One of only three events shortlisted for the Concert Series and Festivals Award, sound’s nomination underscores the impact that the north east Scotland-based festival has made in the 8 years since it was founded by Professor Pete Stollery of Aberdeen University and Mark Hope of Woodend Barn, Banchory. The RPS Music Award nomination is for the 2012 sound Festival, a highlight of which was the Out of the Box opera weekend featuring new commissions from Pippa Murphy and Ben Harrison; John and Zinnie Harris; Gareth Williams and Johnny McKnight; Stephen Deazley and Matthew Sharp, among others, which were staged in unusual places and spaces such as a stables, a lighthouse, a flat, a pub and even on a bus.
“We are thrilled to have been short-listed for the RPS’ Concert Series and Festivals Award,” says festival director Fiona Robertson. “sound is fairly young new music festival and works in a slightly unusual fashion – with a network of local partners involved in programming events in the festival, and a very small staff team. We’re also geographically pretty far north, so it is terrifically exciting to be shortlisted for such a prestigious UK award.”
“The nomination recognises the hard work and commitment of many people (including the support of so many musicians and composers) which enabled us to create such a diverse festival, and also recognises the important place of new music in Scotland’s contemporary cultural landscape.”
Obviously none of this would have been possible without receiving regular public and private funding over the years from organisations such as Creative Scotland, the PRS for Music Foundation, Aberdeen City and Shire, the University of Aberdeen and a number of trusts and foundations (RVW Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation, Astor of Hever Trust, Aberdeen Endowments Trust, David and June Gordon Memorial Trust, D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Leche Trust...).”
The 2012 sound Festival ran from 19 October – 18 November with other highlights including a series of concerts featuring the talented young musicians of NYOS Futures who performed the World Premiere of three sound commissions: Paul Mealor’s Crucifixus with NYCOS and Jeremy Huw Williams, Stephen Montague’s Phrygian Ferment with harpsichordist Elisabeth Chojnacka and Oliver Searle’s Close to Shore for contrabass flute with flautist Richard Craig. This were some of 17 World Premieres at the festival. Others included a sound commission from Robert Saxton, Little Suite for Organ; Geoff Palmer’s A Caedmon Symphony and David Matthew’s Romanza, performed by the acclaimed violinist, Madeleine Mitchell. Other performers included Red Note Ensemble, Rolf Hind, Tommy Smith’s Karma; Ruth Wall – the girl with 3 harps; Simon Thacker’s Svara Kanti and Claudia Molitor. The 2013 sound Festival will be staged in venues across North East Scotland in October and November.
“sound’s 2012 edition opened up the world of music theatre to creators and audiences who feel inhibited by opera’s institutional conventions and gave us a whiff of the creative zeitgeist”
– opera magazine
The Winners of the RPS Music Awards will be announced on 14 May 2013. For further information about the RPS Music Awards, including full lists of previous winners, visit www.rpsmusicawards.com
For further press information on the RPS Music Awards contact:
Sophie Cohen: 07711 551 787 sophiecohen@blueyonder.co.uk
- Download a print-friendly version of this news release
