Queen Elizabeth II approved the award of Her Majesty’s Medal for Music for the year 2020 to Thomas Trotter, fifteen years to the day since the first winner was honored at Buckingham Palace. Awarded every year to an outstanding individual or group of musicians, The Queen’s Medal for Music was first presented to Charles Mackerras on November 22, 2005, the feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.
Trotter, the sixteenth recipient of the award, has been the Birmingham City Organist since 1983 and is also a visiting fellow in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has toured on four continents and is often invited to perform the dedicatory recital on new or restored organs, including at the Royal Albert Hall and St. David’s Hall in Cardiff. He has partnered with conductors including Charles Mackerras, the medal’s first recipient.
In recognition of his achievements, Trotter was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist Award in 2011 and was named International Performer of the Year for 2012 by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In 2016, he received the Royal College of Organists Medal, the institute’s highest honor.
The nominating process for the award is overseen by a committee chaired by the Master of The Queen’s Music, Judith Weir. The committee meets annually to discuss its nominees before submitting their recommendation to the queen for approval.
Trotter is represented in the United States by Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc.: www.concertorganists.com.
Other recent awards and prizes:
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