Support from the King for classical music
Hear from our Chief Executive Angela Dixon about her experience meeting King Charles III a few weeks ago.
On Tuesday 6 June, in my capacity as Honorary Secretary of the Royal Philharmonic Society, I was asked to attend a concert in London that was also attended by the King. King Charles had been in Romania that day, but flew into the country at 5pm to attend a concert at St James' Spanish Place with French Baroque music specialists Le Concert Spirituel performing music by Handel for royal occasions.
It is worth noting that King Charles made a particular point of attending the concert in support of classical music. He is a great music lover and supports composer James MacMillan and his Cumnock Tryst by regularly making his property Dumfries House available for fundraising and concerts. In the interval he spoke with the new head of BBC Radio 3 about the proposed cuts there and I spoke with him about music education and the creative industries. He was extremely engaged and was clearly enjoying the concert immensely.
It is heartening that at a time when politicians and even institutions such as the BBC and the Arts Council are turning their backs on classical music, the King has made such a public show of support. The concert was recorded by BBC Radio 3 and you can still hear it on BBC Sounds.
Angela Dixon – Chief Executive
