The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has welcomed key figures from the capital's vibrant and varied music scene at a special reception held last night at City Hall. Representatives from across the music industry attended, including music venues, record labels, lobbying groups, buskers, music charities, schools, universities, borough music hubs, orchestras and ensembles. Those attending included conductor David Charles Abell; pianist Stephen Hough CBE; cellist and conductor Julian Lloyd-Webber; Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director, Barbican; pianist James Rhodes; composer and musician Paul Hardcastle; musician, writer and member of the Mayor's Busking Taskforce Hugh Cornwell; busking advocate Lord Tim Clement Jones, Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre; and Glenn Gregory from the band Heaven 17. Organisations represented included Sony Music, Cameron Mackintosh, The 100 Club, KOKO, Ministry of Sound, The Boiler Room, Royal Opera House and Royal Academy of Music. Attendees were treated to a musical performance by young singers Take Free Choir, of the West London Free School. The reception was an opportunity for the Mayor to highlight the work of his music programme and the Mayor's Music Fund, the charity he established in 2011 to enable young people from all backgrounds to develop their musical potential. The Mayor supports a range of initiatives, including the Music Venues Task Force, set up to protect the capital's venues, and the recent inaugural National Busking Day, which celebrated the talent of street performers. The Mayor wants to ensure London retains its status as the music capital of the world. The UK music industry is worth £3.5billion and music tourists alone spend £660m in the city each year. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'London's leading position at the cutting edge of music is one of the many things that make our city the envy of the world. With new events like National Busking Day, we continue to push boundaries, whilst the Mayor's Music Fund is helping talented young Londoners develop their musical skills. Music is one of our city's great success stories and it is hugely important to meet with the artists, teachers, venue owners, industry bosses and myriad of other people who contribute to that success. Their combined efforts are not only essential to secure our musical heritage but they ensure that London maintains its position as music capital of the world.' The Mayor has been hosting community receptions since 2010. They are part of a programme of activities that includes two People's Question Times a year and monthly twitter sessions, with the aim of reaching out to Londoners across the capital. NOTE TO EDITORS 1. The Mayor's Music Fund (Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians) was founded in May 2011. It is a registered charity – independent of the Greater London Authority - established to support and benefit young musicians across the capital, especially those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. 2. The fund works with every London borough to provide outstanding progression and development opportunities to children and young people who demonstrate musical talent and a commitment to learning an instrument. Activities include awarding four-year scholarships to primary school children who are identified as having potential but whose families struggle to pay for their on-going lessons. The fund also supports partnerships between music services and London's top professional arts organisations, providing thousands of aspiring musicians with opportunities for musical development. www.mayorsmusicfund.org 3. Organisations attending the reception included: · Warner Bros UK · King's Place · Independent Venue Week · Spotify · City Music Foundation · Beggars Group · DCMS · Classical Opera Company · BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music · Live Nation · English National Opera · Jazz Warriors International MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Sarah Hitchings on 020 7983 4186 / Ben McKnight on 020 7983 4071 or email [email protected] (press only - not for publication). PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100 DUTY PRESS OFFICER: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000
Created on
23 July 2015