RPS Awards announced

The 2011 Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards recognised the achievements of the government-funded Sing Up programme with the Education Award. Sing Up aims to bring singing to millions of UK primary schools. Other award winners included The Royal Opera’s ‘Tannhauser’, which picked up the Opera and Music Theatre Award; and Southbank Centre, which won the Concert Series and Festivals Award for its weekend devoted to the music of Helmut Lachenmann. Brian Ferneyhough’s Sixth Quartet earned the Chamber-Scale Composition Award for a 20-minute piece, while the Takacs Quartet won the Chamber Music and Song Award for its complete cycle of Beethoven String Quartets. Twenty-five-year old violinist Alina Ibragimova won the Young Artists Award, with Susan Bickley picking up the award for a singer.