RNCM announces recipients of 2023 Honorary Awards

We are thrilled to announce that the RNCM will be honouring exceptional individuals with the College’s most prestigious awards at our graduation ceremony on Thursday 14 December 2023.

The awards of Fellow (FRNCM), Honorary Member (HonRNCM) and Associate of the RNCM (ARNCM) will be presented to influential figures for their outstanding achievements in the fields of music, education, industry leadership and advocacy.

Fellowships will be conferred upon saxophonist and broadcaster YolanDa Brown OBE DL (above, right); soprano Susan Bullock CBE (below, left); singer and songwriter Tim Burgess (above, left); conductor Alpesh Chauhan OBE (below right), and pianist and Head of School of Keyboard Studies Graham Scott.

Honorary Membership will be presented to Carolyn Baxendale, Head of Bolton Music Service; Christopher Cox, Vice-Principal, University of Edinburgh; Sarah Godlee and Alice Herbert on behalf of the Haworth Charitable Trust, supporters of young people in music and the arts; and philanthropist Richard Millar.

The ceremony will also be a notable occasion for Alumni who will be awarded Associate Membership of the RNCM in recognition of the exceptional contributions they are making to their professions and the College. This year, we are delighted to honour composer and conductor Michael Betteridge; tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies; singer Simon Dumas; composer and conductor Leo Geyer; soprano Alexandra Lowe; 4-piece band Porij: Scout Moore, James Middleton, Jacob Maguire and Nathan Carroll; composer and vocalist Shruthi Rajasekar; conductor and composer Jack Sheen; conductor Ellie Slorach; violinist Lily Whitehurst; and vocalist, violinist and songwriter Alice Zawadzki.

Professor Linda Merrick CBE, Principal, said: ‘Each year the RNCM awards Fellowships and Honorary Memberships to world-renowned musicians, conductors, composers, educators and advocates, and 2023 is no exception. This year’s honorands provide a wealth of experience, support and inspiration to the College, and I look forward to welcoming them to our Congregation of Awards in December.’

We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Honorands and graduands at this special ceremony in December.

9 November 2023