The 2023 RPS Awards Shortlist has been published this morning and on it I spy a number of classical music highlights from 2021. Among them I see the brilliant Multi Storey Orchestra collaboration The Endz (which featured in a podcast episode from a few months back) is up for the Impact Award, viola player Timothy Ridout for Young Artist, Theatre of Sound’s moving production of Duke Bluebeard (another podcast episode if you’re interested), and Gavin Higgin’s Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra heard at the BBC Proms earlier this year. The choice for Instrumentalist Award must have been difficult given how the shortlist of violinist Elena Urioste, flautist Adam Walker, and cellist Abel Selacoe sparkles.
Full disclosure: I was a member of the Storytelling Panel (which was a hugely pleasurable experience). As you would expect, I’ll be remaining schtum until the announcement on 1 March at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Tickets from £10.
