65^th ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION: Grand Final prize of £20,000 won by James Buckle bass trombone

HRH Princess Alexandra presented the British bass trombonist James Buckle with the prestigious Gold Medal at last night’s 65^th ROSL Annual Music Competition Grand Final, held at Cadogan Hall. In a concert of extraordinarily high quality Buckle competed against section finalists Mathilde Milwidsky violin, Dominic Degavino piano and Nicholas Mogg baritone for the top prize.
A daring programme which included Eugene Bozza’s suave ‘New Orleans’ and Robert Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro op.70, showcased James’s remarkable skill, colour and musicianship in his playing.  

Professor Gavin Henderson, on announcing the winner, explained that the quality of the competition made the decision difficult but the panel of adjudicators were unanimous in their praise for James Buckle. Director of ROSL ARTS, Geoff Parkin agreed;

“I am delighted for James to have won the ROSL Gold Medal – the first brass winner of the competition in 65 years! To play with such character, commitment and technical assurance on an instrument which you might not normally associate with solo recital performance is a huge achievement and I look forward to seeing his career progress in the future”

Industry figures and past competition winners made up the panel of adjudicators: Oliver Condy - Editor of BBC Music Magazine, Thorben Dittes - Director Royal Northern Sinfonia and Classical Music Programme Sage Gateshead, Angela Dixon - Chief Executive of Saffron Hall, Heather Duncan - Head of Concerts and Programming BSO, Paul Goodey-Adedisyan - oboist and until recently Director of Performance at the RNCM, Gavin Henderson - Principal of Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Melissa Phelps - cellist and Professor at the RCM, former gold medallists - pianist Piers Lane and baritone Jonathan Lemalu, joining Director of ROSL ARTS Geoff Parkin to select the winning performance.  

As the panel deliberated the result, the audience were treated to performances from the ensemble section winners. B-L Piano Duo enchanted with Moriyama’s ‘Presto Assai from Let’s play a duet!’ and Kabantu brought their joyful sound to the stage, delighting the audience with their fusion of classical, traditional and world music.

For 65 years the ROSL Annual Music Competition has launched the careers of young musicians from all over the UK and the Commonwealth with both financial reward and expert mentoring. Over £75,000 in prize money is awarded each year to performers over the course of the competition. James Buckle is the first recipient of the Mani Bhumgara Scholarship, an additional £5,000 awarded for the professional development of the winner.

ROSL PRIZEWINNERS 2017

Gold Medal £10,000 and Mani Bhumgara Scholarship £5,000
James Buckle bass trombone

Dyers Company Award for Wind & Percussion in memory of Lady Barbirolli £5000
James Buckle bass trombone

Philip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player £1000
Tom Poulson trumpet

Sussex Prize for Woodwind £1000
Justin Sun bassoon

ROSL Award for Singers in memory of Pamela Faulkner £5000
Nicholas Mogg baritone

Audrey Strange Memorial Prize for an outstanding singer of promise £1,000
Richard Walshe baritone

Roderick Lakin Professional Development Award for singers £2,500
Jennifer Witton

ROSL Award for Strings £5,000
Mathilde Milwidsky violin

Len Lickorish Memorial Prize for a string player of promise £1,000
Emmanuel Bach violin

ROSL Award for Keyboard £5,000
Dominic Degavino piano

Kerr Memorial Prize for a Young Pianist of Promise £1,000
Daniel Evans piano

ROSL Award for Accompanists £5,000
Gamal Khamis / Somi Kim (£2,500 each)

ROSL Award for String/Piano Ensembles £10,000
B-L Piano Duo

ROSL Award for Mixed Ensembles £10,000
Kabantu

Elias Fawcett Award for an outstanding Ensemble: £3,000
A4 Brass Quartet / Laefer Sax Quartet / Pelleas Trio

ROSL Award for an Outstanding Canadian Musician £1,000
Scott MacIsaac piano

Phillip Crawshaw Memorial Prize for an Outstanding Musician from Overseas £1,000
Hao Zi Yoh piano

Tait Memorial Scholarship for an Outstanding Australian Musician £1,000
Justin Sun bassoon

ROSL Award for an Outstanding Australian Musician £1,000
Ashlyn Tymms mezzo-soprano

Lorna Viol Memorial Prize and ROSL Trophy for the most Outstanding Musician from Overseas £3,000
Abel Selaocoe cello

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IMAGES
Available on request

CONTACT

For more information contact Geoff Parkin, Director of Arts on T 020 7408 0214 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Director of Marketing Gemma Matthews  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. visit www.rosl.org.uk

NOTES FOR THE EDITOR

Founded in 1910, the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is a non-profit private members' club dedicated to championing international friendship and understanding. ROSL helps artists and musicians across the Commonwealth connect, collaborate and create. Our humanitarian work benefits communities and changes lives.

ROSL ARTS supports talented young artists and musicians from the UK and Commonwealth, providing performance and exhibition opportunities which bring their work to the attention of the professional arts community, media and general public.

ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION

The ROSL Annual Music Competition grew out of a series of concerts inaugurated at Over-Seas House London in 1947 under the banner ‘Festival of Commonwealth Youth’. The Festival became competitive in 1952, with a first prize of £10. Over the past 65 years the competition has grown in scope and prestige and now awards in excess of £75,000 for solo performers, accompanists and chamber ensembles. Past ROSL prizewinners make an impressive alumni of musicians of the highest calibre who have established prominent careers in the music profession.

To mark ROSLs centenary in 2010 an appeal was launched to secure the future endowment of the ROSL Annual Music Competition Awards and Commonwealth Music Scholarships, currently worth £125,000 per annum. The funds are held in the ROSL Golden Jubilee Trust (registered charity 306095). To make a donation contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.