London-based chamber group Lumas Winds have been awarded the Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award for Young British Musicians at the HACS Harrogate Music Festival, after a mesmerising performance at the Wesley Centre in North Yorkshire.
Award Presentation and Performance
The quintet, known for their innovative approach to wind chamber music, kicked off the festival's Young Musicians Series with a wide-ranging programme. Their set included pieces from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, an early work by Mozart, and Sally Beamish's The Naming of Birds. Immediately after the concert, the award was presented by Dorothy Parkinson's granddaughter, Emily Scrope.
Previous Winners
The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award has a distinguished history, with past recipients including Evelyn Glennie, Ben Tarlton, the Finzi Trio, Julian Bliss, Jamie Walton, Lucy Parham, and Benjamin Grosvenor. The award has been a fixture of the festival for 45 years.
Legacy of Dorothy Parkinson
Dorothy Parkinson, born in 1909, was the third daughter of Lord and Lady Bingley. She grew up at Bramham Park near Wetherby and studied music in Vienna under Arnold Rosé, leader of the Vienna Philharmonic. After returning to North Yorkshire, she became a close friend of Dame Fanny Waterman, founder of the Leeds International Piano Competition, and they often performed together. Parkinson was deeply involved with Harrogate International Festivals, serving on its first board of governors in 1966 and as president twice, in 1968 and 1978. After her death in 1980, a memorial concert was held at Leeds Civic Hall in 1981 featuring mezzo-soprano Janet Baker, and the following year the award was established.
Festival Chief Executive's Comments
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: "The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award has become an integral part of our classical music programme, and over the past 45 years it has been won by some of the most gifted young musicians of their generation. Lumas Winds' performance at the Wesley Centre was fantastic and they are thoroughly deserving recipients of this prestigious Award. They look destined for a stellar career!"
