and the winner is...

Valery Gergiev, Lichfield Festival's Patron, has just won the Conductor category of this year's Royal Philharmonic Society Awards. As the jury writes,

The award goes to a conductor of unique talent and personality. A mercurial figure on the international musical stage, he chooses to devote a significant amount of time to music making in the UK, particularly with the London Symphony Orchestra. Intensity and passion - and a high level of risk taking - are the hallmarks of his conducting, and he pursues a single-minded advocacy of composers in whom he believes. He is a conductor who makes things happen - an inspiration to players and audiences alike: Valery Gergiev.