Royal Philharmonic Society Membership brochure

RPS ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY Love classical music?

Classical music is a force for good. It speaks to our emotions. It continually leads us to new treasures. We can depend on it to uplift and console us at times of need. Imagine life without it.

You can help one of the nation’s foremost musical charities, dedicated to supporting classical music – and the inspirational musicians who make it.

Together we can protect and nurture the music you love.

Founded by musicians in 1813, the Royal Philharmonic Society has always been at the heart of music, creating opportunities for musicians to excel, championing the vital role that music plays in our lives.

We help performers and composers when they can often struggle –with grants, commissions, mentoring and performance opportunities. We help young musicians with insufficient means to acquire the instruments they dearly need to progress. We raise the profile of musical endeavours nationwide through the RPS Awards, and our filmed talks and events, cultivating pride and support for so many artists and initiatives worth discovering.

We can only do this with the help of people like you. Did you know that you can become a Member of the RPS, just like the National Trust or Royal Horticultural Society?

RPS Membership is an opportunity for you to:

● make a charitable gesture and show your support for the music and musicians you love

● fuel your passions, make fresh discoveries, and get closer to what’s happening in classical music today

● be a valued part of a connected community of music-lovers and music-makers united by a cause

Handpan champion Rosie Bergonzi, RPS Enterprise Fund Trailblazer

philharmonic: adj. devoted to music; music-loving

Take pride in joining a Membership that is positively shaping the story of music. Thanks to Members like you, the Society was able to commission Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and continues to help musicians break new ground each year.

Whether you enjoy listening to music at home, love attending concerts, sing in your local choir, or teach or work in the profession: we’re united by our love of music. Let’s ensure it thrives.

You can choose RPS Membership for yourself, together with a partner, for a friend or loved one, and even for your organisation. Read on to discover the RPS Membership level that’s ideal for you.

Thanks to the RPS I have been able to purchase an incredible instrument and study abroad in Germany. The support for these two major factors in my life has truly kick-started my career as a professional bassoonist, and for this I will always be extremely grateful.

Ashby Mayes, bassoon

A treasured heritage: bringing musicians like Clara Schumann to the UK

Celebrating inventive artists like Scotland’s RPS Award-winning Dunedin Consort

Recipient of an RPS Instrument Purchase Grant and RPS Isserlis Scholarship

Member

£5 a month / £60 a year

Joint-rate for you and a partner: £10 a month / £120 a year

Every note of a symphony matters. Become an RPS Member and be an integral part of what we can charitably do for music. In return for your gesture, enjoy:

• the recognition that you are being a vital and valued support to musicians

• a personalised welcome by post, introducing you to the Society and some of the musicians whose lives are positively changed by your support

• our specially-curated newsletter Discover emailed to you, full of fresh musical insights, and opportunities to share your views

• digital editions of Philharmonic, the RPS Magazine, sure to inspire you with what’s happening in classical music nationally

• advance booking for the RPS Awards, and our talks and events where great artists and musical heroes share their stories

• access to Backstage, the exclusive Members area of our website, featuring films, playlists and digital content to spark your imagination

Join us at the RPS Awards: conductor Ryan Bancroft and friends capture the moment

Visit royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk

Help us to empower composers like Laurence Osborn to inspire younger counterparts

After my first RPS Women Conductors course, I said I have to do this. Within a year, I was embarking on a Masters in Conducting… now, I have positions at English National Opera and the CBSO, and I’m building a career across opera and symphonic conducting.

Olivia Clarke, conductor

One of many musicians whom RPS Members have helped set on their path to professional success

Nicola Benedetti sharing her musical passions at an RPS Members event

Gold Member

£10 a month / £120 a year

Joint-rate for you and a partner: £17.50 a month / £210 a year

One of the joys of music is finding treasures you then can’t live without. Gold Membership is perfect for music-lovers keen to further their knowledge and find new favourites. It builds on all the initial elements of Membership with some added benefits:

● a posted, personalised welcome, introducing you to the Society and the musicians you are helping us support, plus our specially-curated Discover emailed to you, full of musical insights

● dedicated Gold dispatches to your inbox, introducing you to music and composers you may not already know, individually chosen by a host of celebrity musicians and the RPS team

● Philharmonic, the RPS Magazine, posted directly to your door, full of news on what’s happening in classical music nationally

● advance booking for the RPS Awards, and ahead of standard Members for our talks and events in which great artists and musical heroes share their stories

● Backstage access through the exclusive Members area of our website, featuring films, playlists and digital content to captivate you

RPS has created

career-changing

carry into my professional life. Supporting my first commission with a professional orchestra in 2017 was the catalyst for a series of orchestral commissions that followed, truly launching the career I have today.

“It’s so important to support the RPS’s essential work to spread the joy of music for all music-makers and audiences.”

