Winner of The Queen's Medal for Music 2007

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

The Queen has approved the award of Her Majesty's Medal for Music for the year 2007 to Judith Weir.

Accompanied by the Master of The Queen's Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Ms Weir will be presented with the Medal by The Queen at the Royal Academy of Music, on Thursday, 13th December 2007.

The purpose of this award is to raise the general profile of music within the UK, and to reward individuals who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation.

Winners of this annual award may be of any nationality but they must have had a major influence on the musical life of the UK.

Biography

Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and had a few composition lessons with John Tavener during her schooldays. She attended Cambridge University, where her composition teacher was Robin Holloway, and on leaving there spent several years as a community musician in rural southern England. She then returned to Scotland to work as a university teacher in Glasgow. Since the 1990s she has been based in London, and was artistic director of the Spitalfields Festival for six years. She has continued to teach, most recently as Fromm Foundation Visiting Professor at Harvard University during 2004, and at present, as a Research Professor in Composition at Cardiff University.

Background

1. The decision on eligibility for the Medal is made by a Music Committee under the chairmanship of the Master of The Queen's Music. The Committee members are Michael Berkeley, Nicholas Kenyon, William Lyne, the Honourable Sir Humphrey Maud, Richard Morrison and Lord Moser.

2. The Medal was instituted in 2005 and the first winner of the award was conductor Sir Charles Mackerras. The 2006 winner was Welsh singer Bryn Terfel.

3. The 75mm medal was designed by Bethan Williams and is cast in silver. All costs relating to the medal are funded by the Privy Purse.