The RPS Gold Medal was initiated in 1870 to commemorate the centenary of Beethoven’s birth and bears the image of Beethoven. It is the Society’s highest honour and is awarded internationally for the most outstanding musicianship.
1871 - 1899 / 1900 - 1949 / 1950 - 1999 / 2000 to date
1950
John Barbirolli conductor
1953
Kathleen Ferrier contralto
1954
Igor Stravinsky composer
1957
Bruno Walter conductor
1959
Malcolm Sargent conductor
1961
Artur Rubinstein piano
1962
Yehudi Menuhin violin
1963
Arthur Bliss composer
Pierre Monteux conductor
1964
Lionel Tertis viola
Benjamin Britten composer
1966
Dmitri Shostakovich composer
1967
Zoltán Kodály composer
1970
Mstislav Rostropovich cello
1974
Vladimir Horowitz piano
1975
Olivier Messiaen composer
1976
Michael Tippett composer
1980
Clifford Curzon piano
1984
Herbert von Karajan conductor
1986
Andres Segovia guitar
Witold Lutoslawski composer
1987
Leonard Bernstein composer, conductor
1988
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau baritone
1989
Georg Solti conductor
1990
Claudio Arrau piano
Janet Baker mezzo-soprano
Bernard Haitink conductor
Sviatoslav Richter piano
1991
Isaac Stern violin
1992
Alfred Brendel piano
1994
Colin Davis conductor
1995
Elliott Carter composer
Rafael Kubelik conductor
1997
Pierre Boulez composer