Announcement of the recipient of The Queen's Medal for Music 2009

The Queen has approved the award of Her Majesty's Medal for Music for the year 2009 to Sir Colin Davis.

Sir Colin, who is President of the London Symphony Orchestra, will be presented with the Medal at Mansion House on 8th December, when he will be performing for The Queen with the LSO. A formal public announcement of the award will be made by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at the LSO concert at the Barbican on Thursday 3rd December.

Sir Colin is the fifth winner of the award, which was introduced in 2005 and is made annually to an individual (or group of musicians) judged to have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation. Previous winners are Sir Charles Mackerras (2005), Bryn Terfel (2006), Professor Judith Weir (2007) and Kathryn Tickell (2008).

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the Master of The Queen’s Music, said: “It is a great privilege and pleasure to acclaim Sir Colin Davis as the recipient of this year’s Queen’s Medal for Music, not only for his work as a conductor and ambassador of classical music at the highest possible level, particularly his promotion of British music, but also for his involvement with the musical education of young people, making classical music a vital contribution to their development as whole human beings. The whole nation owes him an infinitely huge thank-you for his lifelong unselfish generosity in sharing his musicianship with us all at the broadest and deepest levels.”

Further information on the current work of Sir Colin Davis can be obtained from Dvora Lewis on 020 7435 9257 or e-mail: [email protected]