Page 119 - RPS Awards 2024 Coverage Book

society to heal. Here we see music as a gamechanger in itself." You can read the full

citation HERE on the RPS website.

But it was when Jasdeep Singh Degun became the first sitar player to win an RPS

Award (in the 'Instrumentalist' category) that we almost grabbed at RDMR supremo
Rebecca Driver's knee, before Maddie restored order by threatening to 'Taser' us.

(Apparently that's quite the thing in London??)

Born and based in Leeds, Jasdeep did those of us from the drier side of the
Pennines proud. He performed his own work Veer with tabla player Harkiret Bahra

and student string players from the Royal Northern College Music. Jasdeep was

praised both for showing audiences the boundless possibilities of the sitar and his
boundary-breaking collaborations, including the joyous Orpheus staged with our

friends at Opera North.

The 'Impact' Award was presented to disabled musician Clare Johnston and Drake

Music Scotland for Call of the Mountains, a remarkable collaboration with

Kazakhstan’s Eegeru ensemble, which culminated in a collective performance in
Edinburgh. The initiative was praised for crossing new frontiers and showcasing

ways for marginalised artists to take the reins and lead the field.