Thursday 10 May 2007

Britten Sinfonia wins prestigious RPS Music Award

Britten Sinfonia has won the ensemble award at this year’s RPS Music Awards, the UK’s most prestigious recognition in the field of live classical music.

The award was presented to Britten Sinfonia Chief Executive, David Butcher, by soprano Dame Josephine Barstow at a ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel (8 May) at which members of the orchestra also played live. A special programme on the RPS Music Awards was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 9 May.

The jury, consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners, made the award to the “innovative” Britten Sinfonia “for its aspirations in presenting music countrywide in a stylish and accessible manner; for its exciting and constantly evolving projects from the fantastical Bach Meets Moondog and its first foray into opera in a premiere by Stuart MacRae to its refreshing exploration of Beethoven Piano Concertos with Imogen Cooper - highlights of an extraordinarily varied schedule that embraces classical, jazz and world music.”

BS Chief executive David Butcher comments:
“We are enormously grateful to the Royal Philharmonic Society for recognising Britten Sinfonia’s work with this magnificent award. For us, making music is a sheer pleasure so to be rewarded for something so enjoyable feels almost too good to be true.

Over the years, Britten Sinfonia has built a reputation for fearless programming matched by peerless playing. This award, therefore, really belongs to our players whose talent, hard work, enthusiasm and boundless thirst for musical adventure have made us the orchestra we are today. Over the course of the past season, to stand alongside our work in London , the East of England and across the UK, we have developed an increasingly strong international profile. With a new residency in Krakow Poland, concerts in mainland Europe and a recent first tour of South America, we are looking to the future with energy and enthusiasm.”