At the Royal Philharmonic Society, we cherish composers and the music they give to the world. For over 200 years, we have supported composers to write music that inspires performers and audiences. In this, we have enjoyed a particularly happy association with the composer Thea Musgrave whose groundbreaking Clarinet Concerto the RPS commissioned in 1968, and whom we presented RPS Honorary Membership in 2022 in recognition of her remarkable musical achievements.

With support from Thea and her husband, the conductor Peter Mark, we are delighted to be announcing the first recipients of the RPS Thea Musgrave Fund, supporting composers and performers dedicated to contemporary music.

This year, we are pleased to support five composer-performer partnerships with RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grants, and four ensembles and festivals with RPS Thea Musgrave Performance Grants. You can read more about these grants, and this year's recipients, below.

RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grants

Throughout Thea’s career, she has treasured having dedicated time to shape ideas with musicians. RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grants support composers writing a new work for an established solo performer, duo, or chamber ensemble – not only contributing to their commission, but within each grant vitally giving them and their intended performers some means to devote focused workshop and rehearsal time to its creation. This year RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grants have been awarded to:

David Gorton writing for flautist Carla Rees

Emma-Ruth Richards writing for soprano Jennifer France

Robert Laidlow writing for baritone Peter Brathwaite

Samantha Fernando writing for viol consort Fretwork

Stuart MacRae writing for mezzo soprano Beth Taylor

RPS Thea Musgrave Performance Grants

Thea’s remarkable catalogue of compositions spans decades and is a veritable treasure trove for performers and programmers. We are committed to encouraging more musicians and musical organisations to delve in, discover and embrace Thea’s works, and share them with UK audiences. RPS Thea Musgrave Performance Grants help performers, ensembles, festivals and venues to put Thea’s music at the heart of their UK programming, and distinctively promote it to captivate audiences. This year, RPS Thea Musgrave Performance Grants have been awarded to:

Elgar Festival
Worcester, Saturday 23 May – Sunday 31 May 2026
Each year the Elgar Festival, taking place in and around Worcester, celebrates not only its namesake, but also the music of a featured living British composer. In 2026, the festival showcases Thea Musgrave as their Visiting Composer, featuring a range of her works across three concerts with the English Symphony Orchestra, as well as recitals by world-renowned guest artists. 

Hebrides Ensemble
Wigmore Hall, January 2027
Scottish-based Hebrides Ensemble present a three-concert day focused on Thea Musgrave at London’s Wigmore Hall. Each concert centrally features Thea’s music, including such works as Pierrot, Canta Canta and Night Windows, flanked by her fellow Scottish composers. Further performances and a new album placing Thea’s work alongside short musical ‘birthday cards’ by other Scottish composers are planned in the lead-up to Thea’s centenary.

London Symphony Orchestra
Barbican, 11 December 2025 and Bristol Beacon, 13 December 2025
One of the UK’s leading symphony orchestras performs Thea Musgrave’s Phoenix Rising in two concerts with their Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano.  Written in 1997, Phoenix Rising is one of Thea’s most electrifying and adventurous scores: an incandescent trailblazer opening a concert that features other great British repertoire by William Walton and Ralph Vaughan Williams. 

Marsyas Trio with mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean
Leeds University, 29 April 2026
The acclaimed trio and award-winning mezzo soprano join forces to create a celebration of Thea Musgrave’s music. Their Thea Musgrave Day takes place at Leeds University to engage the next generation of music-makers with Thea’s works, including Aria, Primavera, In Celebration, Canta Canta and Piccolo Play. The ensemble, both together and individually, plan to feature Thea’s works in concerts through 2026-28 including Kings Place in London, a Scottish music societies tour, and other universities where they hope to emulate the initial Thea Musgrave Day.

With Thea and Peter's continued support, we hope to open the Fund for applications anew in early 2026.

The Royal Philharmonic Society – a registered charity – has been at the heart of music for over 200 years, creating opportunities for musicians to excel, and championing the vital role that music plays in all our lives.

Through our programme of grants, commissions, professional development and performance opportunities, we help many performers and composers overcome barriers to progress and fulfil their potential. Through the annual RPS Awards – described by The Sunday Times as ‘the biggest night in UK classical music’ – we celebrate musical accomplishments UK-wide and tell a vital story of what music-makers do for the benefit of others. Through RPS Membership and our new talks and events, we aim to cultivate greater pride and curiosity in classical music. Through all our endeavours, we are dedicated to proving classical music’s rightful and powerful place in society.

To discover more about how you can join our cause, click here.