Sarah Bardwell

RPS Gold Member

The

multiple

experiences and opportunities for me which I continue to

Dani Howard, composer RPS Composers programme and 2021 RPS Award-winner

Platinum Member

£30 a month / £360 a year

Joint-rate for you and a partner: £40 a month / £480 a year

If you have the means to help us a little more, see the direct effects of your gesture in action and meet the musicians you are helping on their journey. All the hallmarks of RPS Membership are here plus some extra benefits to bring you closer to the action:

● Get to know a range of musicians you are supporting, through individual updates sharing their experience as they progress

● An invitation to RPS Social, our friendly new event especially for you to meet the beneficiaries you are supporting and the RPS team, with drinks and live music

● ‘Behind-the-scenes’ updates from the RPS team, giving you further insight into the life of the charity you’ve chosen to support

● Acknowledgment of your support on our website and in the RPS Awards souvenir brochure

Plus all the other benefits of Membership detailed so far

Visit

Bone-afide, recipients of the RPS Philip Jones Brass Prize

Guitarist Carmen Farfan with the instrument the RPS helped her to buy

RPS Circle

£85 a month / £1000 a year

At this level, you can include a partner in your Membership at no extra cost

At our highest level of Membership, be part of a cherished collective and enjoy a personal association with the RPS. With benefits tailored just for you and the opportunity to meet some of our prestigious RPS Award-winners, step into the RPS Circle…

● Join us for our most intimate event, the new RPS Dinner attended by our closest supporters with special guests including star musicians and RPS

Award-winners

Includes complimentary welcome drink; food costs apply

● Be the first to discover what’s planned at the RPS with personal updates sent directly to you by our Chief Executive

● Let us get to know your musical tastes and provide recommendations of artists and upcoming performances you won’t want to miss

● No need to queue: we’ll approach you before anyone else for your ticket requests for the RPS Awards, and our talks and events

Ticket costs apply

Plus all the other benefits of Membership detailed so far

I just made my debut as Principal Clarinet at Carnegie Hall: without the generous support of the RPS, I would have not had the opportunity to perform on such a stage and study in New York. It’s a dream come true.

Meet stars like Jess Gillam, a devoted member of the RPS Council

Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson, clarinet studying at The Juilliard School, supported by an RPS Isserlis Scholarship

RPS Fellows

Beyond our treasured Members, we are immensely grateful to those individuals able to make a greater donation. All such donors are called RPS Fellows and enjoy a unique relationship with the charity and the musicians we champion. Some entrust us with funds to put to the best possible use at the time. Others come with an idea for us to develop and fulfil together.

RPS Fellows include Charles and Rachel Henderson in whose name we present an annual award for talented upcoming chamber ensembles. Also, the generous individuals at Harriet’s Trust with whom we created the RPS Enterprise Fund for musicians who found ways to keep inspiring audiences through the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Also dear to us as RPS Fellows are those who choose in their Will to support classical music, recognising the RPS as an enduring, trusted entity, devoted to fulfilling their intentions with care and lasting resonance. To talk further about becoming an RPS Fellow yourself, or how you can support classical music in your Will, please do contact us directly.

Visit

Northern Reeds, recipients of the RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award

Corporate Membership

There’s strength, solidarity and opportunity to be found in working together – let us tell you more about how your organisation can join forces with the Royal Philharmonic Society.

Become an RPS Corporate Member: whether you’re an amateur or professional ensemble, an organisation devoted to music, or work in a different sector entirely, you can be associated with the RPS and draw on our strong links and insights into every corner of the musical ecology. Given our unique position, we can expand your network, ignite new partnerships, and help fulfil your own strategic priorities. We can further your profile to our extensive social media following and fast-growing RPS Membership of engaged music-lovers.

Build a lasting partnership: support a resonant aspect of our charitable work, put your name to the high-profile RPS Awards, or let’s develop a creative idea together. Give us a call to talk about all the possibilities.

“Corporate Membership enhances our expertise, helps us to feel more connected to the music profession, and promotes our events to an audience absolutely in our sweet spot.”

Ges Ray Chair, Leith Hill Music Festival, RPS Corporate Member

Empower your colleagues in a custom-made RPS corporate workshop

Gift Membership

We all know someone who loves classical music – or someone we’re sure would love it, given the chance. If you’re looking for fresh and rewarding gift ideas, consider buying RPS Membership as a gift that lasts throughout the year for a friend or loved one.

They can enjoy all the benefits of Membership and, best of all, you can both take pride in the knowledge that your gift is supporting one of music’s foremost charities. With it, we can continue our vital work giving musicians the support, opportunities, guidance and recognition they deserve.

Visit royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk to join or find out more

Roderick Williams,

RPS Trustee

Discover fresh talent: RPS Award-winners National Open Youth Orchestra

Recognising amateur heroes: RPS Award-winners Bristol Choral Society

I love being a part of the Royal Philharmonic Society. It does so much to support musicians when we really need it. I urge you to be part of it too.

baritone

…and investing in a great future: Imogen Whitehead, one of many musicians the RPS is helping to establish their career.

The RPS is run by a small, friendly management team. Do get in touch: we’d love to hear about your musical passions and tell you more about the benefits of RPS Membership.

Royal Philharmonic Society

020 7287 0019

admin@philharmonicsociety.uk

48 Great Marlborough Street

London W1F 7BB

royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk

Registered charity no. 213693

Front cover: cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason who the RPS first supported before he won BBC Young Musician; Alice Farnham leading the RPS Women Conductors programme; RPS Awardwinner Nicola Benedetti; RPS Honorary Member Stephen Hough; back cover: Sean Shibe and Mitsuko Uchida meeting at the RPS Awards

Recognising the greats: much-loved composer John Williams receiving the RPS Gold Medal…