John Rutter CBE will become the next Fellow of The Ivors Academy, the highest honour we bestow. John’s Academy Fellowship will be celebrated at The Ivors Classical Awards which takes place on 14 November at BFI Southbank in London, then broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Sounds in the New Music Show on 18 November at 10pm. Book your tickets for the awards ceremony.
John Rutter is one of the most influential choral composers of our time, and his music is performed by professional and amateur choirs all over the world. His music has helped to celebrate landmark occasions in recent history, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the two most recent royal weddings and the Coronation of King Charles III earlier this year, which included six arrangements by Rutter. Rutter previously received an Ivor Novello award in 2007 at the Academy’s songwriting ceremony, The Ivors, to recognise his outstanding contribution to classical music.
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said, “John Rutter’s compositions are brilliant and emotionally resonant. He is a master of choral music, creating moments of soaring beauty and transcendence. He has inspired listeners and choirs across the globe and truly deserves to be recognised with our highest honour, Fellowship of The Ivors Academy.”
John Rutter stated: “I am deeply grateful to the Ivors Academy for this wonderful and completely unexpected honour, which I shall cherish in all the days ahead. It will certainly spur me on in my future work!”
The Ivors Academy Fellowships recognise excellence and impact in the art and craft of music creation which has been awarded to 24 musicians and composers since 2000. The current list of Fellows includes John Adams, Joan Armatrading CBE, David Arnold, Sir Malcolm Arnold CBE, John Barry OBE, Don Black OBE, Pierre Boulez CBE, Kate Bush CBE, Sir John Dankworth CBE, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE, George Fenton, David Ferguson, Peter Gabriel, Sir Barry Gibb CBE, Maurice Gibb CBE, Robin Gibb CBE, Sir Elton John, Julian Joseph OBE, Annie Lennox OBE, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Tim Rice, Judith Weir CBE and Sting. More information about the Fellows can be found here.
Earlier this year, The Ivors Academy re-launched The Ivors Composer Awards as The Ivors Classical Awards to celebrate creative excellence in composition for contemporary classical and sound art. The Ivors Composer Awards title was used for twenty years, and recognised jazz composing as well as classical and sound art. The Academy is seeking to establish The Ivors Jazz Awards in 2024.
The Ivors Classical Awards are sponsored by PRS for Music and will take place on Tuesday 14th November at the BFI Southbank in London. BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the ceremony in a special edition of the New Music Show on Saturday 18th November at 10pm, which will also be available on BBC Sounds.
