Francesconi wins RPS Music Award for "Duende"
Luca Francesconi is the first Italian composer to win the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award. He is awarded in the Large-Scale Composition category for his violin concerto Duende: The Dark Notes.
The annual RPS Music Awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. Duende: the Dark Notes was first performed in the UK by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Susanna Mälkki, and soloist Leila Josefowicz at the BBC Proms 2015. The Guardian named it one of the top 10 classical performances in 2015.
Luca Francesconi joins an impressive group of outstanding composers who have previously won the RPS Music Award for Large-Scale Composition, including Olivier Messiaen, Henri Dutilleux, Thomas Adès and George Benjamin.
The awards, marking outstanding musical achievement in the UK in 2015, are chosen by distinguished, independent juries. The jury commented: “Drawing on the world of flamenco, this work is a febrile proliferation of gripping ideas driven with unceasing energy by the solo protagonist. The composer has created a white-knuckle ride of dramatic intent, which never loses its focus even through captivating moments of calm within the turmoil.”
Read more: Interview: Leila Josefowicz about Francesconi's Duende
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