Published: 18 January 2012
Category: Tours & Projects

Intermusica is delighted to announce that Stephen Lumsden, Managing Director of Intermusica, has been presented with the inaugural ABO/Rhinegold Publishing Artist Manager of the Year Award. The award recognises specific demonstrations of imagination and creativity alongside outstanding work in the field of conventional artist management.

The initiative of Stephen Lumsden, the company’s founder and managing director, to build a Creative Development arm at Intermusica working alongside its Artist, Vocal, Tours & Projects and Marketing departments was specifically highlighted by the panel of judges.

The judges were also particularly impressed with three recent major international touring projects set-up by Stephen and his team: the landmark Beethoven Symphony cycles with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra at London’s Barbican Centre and Salle Pleyel, Paris, with Riccardo Chailly; Valery Gergiev’s acclaimed Mahler Cycle in Paris in 2010/11, featuring concerts with both the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Steve Reich Drumming project with the Colin Currie Group, which wowed audiences in London in 2010 and 2011, and is now touring in Japan, Australia and across Europe.

The awards panel also drew special attention to Intermusica’s ongoing, pioneering work in India. Following the London Symphony Orchestra’s highly successful visit to Mumbai in 2010, Intermusica now has firm plans to tour a number of orchestras to various parts of India in the next three years.

Stephen Lumsden said: "I am as delighted as surprised to receive this Award. It has certainly been an amazing past year or so for Intermusica and it means a great deal to the whole company that our initiatives are being recognised in this way. We certainly believe passionately in the artist manager role being a creative and dynamic one and in trying to engage proactively with our partner artists, orchestras and presenters in creating significant and meaningful projects that leave a real mark. None of this would be possible without the amazing support of my incredibly dedicated team here at Intermusica. I thank too the ABO and Rhinegold not only for this Award but more importantly for acknowledging and underlining through the instigation of the Award that the role of Artist Manager can be acknowledged as a positive contributor to the industry as a whole."

Mark Pemberton, ABO Director said: "The ABO is delighted to have worked with Rhinegold Publishing on the launch of ABO/Rhinegold Awards. At this time of public spending cuts and the squeeze on people’s spending power, it is now more important than ever to celebrate and take inspiration from the very best in leadership and management in our sector. Whether in orchestras, concert halls and artist management, it’s the problem solvers and innovators who will get through the hard times and place their organisations in the best position to thrive in more benign conditions. All our winners this year have shown the highest levels of enterprise and initiative, and we are sure they will be an inspiration to their peers."

The award was presented at the ABO 2012 Annual Conference dinner, at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool on 18 January 2012. The Artist Manager of the Year Award is one of three new ABO/Rhinegold awards, including Orchestra Manager of the Year and Concert Hall Manager of the Year.

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