Fiona Robertson, Director of the acclaimed Scottish new music organisation sound, has been awarded the prestigious Leslie Boosey Award by the Royal Philharmonic Society.

Based in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, sound supports composers, organises outreach and community work and runs the soundfestival, Scotland’s festival of new music. Fiona helped establish the organisation in 2004 and has since worked tirelessly transforming its scope, commissioning over 120 new works from a range of composers and supporting many others. She has produced hundreds of events, brought many distinguished composers to North East Scotland, and nurtured a vibrant audience and community for new music in Scotland beyond the strongholds of Glasgow and Edinburgh. She was also instrumental in setting up New Music Scotland, bringing together promoters, composers and performers in Scotland.

James Murphy, Chief Executive of the Royal Philharmonic Society, says: ‘Comprising leading figures from the music profession, our panel was unanimously impressed by the quality and scope of all Fiona has accomplished. She has made new music resound in an area where it may otherwise scarcely be heard.’

Fiona Robertson says: ‘I am thrilled to be the recipient of the Leslie Boosey Award, and proud to join a list of such illustrious previous recipients. Its great recognition for the work that many other people as well as myself have put in to developing sound and creating new music opportunities in Scotland, in particular in the North East.’

The Award was presented to Fiona at the opening of the 2019 sound festival on 23 October 2019.