Innocence the final opera by Kaija Saariaho won the prestigious 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society award for Large-Scale Composition last night, March 5. The ceremony, held at the Royal Northern College of Music, presented a vital and uplifting picture of classical music’s resonance, impact and reach.
An icon of contemporary music who we sadly lost last year, Saariaho's award was collected by her son, and the opera’s co-librettist, Aleksi Barrière. The acclaimed opera presents a mesmerising portrait of lives forever changed by a high school shooting, staged in London by The Royal Opera in 2023.
BBC Radio 3 will broadcast a special RPS Awards programme at 7:30pm on Wednesday March 6, also available for a further month on BBC Sounds, giving audiences the opportunity to hear more music from this year’s winners. A film of the RPS Awards presentation will be freely available to watch for one month on the RPS website from Tuesday March 12.
