An RCS piano student and a composition lecturer are nominated in this year’s Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.

Pianist Ethan Loch is nominated in the Young Artist category, and Composition lecturer David Fennessy is nominated in the Large-Scale Composition category for Bog Cantata.

The awards recognise the musicians, ensembles, organisations and initiatives that inspire and enrich lives nationwide.

The ceremony takes place in London on Thursday 12 March.

Commenting on his nomination, David said: “Years ago, I saw an image in a newspaper article, of a medieval psalm book which had been exhumed from the bog, clarted in mud and peat, resembling what can only be described as lasagne, with faint letters and parts of words barely decipherable.

“I knew immediately there could be a composition of my own buried in there too. What followed was a process which at times resembled an archaeological dig, resulting in Bog Cantata, the culmination of a fruitful collaboration between myself, the Irish playwright Marina Carr and the wonderful musicians of the Dunedin Consort. I am delighted that it has been shortlisted for this award.”

David has just started work on a new electric guitar concerto for RCS alumnus Sean Shibe, called The Noise, to be premiered in 2027.