The nominations for the 2023 Ivors Classical Awards have been announced, and we take a little look at some of this year's nominees

Jasdeep Singh Degun (Photo: Robert Leslie)
Nominated for his opera Orpheus

The nominations for the 2023 Ivors Classical Awards have been announced, and we take a little look at some of this year's nominees as well as highlighting those nominees to whom we have spoken in more depth.

This year, 36 works have been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award across eight categories. 44% of the shortlist are first-time nominees, including: 

• Jasdeep Singh Degun, nominated for his opera Orpheus (see my recent interview with Jasdeep)
• Simon Knighton, nominated for his orchestral work Sound Sculpture No. 7
• Angela Elizabeth Slater, nominated for her large ensemble work Through the Fading Hour
• Dobrinka Tabakova, nominated for her community & participation work Swarm Fanfares

Three composers have received two nomination 

• Brett Dean, for his orchestral works Cello Concerto and In This Brief Moment
• Brian Irvine, for his operas Least Like the Other: Searching for Rosemary Kennedy and Scorched Earth Trilogy
• Hannah Kendall, for her chamber work Even sweetness can scratch the throat and her large ensemble work Shouting forever into the receiver.

Thomas Adès is nominated for his chamber ensemble work Növények for mezzo-soprano and piano sextet. Bushra El-Turk (to whom I chatted in May this year, see my interview) is nominated for her large ensemble work Ka for percussion soloist and string orchestra, Alex Paxton (to whom I chatted about his 2021 Ivors nominations, see my interview) is nominated for his large ensemble work Ilolli-Pop for ensemble and improvising soloist. Anna Thorvaldsdottir (to whom I chatted about her 2021 Ivors nominations, see my interview) is nominated for her orchestral work Aurora. Tom Coult is nominated for his opera Violet, (I chatted to Tom about Violet before its premiere in 2022, see my interview). Jody Talbot is nominated for his ballet Like Water for Chocolate.

The Ivors Classical Awards place on 14 November at BFI Southbank in London, where 11 Ivor Novello Awards will be presented to eight category winners and three Gift of the Academy award winners. Founded in 2003 as the British Composer Awards, and previously known as The Ivors Composer Awards, the best new classical music and sound art by British, Irish or UK resident composers.

John Rutter will be presented with the Academy Fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by The Ivors Academy, in recognition of his excellence and impact in the art and craft of music creation. The recipients of the Ivor Novello Awards for Outstanding Works Collection and Innovation will be revealed on the night.

Nearly all of the nominated works were commissioned, highlighting the importance of the commissioning process through orchestras, festivals, venues and funding organisations, all of which play a pivotal role in the future of new music. Commissioners of this year’s nominated works include Britten Pears Arts, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Proms, Irish National Opera, Opera North, Music Theatre Wales, West Sussex Music, Nonclassical, Southbank Sinfonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra and many more.

Full details from the Ivors Classical Awards website.