The Ivors Academy has urged the BBC to support British and Irish classical music during the coronavirus pandemic.
In an open letter to Radio 3 controller Alan Davey, composer and chair of The Ivors Classical Committee, Gary Carpenter has called for an increase in airplay for the work of living musicians.
Carpenter highlighted cancelled performances and the impact of Covid-19 on freelance musicians as key issues for the classical sector, citing the “disappearance” of fees and royalties.
He called upon Davey and Radio 3 to make more of its library of contemporary classical recordings and pointed out that most classical composers are self-employed and therefore do not benefit from the government support given to businesses.
Read the letter in full below and catch up on the very latest on the coronavirus impact on the music business here. Read about Spotify’s new Covid-19 Relief Project here and click here for an interview with Alan Davey.
Our performances are being cancelled along with the work of freelance players
“We are all of us in very difficult circumstances. Our performances are being cancelled along with the work of freelance players and as their fees disappear, so do our royalties. We therefore wondered if, during this challenging time, you might consider broadcasting more work by living British and Irish composers? This would help ameliorate our financial losses whilst at the same time demonstrating real support for our community. It would add value to our work and make it available in such a way that may well bear fruit once these terrible times are past.
“We appreciate that not all programmes may be suitable at all times of day (new complexity at breakfast may be a little niche), but Through The Night and the Radio 3 Mixtape, for example, might be appropriate platforms, particularly as neither demurs from programming contemporary music.
“Due to its unique and much appreciated commitment to the composer community over decades, the BBC is in possession of a vast library of work by contemporary living composers. How wonderful it would be if more of it were again to see the light of day!”
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