Making Music is proud to announce announce the winners of the 2024 Making Music Awards.The Making Music annual awards ceremony celebrates the...
Making Music is delighted that two of our members, and a conductor of a member group, have been nominated for the 2025 Royal Philarmonic Society (RPS)’s Inspiration Award.
The RPS Awards celebrate classical music in the UK, and their awards ceremony – on Thursday 6 March 2025 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire – is a highlight of the classical music community’s calendar. A few years ago they introduced the Inspiration Award – for a non-professional self-run ensemble or individuals who work with such groups. The intention is to celebrate the remarkable achievements of people and groups in our sector, who are often overlooked in national music awards. The last three winners, and many of the nominees, have been Making Music members and we are very proud to support the RPS in shining a spotlight on them.
A special feature of the Inspiration Award is that the final selection is made by the public, through an online vote. There is a shortlist of four to choose from, assembled by a panel who themselves work with non-professional groups. So now, it is down to you! You can read all about the nominees and make your choice on the RPS website - voting closes on 3 February.
The four shortlisted nominees are:
- Katrina Marzella-Wheeler – Conductor of a number of brass bands including Making Music member Aldbourne Band in Wiltshire. She is devoted to ensuring that brass banding is inclusive and forward-looking, through the music she conducts and programmes, the environment and culture she creates in her own bands, and the wide range of people with whom she works.
- The Pink Singers - Europe’s oldest LGBTQ+ community choir and a Making Music member. While very much a community choir, The Pink Singers strive for high performance standards. They are a passionate, driven and talented community, who provide a safe space for their members to be accepted as themselves.
- The Open Arts Community Choir - An award-winning, dynamic, inclusive choir from Belfast, directed by Beverley McGeown, demonstrating how disabled and non-disabled people from different cultural backgrounds come together through the medium of song.
- Wolverhampton Symphony Orchestra – This Making Music member sets a leading example of how a non-professional orchestra can perform adventurous and wide-ranging repertoire to a high standard, while playing an invaluable role in its local community, working closely with the city’s Music Education Hub to support and inspire young people.
The best of luck to all four of these nominees - we’ll be in Birmingham on 6 of March cheering you on!
Vote for your favourite for the Inspiration Award, before 3 February - vote here
Book your ticket to attend the RPS awards on 6 March - prices starting at just £10 - book here
