Contemporary music festival leads awards field

Source: Singapore Piano Shop Online   Published: 4/12/2010 12:39:35 AM   Clicked: 1403

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival leads the field for this year's Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards with three nominations.

It is up against events including Jorg Widmann Focus, at London's Wigmore Hall, and Sounds Venezuela, at the Southbank Centre, for best festival.

Big names from the classical world on the shortlist for the live music awards include pianist Stephen Hough.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 12 May.

Completing the shortlist for best festival or concert series is the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's (CBSO) Stravinsky celebration, Igorfest.

Huddersfield is also nominated in the education category for a performance of Kristoffer Zeggers' Piano Phasing which featured 50 local pianists.

Un clou, son marteau, et le beton, by Canadian composer Pierre Alexandre Tramblay - premiered at Huddersfield in November - made the chamber-scale composition shortlist.

The CBSO, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Wigmore Hall all received two nominations each.

Hough competes against violinists Alina Ibragimova and Leonidas Kavakos for best instrumentalist.

Briton Oliver Knussen is up against Ukrainian Kirill Karabits and Latvian Andris Nelsons for best conductor.

Nominees in the best singer category will be announced the day before the ceremony.