Each year, talented young musicians invest considerable time and dedication to developing their musicianship and sharing the joys of classical music with audiences. With the help of generous individuals, we offer grants to instrumentalists and chamber groups to support their progress as they embark on their careers.

Since the 1960s, the RPS Emily Anderson Violin Prize has supported solo violinists, following a gift to the RPS in the Will of Emily Anderson, celebrated editor and translator of the letters of Mozart and Beethoven. The RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award supports UK-based chamber ensembles seeking to establish a career and develop the scope of the ensemble’s repertoire.

The musicians we are pleased to support in 2023 are:

Iohan Coman | RPS Emily Anderson Violin Prize

Iohan Coman is a Romanian violinist currently in his fourth year studying at the Royal Academy of Music with So-Ock Kim. This grant will help Iohan with the upkeep of his instrument and enable him to invest in sheet music and obtain quality recordings of a wide range of repertoire that supports his playing. It will help him pay accompanists for auditions and concerts, as he develops plans for concerts that create special moments for audiences.

Chameleon | RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award

This versatile woodwind ensemble – playing 13 instruments between its four members – aims to showcase the diversity of the woodwind family and deliver visually exciting, accessible performances. As well as arranging a wide range of repertoire, they explore memorisation and movement on stage. As Live Music Now artists, they specialise in working with primary schools and children with special educational needs and disabilities. They plan to curate a new concert programme expanding their repertoire, and commission a new piece that will feature in their educational and concert programmes during the 2024-25 season.

Fibonacci Quartet | RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award

This prize-winning string quartet is known for performances in the UK and Europe, holding residencies at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid, and at the Dutch String Quartet Academy in Amsterdam. The quartet has given broadcasts on Dutch National Television and BBC Radio 3, and collaborated with Kaija Saariaho on a new recording of Terra Memoria made at the Barbican as part of the BBC Total Immersion series. Upcoming plans include continuing their studies with international quartet performers and finding new ways to present the highest quality chamber ensemble performances to audiences.

We invite those who have been inspired by these outstanding musicians to join our cause by becoming an RPS Member. With a charitable gesture as little as £5 a month, you can play a proud part in helping more talented musicians like these to fulfil their calling. Discover more about RPS Membership and how to get involved here on our website.