The ABO conference takes place from 16-18 February in Derby, hosted by sinfonia ViVA. This Friday, 7th January, is the early booking deadline, so to secure your place at the best possible price, visit the conference website now. Friday is also the day when our allocation of rooms at the conference hotel, Jurys Inn Derby, is released back on to general sale, after which we can no longer guarantee a room in the hotel nor the special low rate of £70 per night.

As ever, we have lined up some excellent speakers and panellists around our main theme of Protect and Survive. Please keep checking the conference schedule for the latest speakers and you can also see the latest delegate list to see who has booked already.

The ABO was kept busy right up to Christmas, and not just battling the icy weather! We held our Marketing Brass Tacks course and a very successful half day seminar on Employment Law, and attended the NALGAO conference, the Institute of Education conference, the DCMS Philanthropy launch, the MPA Christmas lunch and the IAMA and Theatres Trust Christmas drinks. In addition we met the following people and organisations on your behalf: National Music Council; Musicians Benevolent Fund; DHA Communications; John White MD; the All Party Parliamentary Group on Classical Music; Arts Council England; Victoria Sharp; Carolyn Graham; UK Border Agency; Sound Connections; Arts Inform; Alice Rumsey; Music Nation Steering Group; Julian Bird, SOLT/TMA; Cathy Graham, British Council. We attended a concert by the LPO and the OAE/London Sinfonietta Christmas party.

There was the usual crop of honours for people associated with orchestral music and opera. Vernon Ellis, chairman of the ENO and the British Council, received a knighthood while Felicity Palmer was made a Dame. CBEs were awarded to composer and national singing ambassador Howard Goodall and to Professor John Wallace, Principal of the RSAMD. OBEs were awarded to composer Colin Matthews and to Ellis Rich, chairman of PRS for Music. MBEs went to composer and publisher Eileen Betty Roe-Bishop (Betty Roe), Nicolas Chisholm, former headteacher of the Yehudi Menuhin School, violinist and teacher Pearl Mace, and former principal trombone of the Hallé, Maisie Ringham-Wiggins.

Audiences for orchestral music are more loyal to the artform, are likely to attend more frequently and to book earlier than audiences for other performing arts, according to a research project carried out by Audiences London for a consortium of twelve orchestras and orchestral venues in London. For further information see here.

Plans for the Government’s philanthropy scheme were set out by the Secretary of State for Culture, Jeremy Hunt, in a speech at the European Association for Philanthropy and Giving (EAPG)’s annual conference on Wednesday 8 December.

DCMS and Arts Council England are to invest £80 million in a new series of ‘match fund’ schemes, to raise at least an equivalent amount from private donors for the culture sector. This is part of a package of measures set out today to help create long-term financial sustainability and to encourage increased giving to culture. More details here.

Arts Council England would like to remind organisations in England that all applications must be received by 10am on 24 January 2011. They will be unable to consider any applications received after this time.

If you have any queries, or require support in your application, please contact their Enquiries team on 0845 300 6200 or enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk. For more information please visit their website

On 16 December 2010, Arts Council of Wales announced the result of its Investment Review. This sees overall ‘growth’ of 18% to its new revenue portfolio at a time when its funding from the Welsh Assembly Government will reduce by 4%. Five new organisations – including Sinfonia Cymru – become RFOs for the first time. More information here.

20 new works celebrate the talent and imagination of UK’s musical community as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad

PRS for Music Foundation has announced twenty outstanding pieces of new music which will feature centre stage of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad as London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The twenty works commissioned for New Music 20x12 each last 12 minutes and offer a snapshot of the quality and diversity of new music in the UK. Each piece will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and tour the UK – ensuring as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy excellent new music as part of the 2012 celebrations. For more information see www.prsformusicfoundation.com

Stephen Newbould, Artistic Director of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and Jackie Newbould, the ensemble’s General Manager are the latest recipients of The Leslie Boosey Award, a unique award given by the Royal Philharmonic Society to honour those who have made an outstanding contribution to the furtherance of contemporary music in Britain. The award is not given to those who are primarily practitioners, but rather to those who work 'back stage'.

The award is made every two years in memory of the music publisher, Leslie Boosey 1887-1979. The recipient receives a bronze eagle commissioned from the renowned sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink. The Award will be presented on 13 March 2011 at a BCMG concert in Birmingham.  Read more

You are invited to bring a group of young people to a free, open access singing event at Royal Opera House London on 30th January 2011. This exciting one day singing workshop for young people, led by Richard Frostick and guest artists, is the beginning of a selection process to find 150 young singers from all over the UK to join a new national vocal group, Youth Music Voices Ensemble. The young singers chosen to be part of the ensemble will have the fantastic opportunity to perform in high profile events celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

How do I book?
For all details of the event, and booking forms, please visit www.youthmusic.org.uk/voices or check out the eflyer at http://www.ymdatabase.com/Download/Voices-London.pdf. Places are limited so please book early, and booking is required.

http://www.a-m-a.org.uk/events.asp  

The AMA is bringing a master class on digital marketing strategy to the Arundel House in London on 2 February 2011. This event will provide a rare opportunity to discuss, debate and explore current ideas, theories and practices around digital marketing with internet marketing expert Susan Hallam and peers from across the cultural sector.

Relevant to all who are looking to develop, enhance, or reinvigorate their digital marketing strategy, this event will provide you with the knowledge of how to integrate digital activity within and across your organisation, and you will gain insights into the strategic options available.

The cost for AMA members is £167 +VAT and non members £237 +VAT. For more information and to book, go to www.a-m-a.co.uk, e-mail anne@a-m-a.co.uk or call 01223 578078.

The University of Aberdeen, in association with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, is pleased to announce the fourth biennial University of Aberdeen Music Prize call for scores.  Composers from around the world are invited to submit new works for any combination of Trumpet and String Quartet of between 5 to 10 minutes duration. Five works will be selected from the initial call for scores and performed by members of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a workshop session led by the distinguished composer Julian Anderson, during the weekend of 4 – 6 November 2011.  After the workshop session one composer will be offered the University of Aberdeen Music Prize – A £5,000 commission for a new work for orchestra to be performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2012 and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

The Prize is open to composers of any nationality with no age limit or restrictions.
Closing date for applications is 5pm GMT on Friday 27 May 2011.

For further information and application details please see: www.abdn.ac.uk/aberdeenmusicprize 
Email: musicprize@abdn.ac.uk   //  call +44 (0)1224 273874

or contact: Aberdeen Music Prize, Office of External Affairs, University Office, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX

Birmingham Conservatoire has said a fond farewell to Professor George Caird after 17 years as Principal, with Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra performing a concert in his honour on 16 December at Birmingham’s Town Hall. Professor David Saint is the Acting Principal.