College Musician wins Young Artist Award at the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards

[caption id="attachment_28830" align="alignright" width="233"] Winner of the RPS Music Award for Young Artists
Photographed at the RPS Music Awards, London, Tuesday 9 May
Photo credit required: Simon Jay Price[/caption]

Joseph Middleton, the College Musician, has won the Young Artist Award at the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, making him the first accompanist to be honoured in this category in the history of the Awards. The RPS Music Awards are the highest recognition for live classical music-making in the United Kingdom and showcase the work of the 200 year old institution. Described in the BBC Music Magazine as ‘one of the brightest stars in the world of song and Lieder’, he has also been labeled ‘the cream of the new generation’ by The Times and ‘a perfect accompanist’ by Opera Now. He performs and records with many of the world’s finest singers in major music centres across Europe, the Americas and Far East. Joseph’s 2016/17 plans include his début BBC Prom with Iestyn Davies and Carolyn Sampson; three US recital tours with Kate Royal, Sarah Connolly and Carolyn Sampson taking him to New York (Park Avenue Armory & Alice Tully Hall), San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre and Atlanta’s Spivey Hall; as well as recitals with Christopher Maltman in Strasbourg and deSingel Antwerp, Katarina Karnéus in Gothenburg, Kate Royal in Barcelona, Christiane Karg in Copenhagen, Simon Keenlyside and Ian Bostridge in Leeds; and European Myrthen Ensemble débuts at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. His appearances at the Wigmore Hall include recitals with Sarah Connolly and Clara Mouriz (BBC Lunchtime series) and with Carolyn Sampson. He has also programmed his own 4-part Mahler series for BBC Radio 3 for Leeds Lieder, of which he is Director, and a weekend of BBC Radio 3 concerts from the Belfast Festival. He makes his first tour to Japan later this year and adds three more CDs to his award-winning discography. The Royal Academy of Music recently made him an Associate.

[caption id="attachment_28831" align="alignleft" width="210"] Winner of the RPS Music Award for Young Artists
Photographed at the RPS Music Awards, London, Tuesday 9 May
Photo credit required: Simon Jay Price[/caption]

The Young Artists Jury commented on Joseph’s success:

“In a shortlist notable for creativity, artistic excellence and impact, the winner in this category has been hailed as a born collaborator, equally at home in partnerships with leading international artists and also supporting young performers whose careers he nurtures. Demonstrating dedication to the field of chamber music and song, his commitment is exemplified as Director of Leeds Lieder, a festival of imaginative programming, wide-ranging activity and community engagement. The winner of the Young Artists category is the pianist Joseph Middleton” For more information, please visit: RPS Music Awards | Royal Philharmonic Society