Presented in association with BBC Radio 3, the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards are the highest recognition for live classical music in the United Kingdom. This year, they are presented as part of RPS200, a celebration of the bicentenary of the Royal Philharmonic Society throughout 2013.
Singers, Instrumentalists, Conductors and Young Artists
Big names up for the prestigious awards include three of the UK's most acclaimed singers: Bryn Terfel, Sarah Connolly and Alice Coote; American tenor Bryan Hymel; pianists Steven Osborne, Francesco Piemontesi and percussionist Colin Currie (former winner of the RPS Award for Young Artists).
The conductor award is contested by three artistic leaders who emphatically made their mark in 2012: Richard Farnes, Music Director of Opera North; Kirill Karabits, Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Young Artists given the nod are pianist Daniil Trifonov, baritone Duncan Rock and the Heath Quartet.
Ensemble, Chamber Music and Song
Leading chamber orchestra Britten Sinfonia joins Ex Cathedra on a shortlist for the Ensemble Award that also turns a rare spotlight on Covent Garden's 'unsung' musical heroes, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
An equally diverse shortlist for the award for Chamber Music and Song features Sheffield-based Music in the Round, the largest promoter of chamber music outside London, the Elias String Quartet for the opening concerts of their Beethoven Project string quartet cycle and vocal ensemble EXAUDI, which is currently celebrating its tenth birthday.
Opera and Music Theater
There's a strong contemporary flavor to the Opera & Music Theatre Award, with nominations for ENO's production of Detlev Glanert's Caligula, Netia Jones' acclaimed Oliver Knussen double-bill, Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety, Pigglety Pop (Aldeburgh Festival/Barbican) and Birmingham Opera's incredible mounting of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Mittwoch aus Licht. English Touring Opera, with an Autumn 2012 season that featured three 20th century operas, The Lighthouse by Peter Maxwell Davies, Britten's Albert Herring and Victor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, completes the shortlist.
(Editor's note: Classicalite is really hoping Birmingham's Stockhausen wins.)
Awards in 13 categories are chosen by eminent independent juries from the music profession and are unique in the breadth of musical achievement they span--from performers, composers and inspirational arts organisations to learning, participation and engagement.
Further details about the RPS Music Awards shortlisted artists, organisations and events can be viewed at www.rpsmusicawards.com.
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.
