Composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies has been named as the latest recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Gold Medal.
He becomes the 102nd recipient since the medal was founded in 1870 in celebration of the centenary of the birth of Beethoven (London’s Philharmonic Society commissioned Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and enjoyed a close association with the composer).
The medal was presented to Sir Peter at his home on Orkney by RPS Council Member, Sally Groves MBE.
According to the society, ‘over six decades [Peter] has been part of our public consciousness; an extraordinary musician who has moved from iconoclast and enfant terrible of the avant garde, to a leading cultural figure, appointed Master of the Queen's Music in 2004. He continues to create wonderful, richly imagined works which are warmly welcomed by musicians and audiences at home and abroad.’
Commenting, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies said: ‘'I am absolutely delighted and couldn't be more honoured to receive the RPS Gold Medal. That’s the one I wanted!'
Peter Maxwell Davies joins a distinguished list of current RPS Gold Medallists including Marta Argerich, Janet Baker, Daniel Barenboim, Alfred Brendel, Placido Domingo, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, György Kurtag, Antonio Pappano, Thomas Quasthoff, Simon Rattle, András Schiff, John Tomlinson and Mitsuko Uchida.
The extraordinary list of composers who have been awarded the RPS Gold Medal includes: Brahms, Delius, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Kodály, Prokofiev, Olivier Messiaen, William Walton, Malcolm Sargent, Arthur Bliss, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Lutoslawski, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Ligeti, Elliott Carter, Henri Dutilleux and most recently György Kurtág.
royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk
Photo credit - John Batten
He becomes the 102nd recipient since the medal was founded in 1870 in celebration of the centenary of the birth of Beethoven (London’s Philharmonic Society commissioned Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and enjoyed a close association with the composer).
The medal was presented to Sir Peter at his home on Orkney by RPS Council Member, Sally Groves MBE.
According to the society, ‘over six decades [Peter] has been part of our public consciousness; an extraordinary musician who has moved from iconoclast and enfant terrible of the avant garde, to a leading cultural figure, appointed Master of the Queen's Music in 2004. He continues to create wonderful, richly imagined works which are warmly welcomed by musicians and audiences at home and abroad.’
Commenting, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies said: ‘'I am absolutely delighted and couldn't be more honoured to receive the RPS Gold Medal. That’s the one I wanted!'
Peter Maxwell Davies joins a distinguished list of current RPS Gold Medallists including Marta Argerich, Janet Baker, Daniel Barenboim, Alfred Brendel, Placido Domingo, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, György Kurtag, Antonio Pappano, Thomas Quasthoff, Simon Rattle, András Schiff, John Tomlinson and Mitsuko Uchida.
The extraordinary list of composers who have been awarded the RPS Gold Medal includes: Brahms, Delius, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Kodály, Prokofiev, Olivier Messiaen, William Walton, Malcolm Sargent, Arthur Bliss, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Lutoslawski, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Ligeti, Elliott Carter, Henri Dutilleux and most recently György Kurtág.
royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk
Photo credit - John Batten
