Royal Philharmonic Society announces awards shortlist as sector urges a reset of classical music narrative

The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) announced its awards shortlist today, highlighting star performers and community projects as critics and practitioners call for a reset in how classical music is presented and discussed. The announcement comes against a backdrop of negative headlines about funding cuts to national opera companies, threats to university music departments, councils axing local provision and declining classroom music-making.

The piece argues that classical music’s diminished presence in mainstream media and the challenges of attention-friendly digital formats have contributed to a perception of reduced relevance. Among this year’s RPS nominees are conductor John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London, soprano Louise Alder and composer Mark‑Anthony Turnage for Festen at Covent Garden.

The shortlist also recognises community-led work, including a Gresford community opera commemorating the 1934 mining disaster, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s projects that engaged over 70,000 people and delivered its highest-ever ticket sales, and Sean Chandler’s I Can Play Brass Roots initiative supporting hearing d/Deaf children in York.

Key Topics

Culture, Royal Philharmonic Society, John Wilson, Louise Alder, Mark-anthony Turnage, Gresford Community Opera