The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a membership society, and while it no longer has its own orchestra, it continues to promote concerts of new music. The society's Gold Medal for outstanding musicianship is awarded only occasionally. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, particularly between 1000 and 1900. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

History

In London, at a time when there were no permanent London orchestras, nor organised series of chamber music concerts, a group of professional musicians formed the Philharmonic Society of London on January 24, 1813. The society's aim was "to promote the performance, in the most perfect manner possible of the best and most approved instrumental music". The first concert on March 8, 1813 was presided over by Johann Peter Salomon, with Muzio Clementi at the piano, and included symphonies by Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Johann Peter Salomon (baptized February 20, 1745, died November 28, 1815) was a violinist, composer, conductor and musical impresario. ... Muzio Clementi (January 24, 1752 – March 10, 1832) was a classical composer, and acknowledged as the first to write specifically for the piano. ... Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31 or April 1, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. His friendly disposition also earned him another title: Papa Haydn. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770; died March 26, 1827) was a German composer of classical music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ...

The society asked Beethoven to come to London, but the composer's health prevented his accepting the invitation. However the society's request for a new symphony from him resulted in the Choral Symphony. In 1827 Beethoven wrote to the society outlining his straitened circumstances; at a special general meeting the society resolved to send the composer £100 immediately (George Bernard Shaw once referred to this as "the only creditable incident in English history"). Other works written for the society include the Italian Symphony by Felix Mendelssohn. Distinguished conductors included Hector Berlioz, who conducted a concert of his works in 1853, Richard Wagner, who conducted the whole 1855 season of orchestral concerts, and Tchaikovsky, who conducted his own works in 1888 and 1893. The Symphony No. ... George Bernard Shaw (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. ... The Symphony No. ... // Felix Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first symphony at the young age of fifteen. ... Portrait of Berlioz by Signol, 1832 Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer best known for the Symphonie fantastique, first performed in 1830, and for his Grande Messe des morts (Requiem) of 1837, with its tremendous resources that include four antiphonal brass choirs. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use of leitmotifs: themes associated... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  listen (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ...

The society became the Royal Philharmonic Society during its 100th concert season in 1912, and continued organising concerts through the two world wars. It is now a membership society which "seeks to create a future for music through the encouragement of creativity, the recognition of excellence and the promotion of understanding."

The Gold Medal

The Gold Medal was first awarded in 1870, Beethoven's centenary. The medal depicts the profile of a bust of Beethoven by Schaller which was presented to the society that year. It is awarded for "outstanding musicianship", and is given rarely — by 2005 it had been awarded to a total of fewer than 90 musicians.

Recipients have included Johannes Brahms, Fritz Kreisler, Pablo Casals, Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Rachmaninov, Jean Sibelius, Serge Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Mstislav Rostropovich, Olivier Messiaen, Herbert von Karajan, Alfred Brendel and Simon Rattle. Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of Romantic music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ... Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian violinist and composer, one of the most famous of his day. ... Pau Casals i Defilló (December 29, 1876 – October 22, 1973), commonly known as Pablo Casals, was a virtuoso Spanish cello player (and later conductor). ... Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, Bt OM GCVO (June 2, 1857 – February 23, 1934) was a British composer, born in the small village of Lower Broadheath outside Worcester, Worcestershire, to William Elgar, a piano tuner and music dealer, and his wife Ann. ... Ralph Vaughan Williams (October 12, 1872 – August 26, 1958) was an influential British composer. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, also Sergey Rachmaninov or Serge Rakhmaninov (Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов), (April 1, 1873 – March 28, 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. ... Part of the Sibelius monument in Helsinki, Finland. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев) (April 271, 1891 – March 5, 1953) was one of the Soviet Unions greatest composers. ... Igor Fyodorovitch Stravinsky (Russian: ) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was Russian-American composer of modern classical music. ... Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich   listen? (Russian: ) (September 25, 1906 – August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. ... Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (Мстисла́в Леопо́льдович Ростропо́вич) (born March 27, 1927) is a Russian cellist and conductor, considered to be one of the greatest living cellists. ... Olivier Messiaen (December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. ... Herbert von Karajan (April 5, 1908 – July 16, 1989) was an Austrian conductor. ... Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel (born January 5, 1931) is a Bohemian pianist. ... Simon Denis Rattle (born January 19, 1955) is an English conductor. ...

External links

• The Royal Philharmonic Society
• British Library: Beethoven and the Royal Philharmonic Society