John Christie Award 2017 Supported by The Musicians’ Company Winner: James Newby

The winner of the John Christie Award for 2017 is baritone James Newby. The announcement was made from the stage at the Glyndebourne Opera House during Glyndebourne Chairman Gus Christie’s traditional last night speech.

The John Christie Award is described as Glyndebourne’s most prestigious award and has been supported by the Musicians’ Company since its inception; the award celebrated its fiftieth year in 2015. James Newby joins a distinguished list of past winners including Ryland Davies, Richard Van Allan, Linda Esther Gray, Sir John Tomlinson, Gerald Finley, Alfie Boe, Kate Royal, and recent young opera stars Duncan Rock and Louise Alder.

Each year the Musicians’ Company, one of the oldest and most respected charitable companies in the City of London, donates over £200,000 in scholarships and awards in support of young musicians at the start of their careers across all musical disciplines.

James Newby was the winner of the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier competition. After initial studies at Trinity Laban, he joined Glyndebourne Festival Chorus in the summer of 2016 and continues his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Robert Dean. James is a 2017 Jerwood Young Artist at Glyndebourne and sang a performance of Marquis D’Obigny in La traviata, as well as the roles of Marcellus/4th Player in Hamlet, and the Notary in Don Pasquale during the 2017 Festival. As a recitalist James has appeared at the Leeds Lieder Festival and given a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall; he made his BBC Proms debut in 2016 in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music conducted by Sakari Oramo. James has also been awarded the OAE Rising Stars prize for the 2017-2018 season, and will perform regularly as soloist with the Orchestra. James won The Musicians’ Company Silver Medal in 2016.

http://www.maxinerobertson.com/artists/james-newby/

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  • For over 500 years the Worshipful Company of Musicians has supported the music profession in all its forms.
  • Every year the Company gives a range of awards, scholarships and medals, which make a real difference to the lives of outstanding young singers, composers and instrumentalists as they make the transition from study to a professional career in music.
  • The John Christie Award is the Company’s most renowned award with a distinguished list of past winners. Other awards range from Classical Music to Jazz, Music Theatre, Popular Music, Brass Bands and the Military Schools of Music.
  • In addition to their specific award, our winners are invited to become Yeomen for the next five years. This entitles them to be considered for a range of performance opportunities, which the Company arranges – probably their top priority as they seek to become known. This year our Yeomen will give over 100 performances at venues ranging from the Wigmore Hall, where the Company organises its own concerts every year, to major music festivals across the country.
  • Our Yeomen also take part in an extensive Outreach Programme, taking music into primary schools mainly in the more deprived inner London boroughs that have little or no music provision. In 2016, 49 of our award winners made 155 visits to 55 schools, reaching 8,122 children.
  • If you would like to learn more about the Company, join us at our events or support our Yeomen, please visit our website, www.wcom.org.uk or contact Hugh Lloyd, at clerk@wcom.org.uk.