The Gold Medal Final of the 2019 ROSL Annual Music Competition on 30 May, 7pm will see four soloists, winners of our Section Finals, compete for the coveted Gold Medal and first prize of £15,000. Kris Garfitt trombone, William Thomas bass, Roberto Ruisi violin, and Joseph Havlat piano will perform in front an esteemed industry panel of adjudicators, led by Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, Principal of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Each musician has come through three rounds of preliminary auditions to reach the final. More than 150 entrants hailing from across the Commonwealth, as far afield as Tasmania and Malta, have been whittled down to just these four soloists.

With just 15 minutes to wow the audience, each finalist must choose repertoire that best expresses their technical mastery and also the emotion and colour they bring to the music. After their performances, the judging panel will retire to consider their verdict while the audience enjoy performances from the two Ensemble Section Final winners this year; Mithras Piano Trio and The Hermes Experiment.

Now in its 67th year, the ROSL Annual Music Competition offers more than £80,000 in awards with a £15,000 first prize for solo performers. The solo awards are open to UK and Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30 and at least half of ensemble members must be UK or Commonwealth citizens.

Former winners include Jacqueline du Pre cello, Melvyn Tan harpsichord, Piers Lane Piano, Juliette Bausor Flute, Sean Shibe Guitarist and Jonathan Lemalu Bass Baritone. Visit our Music Alumni page to view our list of past gold medal winners and finalists. 

 

Competing for the 2019 Gold Medal prize at the Queen Elizabeth Hall are:

Kris Garfitttrombone
Roberto Ruisiviolin
William Thomasbass
Joseph Havlatpiano

2019 Panel of Adjudicators include:

Gavin Henderson CBE (Chairman)
Geoff Parkin
Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Andrew Comben
Emma Sweetland
Peter Manning
Ailish Tynan
Jenny Chadwick

Thursday 30 May, 7pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre.
Book now: Tickets from £10 via the Southbank Centre

Press tickets available on request email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow the action on Twitter @ROSLARTS and @ROSL1910


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NOTES FOR THE EDITOR

IMAGES
A selection of high res images from last year’s final are available on request.

CONTACT

For more information contact Gemma Matthews, Director of Marketing on T 020 7016 6904 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. visit www.rosl.org.uk

ROSL
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 60 years the competition has grown in scope and prestige and now awards in excess of £80,000 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, find a list of past winners here: https://www.rosl.org.uk/music/music-alumni

To mark ROSL’s 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.