC Radio 4
- Quartet – Leah Broad
young artist
- Aaron Azunda Akubo – Trumpet
- Lotte Betts Dean – Mezzo-Soprano
- Ryan Corbett – accordion