We were delighted for Benjamin Grosvenor when it was announced that he has been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music (FRAM). Fellowships are limited to 300 former students of the Academy who have gone on to distinguish themselves in the music profession. Grosvenor's award is for piano and he has received one of just seven Fellowships awarded this year
Benjamin Grosvenor appears at this year's Festival on Sunday 29 May in St. Oswald's church in Askrigg with a programme of works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Ravel and Liszt.
Also in the RAM Honours list is Gwilym Simcock who has also been awarded a fellowship for jazz piano. Simcock has appeared at Swaledale Festival several times, mostly with the trio Acoustic Triangle which also includes Malcolm Creese on double bass. Last year both he and Creese appeared in an ensemble led by jazz singer Liane Carroll.
The RAM also awards Honorary Memberships of the Academy to musicians who are not former students, and we were delighted to see that Tasmin Little is one of just eight distinguished names. Little appeared at the 2009 Festival with her Naked Violin concert and she conducted a masterclass for young local violinists.
Our congratulations to these three musicians.