Congratulations to alumni Sally Beamish and Sir Harrison Birtwistle on their 2018 British Composer Awards.
Sir Harrison, a graduate of the Royal Manchester College of Music, won the Orchestra category with Deep Time, while Sally, who graduated in 1974, was presented with the British Composer Award for Inspiration in recognition of her long career as a composer, violist and pianist.
Crispin Hunt, chair of BASCA, said: ‘The passion, creativity and dedication to music demonstrated by this year’s winners is deeply inspiring and humbling. A record year for submissions, the new music landscape in Britain proves itself time and again to be more vibrant, dynamic and vivacious than ever, engaging with a diverse range of ideas and audiences. This is a hugely exciting time to be a creator or appreciator of new music.’
This year’s Awards also included nominations for fellow alumni Laura Bowler (2008), Gavin Higgins (2005) and Matt London (2009), as well as PhD students Robert Laidlow and Lucy Pankhurst.
BBC Radio 3 will broadcast a programme dedicated to the Awards at 9.20pm on Sunday 9 December.
