THE Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe has won a prestigious award from the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Shibe, from Edinburgh, has won the Young Artist award in the annual, prestigious RPS awards.
The 26-year-old musician, who studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, was described by judges as exemplifying "the criteria of the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in his approach to creativity, excellence and understanding by extending boundaries and challenging pre-conceptions of the guitar in solo and collaborative performance; his artistry and dedication are compelling”.
There was an award for another Scot, the Glaswegian composer James Dillon.
He won the RPS Music Award for Chamber-Scale Composition, his fourth composition award, making him one of the most decorated musicians in RPS Music Awards history.
Dillon’s “ground-breaking” Tanz/haus Tryptich 2017, premiered by the Red Note Ensemble at the 2017 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, “immerses its audience in a music theatre of the mind", the judges said.
The winners of the annual award were announced in London.
London Symphony Orchestra’s This is Rattle took the RPS Music Award for Concert Series and Festivals.
The American soprano Jessye Norman received the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal in the year she celebrates 50 years in the music profession.
Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of the Arts Council England, gave the keynote speech, and discussed diversity in the arts.
He said: “We are falling short in representing society in our workforce, and in bringing through the leaders of the future…. enormous progress has been made in broadening our audiences, but in the field of arts and culture we need to admit that we still face shared challenges around diversity… if we are to fulfil our wish that the arts should play an important part in the lives of everyone in this country".
John Gilhooly, Chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Society, speaking at the Awards said: “Access to the arts and culture is access to our national life, and the universal right of every citizen.
"Tragically, those denied access to the arts can feel locked out and left behind.”
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