2020-11-23 – 20:35 h

The British Royal Philharmonic Society, awarded legendary composer John Williams with the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, during the 2020 RPS Awards Presentation on November 18, 2020.

 

The RPS Gold Medal is one of the highest honors in music, recognizing outstanding musicianship since 1870, with awardees such as Johannes Brahms (1877), Gustav Holst (1930), Sergei Rachmaninov (1932), Richard Strauss (1936), Sergei Prokofiev (1944) or Igor Stravinsky (1954), among many others.

 

In his video-speech, John Williams said:

To receive this award is beyond any expectation I could possibly have. For any composer to be able to devote his or her life entirely to the composition of music is very fortunate indeed. I’d like to thank our musicians of our great orchestras in London and in the United States with whom I’ve worked so happily for so many years.

 

Director Steven Spielberg sent his congratulations in a video recorded especially for the occasion, saying:

‘John, you have brought the classical idiom to young people all over the world through your scores, and through your classical training and your classical sensibilities. You are in the DNA of the musical culture of today.’

 

More information and video with John Williams & Steven Spielberg’s speeches:

https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/gold-medal/john-williams