We are delighted to announce that Oxford Lieder has won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award in the category of ‘Chamber Music & Song’ for last year's The Schubert Project.

As well as receiving this Award, we were shortlisted in the ‘Concert Series & Festivals’ category. The Schubert Project, which was the 2014 Oxford Lieder Festival, was the first time Schubert’s complete songs have ever been presented in a single festival, alongside a wide range of other cultural events; ‘bringing Schubert’s Vienna to Oxford.’

At the awards dinner held last night at The Brewery in the City of London, Sholto Kynoch, Artistic Director of Oxford Lieder, expressed his delight that The Schubert Project should be honoured in this way, as well as his excitement for the future of Oxford Lieder and his optimism for the current resurgence of song, both at the Oxford Lieder Festival and beyond. He thanked the Oxford Lieder team, trustees and volunteers, as well as our many wonderful artists and our audiences for their unwavering support.

We were also delighted to see friends and colleagues recognised at the Awards. Soprano Mary Bevan, who has become a regular visitor to Oxford Lieder, won the 'Young Artist' Award, and sang at the Awards, accompanied by Sholto Kynoch. Graham Johnson's glorious book 'Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs' was shortlisted in the category 'Creative Communication'. The Awards were presented by Dame Felicity Lott, and the prestigious 'Singer' Award went to Christian Gerhaher: we are delighted to announce that Mr Gerhaher will open the 2016 Oxford Lieder Festival, 'The Schumann Project'.

The awards of the Royal Philharmonic Society, which is over 200 years old, celebrate the highest possible standards of excellence in all aspects of musicianship: performance, composition, inspirational arts organisations, audience engagement, and learning and participation. All of us at Oxford Lieder are thrilled that the Festival should be recognised as a leading contributor to musical excellence in the UK. 

The Fourteenth Oxford Lieder Festival – ‘Singing Words: Poets & their Songs’ – will run 16-31 October 2015 and will once again bring a glittering array of musicians to Oxford in a diverse and enticing programme. It will focus on poets and the words that shape songs, with many programmes devoted to specific poets. A lunchtime concert series will include the complete songs of Gabriel Fauré. Click here for a list of this year's highlights, including a full schedule of the evening concerts.