The awards recognize musicians and initiatives serving and inspiring audiences and communities across the UK 

 

The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a registered charity supporting and championing artists. Its 2024 Awards have nominated over 30 artists across 12 award categories. 

On March 5, 2024, the RPS Awards will be held outside of London for the first time in its 35-year history, at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). 

“Given the truly national story they represent, we’re so pleased to be taking the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards out of the capital for the very first time,” said RPS’ CEO James Murphy in the press release. “We’ll be venturing elsewhere in years to come, and back to London of course, but this year Manchester is the ideal destination. With big wins last year for Manchester Collective and Manchester Camerata, and nominations this year for local heroes The Sunday Boys, Manchester Classical, and Olympias Music Foundation, classical music pulses through the city’s veins.”

Hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenters Elizabeth Alker and Linton Stephens, the event will also feature performances from some of this year’s nominees. The trophies will be presented by RPS chairman John Gilhooly.

The 2024 RPS Award nominees are:

 

Chamber-Scale Composition – for an outstandingly imaginative and engaging chamber-scale work

• Ben Lunn – History needs…

• Laurence Osborn – TOMB!

• Nilufar Habibian – Az nahāyate tāriki (From the deep end of darkness)

 

Conductor – for the outstanding quality and scope of the performances of a conductor

• Alice Farnham

• Alpesh Chauhan

• François-Xavier Roth

 

Ensemble – for the outstanding quality and scope of the performances of a group of musicians (no fewer than three)

• BBC Singers

• Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

• Riot Ensemble

 

Impact – for an ‘outstanding initiative, individual or organization that practically engaged and set out to have a lasting impact on the lives of people who may not otherwise experience classical music’

• Call of the Mountains – Drake Music Scotland

• Re:Sound – Streetwise Opera

• Music in Secondary Schools Trust

• Olympias Music Foundation

 

Inspiration – for a non-professional ensemble or an individual who works with such groups

• Derwent Brass

• Glasgow Madrigirls

• Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus

• The Sunday Boys

 

Instrumentalist – for the outstanding quality and scope of the performances of an individual performer on any instrument

• Cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson

• Sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun

• Pianist Pavel Kolesnikov

 

Large-Scale Composition – for an outstandingly imaginative and engaging large-scale work

• Cassandra Miller – I cannot love without trembling

• Jasdeep Singh Degun – Orpheus

• Kaija Saariaho – Innocence

• Noriko Koide – Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain

 

Opera and Music Theatre – for an outstanding production or initiative or for the overall accomplishments of a company or individual in opera and music theater

• Chornobyldorf – Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

• Dialogues des Carmélites – Glyndebourne Opera

• Innocence – The Royal Opera

 

Series and Events – for a ‘distinctive festival, themed series of performances, or truly unique performance event, presented in the UK.’

• Aldeburgh Festival

• Manchester Classical

• Oratorio of Hope – London Borough of Croydon

 

Singer – for the outstanding quality and scope of the performances of an individual singer

• Alice Zawadzki – vocalist, songwriter

• Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha – soprano

• Nicky Spence – tenor

 

Storytelling – for an ‘imaginative entity which, in a lateral medium, newly or distinctly furthered the understanding of classical music’

• Composer of the Week – BBC Radio 3

• Eastern Classical – BBC Radio 4

• Quartet – Leah Broad

 

Young Artist – for the outstanding quality and scope of the performances of an individual artist or chamber ensemble, relatively new to the profession

• Aaron Azunda Akugbo – Trumpet player

• Lotte Betts-Dean – Mezzo soprano

•  Ryan Corbett – Accordion player

 

Specially presented by the RPS Board and Council, the event will also present the Gamechanger award (of which there is no shortlist), recognizing those who have continued to break new ground in classical music. 

To attend the 2024 RPS Awards, click here. 

The event will also be available to watch on the RPS website; BBC Radio 3 will host a special broadcast featuring the music of 2024 winners and nominees on March 6.