A Presteigne Festival commission written by Edward Gregson for violist Rachel Roberts has received a nomination for one of the UK’s most prestigious classical music awards.
Edward Gregson’s Three Goddesses for viola and string orchestra has been nominated in this year’s Ivors Classical Awards, in the category of Best Large Ensemble Composition.
Written for Rachel Roberts and commissioned by the Prestiegne Festival in 2023, the work depicts three mythical deities: ‘Morrigan’, the Celtic warrior queen, ‘Aphrodite’, Greek goddess of love and beauty, and ‘Diana’, Roman goddess of the hunt.
The world premiere was given by Rachel with the Presteigne Festival Orchestra, conducted by George Vass. Writing for Musical Opinion, Paul Conway reflected that ‘Rachel Roberts conveyed the shifting moods intuitively, negotiating the score’s more challenging aspects with aplomb and expertly delineating each movement’s individual character.’ Rachel will record the concerto for Chandos Records in 2025 with the BBC Philharmonic.
This nomination recognises the Three Goddesses as an outstanding addition to the landscape of contemporary music from the UK. For over twenty years, the Ivors Classical Awards have decorated the country’s leading composers, and this year’s cohort of nominees includes creatives writing for small and large ensemble, music for community participation, sound art and beyond. The awards take place on 12th November at the BFI Southbank in London, and will be broadcast on 16th November on BBC Radio 3. More details about the Ivors Classical Awards can be found here.
Rachel can be heard performing Wigmore Hall as a member of the Wigmore Soloists on 30th October, with details available via the link below, and her complete concert calendar may be found here.
