ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION: Strings Section Final won by Roberto Ruisi Thomas, violin
Roberto Ruisi violin won the 67th ROSL Annual Music Competition Strings Prize on Tuesday 26 February and was awarded £5,000 and a sought-after place at the Gold Medal Final on 30 May 2019. Thomas’s 20-minute programme of Chausson and Roxanna Panufnik won over the audience and judging panel.
ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION: Singers Section Final won by William Thomas, bass
William Thomas bass won the 67th ROSL Annual Music Competition Singers Prize on Tuesday 19 February and was awarded £5,000 and a sought-after place at the Gold Medal Final on 30 May 2019. Thomas’s 20-minute programme of Schubert, Wolf, Poulenc, Harrison and Rossini wowed the capacity crowd and judging panel.
ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION: Solo Wind and Brass Section Final won by Kris Garfitt, trombone
Trombonist Kris Garfitt won the 67th ROSL Annual Music Competition Section Final for Solo Wind and Brass on Tuesday 12 February and was awarded the £5,000 prize and sought-after place at the Grand Final on 30 May 2019. Tyler’s 20 minute programme of Aria et Polonaise, op 128 – Jongen, Romance for Trombone and Piano – Weber, and BASTA for Solo Trombone – Rabe, was a talented and remarkable performance.
Dr Diana Owen awarded OBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours
Dr Diana Owen, Director-General of the Royal Over-Seas League, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to culture and tourism.
Diana joined the Royal Over-Seas League in December 2017, a not-for-profit members organisation which promotes the arts and education to its 16,000 members throughout the UK, Commonwealth, and wider world. This is expressed most vividly through ROSL’s Annual Music Competition, which has been supporting young classical musicians for 66 years.
This role is the culmination of a career in the culture and heritage sectors for Diana, first at the National Trust from 1988-2007, with responsibility for properties across South East England, followed by a decade spent as the Chief Executive Officer of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, greatly increasing its profile and leading the organisation through the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth in 2016.
The Royal Over-Seas League closes Edinburgh building to consider plans for refurbishment
Edinburgh’s long established club and accommodation provider, the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL), will close on the 31 January for refurbishment.
The building, located at 100 Princes Street, requires significant upgrading and the ROSL is now considering its future, following advice from independent building specialists.
As an Edinburgh fixture since 1930, the ROSL will continue its strong participation in the city’s arts, culture and hospitality scene by moving its entire operation to the Royal Scots Club, located at 29-31 Abercromby Place, for the foreseeable future.
Diana Owen, Director General of ROSL, comments: “The Royal Over-Seas League plays an important role at the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural scene and this will be safeguarded while we review the future of our listed building. The partnership with the Royal Scots Club will enable us to provide home-away-from-home clubhouse facilities for members who visit or live in Edinburgh.
ROSL welcomes Dr Diana Owen as Director-General
The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Diana Owen as Director-General; who will take up her appointment on Monday 4 December. Her predecessor, Major General Roddy Porter MBE, stepped down from the role in August.
Diana Owen brings extensive experience of working in the not for profit sector, with the National Trust and for the last 10 years as Chief Executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) in Stratford upon Avon, a global hub for Shakespeare fans everywhere. Diana has grown the SBT’s national and international profile and reputation leading significant cultural and capital projects in Stratford and with partners worldwide.
Sir David Brewer, ROSL Chairman, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Diana to the ROSL family, and believe Diana’s experience, professionalism and energy will help shape a bright future for our international membership organisation.”