Conductor
supported by Chandos Records
For the outstanding quality and scope of the performances and the work in any context of a conductor in the UK.
John Wilson
'There’s something transcendent about John Wilson. Through film music and musicals, he fostered the trust of a vast audience who now avidly follow him into adventurous repertoire. With his orchestra of all-stars, the Sinfonia of London, he pursues an Olympian level of excellence that results in sell-out concerts and chart-topping albums. In all this, he’s never let go of his Gateshead roots. Launching a new artistic partnership at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, John would surely vouch: wherever music takes us in the world, there’s no place like home.'
Also shortlisted:
The 2026 shortlist for the RPS Conductor Award was decided by an independent panel drawn from across the music profession comprising:
Ben Dawson – Piano
Caro Barnfield – Director, Music and Heritage, Britten Pears Arts
Helen Harrison – Conductor
Katie Tearle – Director of New Music, Edition Peters Group
Linton Stephens – Bassoon / Presenter, BBC Radio 3
