‘One thing I’ve realised,’ says Gavin Higgins, ‘is that hardly anyone understands what being a composer is like. When you’re a composer you know how much time, energy, effort and stress goes into making a piece, but most people haven’t got a clue what it’s all about – which is fine! But even people who’ve been commissioning for years sometimes say things which take my breath away and I think: “Oh God, they really have no idea what composers do.”’
Sponsored by PRS for Music, the annual Ivors Composer Awards are all about recognising just how much blood, sweat and tears go into creating a new piece of music. ‘Composers often stay behind the scenes,’ notes director of the awards Fran Matthews, ‘and our mission is to raise their profile. I think awards can be looked down upon as a bit backslapping, but I don’t think we encourage people that much in society. We don’t tell people that they’re doing an amazing job at the thing that they do. With these awards we want to acknowledge exceptional talent and say to somebody, “This is an incredible piece of music.”’
The awards celebrate their 20th outing this year. Lending some extra razzamatazz to an often-overlooked sector of the music industry, categories range from best large-scale classical composition to best work for solo performer, alongside awards for jazz composition and sound art. In addition, ‘Gift of the Academy’ awards celebrate composers’ sustained contributions to the industry, with an award for ‘Outstanding Works Collection’, plus awards for Impact, Vision and Innovation.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2022-Ausgabe von BBC Music Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2022-Ausgabe von BBC Music Magazine.
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Discovering Donizetti - Thanks to a two-year lockdown project, nearly 200 previously lost Donizetti songs will now see the light of day
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The spirit of soprano Birgit Nilsson is alive and well in the town of her birth, home to a festival dedicated to her memory
Federico Colli
\"At this moment in time we don't need more virtuosi. We need musicians to engage with the philosophy of music
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