Olympic ceremony orchestra up for classical music award

LSO On Track performed an arrangement of Elgar's Nimrod at last July's opening ceremony

The young musicians who played Nimrod at the London 2012 opening ceremony are among the nominees at this year's Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards.

The London Symphony Orchestra's LSO On Track initiative saw 80 young musicians perform Elgar's ninth Enigma variation at the start of the 27 July ceremony.

LSO On Track will be contesting for the learning and participation prize at the awards, to be held in London on 14 May.

Opera star Bryn Terfel is among the big names nominated in other categories.

The Welsh bass-baritone is up for the singer prize, alongside the English mezzo-sopranos Alice Coote and Sarah Connolly and the US tenor Bryan Hymel.

The opera and music theatre category sees an opera based on the Roman emperor Caligula shortlisted alongside an operatic double bill inspired by the works of the late Maurice Sendak.

In the large-scale composition field Gerald Barry's opera version of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest receives a nomination ahead of its UK stage premiere in June.

Described by organisers as "the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK", the event honours musicians, composers, writers and arts organisations.

RPS chairman John Gilhooly said 2012 had been "a truly outstanding year" characterised by "a pervading sense of artistic optimism".

"The commitment, talent and boldness reflected in music... should make those who ask 'do the arts really matter?' think twice," he continued.

BBC Radio 3's Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Sean Rafferty will host the awards, which will have a special programme devoted to them on Radio 3 on 19 May.