At the ABO/Rhinegold Awards on Wednesday 23 January, Kevin Appleby, Concert Hall Manager of Turner Sims, Southampton, was awarded the prestigious Concert Hall Manager of the Year Award.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti (who has performed at Turner Sims twice in recent years) presented the award to Kevin at the ceremony that honoured the backstage talent in the UK’s classical music industry and took place as part of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) conference in Leeds.
Tribute was paid to Kevin’s innovative approach to concert programming among other notable achievements:
‘Kevin Appleby’s success came through programming ‘an orchestral series that consistently punches above its weight in quality, innovation and content’, helping established and emerging chamber orchestras to find a regular base outside their home cities, and ‘a detailed, systematic and strategic approach to marketing which creates accurate audience analysis to inform creative programming’. The Turner Sims orchestral programme sits within a successful wider music programme of chamber music and soloists and wider music genres, such as folk, world and jazz, where there is considerable audience crossover. This award recognises his flair for programming and a significant contribution to our musical life.’ Classical Music
Particular reference was made to the success of Turner Sims’ Music Nation event – Southampton’s Musical Alphabet (a city-wide event featuring over 50 events in 26 hours by over 500 performers in 23 locations in March 2012), which was recognised as a defining achievement of the year.
Read more here: Turner Sims’ Kevin Appleby Concert Hall Manager of the Year