Bushra El-Turk, Gavin Higgins, Laurence Osborn,Errollyn Wallen, Roxanna Panufnik, Gavin Bryars & more honoured at 2024 Ivors Classical Awards

Roxanna Panufnik, Gavin Bryars, Errollyn Wallen at the Ivors Classicxal Awards, BFI Southbank, London (Photo: Hogan Media – Shutterstock)

On Tuesday 12 November, The Ivors Academy honoured eleven composers with Ivor Novello Awards at the Ivors Classical Awards. Special awards were presented to Errollyn Wallen, Roxanna Panufnik and Gavin Bryars, five composers won awards for the first time, Gavin Bryars, Bushra El-Turk, Cassandra Miller, Laurence Osborn and Roxanna Panufnik, whilst Matthew Herbert, Gavin Higgins, Brian Irvine, Dan Jones, Rebecca Saunders and Errollyn Wallen all have previously received awards.

BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the ceremony on 16 November from 10:30pm in a special edition of the New Music Show and the episode will also be available on BBC Sounds.

Gavin Higgins, winner of the Best Orchestral Composition award at the Ivors Classicxal Awards, BFI Southbank, London (Photo: Hogan Media – Shutterstock)

• Bushra El-Turk received the Best Stage Work Composition award for Woman at Point Zero, her opera for two voices, ancient folk instruments and pre-recorded audio samples. Commissioned by LOD Muziektheater, the work features a libretto by Stacy Hardy and received its first UK performance at the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House with Dima Orsho, Carla Nahadi Babelegoto and ensemble ZAR. [see my interview with Bushra El-Turk]
• Gavin Higgins’ Horn Concerto won Best Orchestral Composition. Commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and Philharmonie Zuidnederland, the work was performed by Ben Goldscheider and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Jaime Martin, at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff. [see my review of the work’s London premiere]
• Laurence Osborn’s TOMB!, composed for strings, percussion and piano, was awarded the Best Chamber Ensemble Composition award. Commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Cheltenham Festival and Kings Place, the work was performed by 12 Ensemble and GBSR Duo. 
• Cassandra Miller received the Best Choral Composition award for The City, Full of People, a piece for mixed choir of 16 singers that was commissioned by Éamonn Quinn of Louth Contemporary Music Society. The piece was performed by the National Chamber Choir Ireland and Paul Hillier at King’s College Chapel in Aberdeen as part of the Aberdeen Sound Festival. 
• Brian Irvine’s A Children’s Guide to Anarchy, for ensemble and singers, won the Best Community and Participation Composition award. The work was commissioned by Dumbworld and Red Note Ensemble, the libretto was created by John McIlduff and children of Oakwood Primary School, Easterhouse and was performed by Red Note Ensemble and Oakwood Primary School in Glasgow.
• Matthew Herbert’s The Horse, for orchestra, horse skeleton and electronics, collected the Best Large Ensemble Composition award. The piece received its live premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in a performance by Matthew Herbert, Momoko Gill, Hugh Jones, Eoin McCaul, Gracel Delos and the London Contemporary Orchestra. 
• Rebecca Saunders’ The Mouth for soprano and tape won the Best Small Chamber Composition award. Commissioned by Annie Claire for ManiFeste Festival in Paris, the first UK performance was by Juliet Fraser and Newton Armstrong at the Britten Studio in Snape Maltings as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. 
• Dan Jones’ Each Tiny Drop, a sonic accompaniment to Risham Syed’s interactive water ritual on the banks of the River Medlock, won the Best Sound Art award. It was commissioned by Factory International to open the Manchester International Festival and celebrate connections between Manchester and Pakistan.

Errollyn Wallen was honoured with Fellowship of The Ivors Academy – the highest honour the Academy bestows. Roxanna Panufnik received her first Ivor Novello Award tonight in recognition of her consistently exceptional body of work. Gavin Bryars was presented a Gift of the Academy award for Innovation, celebrating his visionary approach to composition and the impact his music has had on fellow composers. 

Further details from the Ivors Academy website.