In Friday’s (11/26) Guardian (London), Tom Service writes, “Could be quite a good idea, this: the Salomon prize, a new gong launched by the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Association of British Orchestras, to be awarded for the first time next year. Just another pointless classical music prize that no one will take any notice of? Here’s hoping not. The annual Salomon prize is for orchestral players—or, rather, for a single orchestral player in a UK-based professional ensemble who in the eyes and ears of their fellow musicians has been ‘an inspiration to their colleagues and engendered a greater spirit of teamwork within the orchestra’, for which commendation the winner will get a trophy and £1,000. That wording emphasises the collegiate nature of what orchestral musicians do, rather than their soloistic brilliance. … According to the RPS’s website, nominations are only allowed to come from the orchestras themselves, which are allowed to nominate one of their players per year.”
Posted November 30, 2010
