That’ll be the Dai
Charlotte Bray and Dai Fujikura were among those celebrating success at the recent Ivors Composer Awards. Previously called The British Composer Awards, the event saw 13 trophies handed out, with Bray winning the Solo or Duo Award for her Invisible
Cities and Fujikura the Chamber Ensemble Award for his Flute Concerto. Harrison Birtwistle has won eight such awards, but on this occasion had to make do with just a nomination for his Keyboard Engine.
A fight at the opera
A barrister has been found guilty of punching a fellow audience member during Wagner’s Siegfried at the Royal Opera House. Taking umbrage at seeing fashion designer Ulrich Engler occupy a seat that he believed he hadn’t paid for, Matthew Feargrieve decided to match the action on stage by landing a few blows of his own. He is set to be sentenced in late January.
A mysterious case
Reports have emerged suggesting that
Carlos Ghosn, the disgraced former boss of Nissan who recently fled Japan for Lebanon, escaped house arrest by hiding in a double bass case. It is understood that Ghosn, who was facing charges of falsifying financial statements, made his exit when musicians came to play at a dinner party at his home in Tokyo. He has since resurfaced in Beirut.
Wiggy recognition
After 35 years of wowing the Wigmore Hall audience, Angela Hewitt is to become the latest recipient of the Wigmore Medal. The Canadian pianist first pitched up at the prestigious London chamber music venue in January 1985, and has since given recitals of composers ranging from JS Bach and Couperin to Chopin and Chabrier. Fellow recipients of the medal include pianist Sir András Schiff and cellist Steven Isserlis.