News
HRH hosts a gala evening at Windsor Castle to celebrate 30 years of Live Music Now
21st May 2007
The Prince of Wales hosted an anniversary gala at Windsor Castle this evening to celebrate 30 years of Live Music Now.
His Royal Highness is Patron of Live Music Now, which was founded in 1977 by the late violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin and his friend Ian Stoutzker.
Their vision was to bring joy and inspiration to the lives of disadvantaged people through music performed by talented young musicians at the start of their careers.
The gala evening, hosted by The Prince, had a beautiful programme of music, including works by Mozart and Strauss, performed by current Live Music Now young musicians to mark the occasion.
World renowned violinist Maxim Vengerov and pianist Igor Levit performed during the evening.
There was also a performance by pupils from the nearby Holyport Manor School who treated the appreciative audience to their version of Bizet's Carmen.
Armed with castanets, xylophones and home-made pictures of fireworks they sang a memorable Happy Birthday set to the opera's best loved tunes.
Live Music Now has gone on to be the largest organisation of its kind in the country, with nine branches covering the whole of the UK.
Over 30 years more than 40,000 performances and workshops have been given reaching a total audience of three million, the majority of whom would not have experienced the joy of live music through any other means.
The Prince, who has been involved with the charity since its inception, said his dear friend Yehudi Menuhin been "the sort of man who wrote many letters”.
He said that the musician had a constant stream of new ideas for the charity, adding that he "enjoyed every moment I was lucky enough to spend in his company".
His Royal Highness also paid tribute to the work of Live Music Now. He said: “Key to the organisation’s success is that it has been able to combine the principles of excellence and accessibility.
“Musicians are carefully selected for their musical ability, of course, but also for their communication and presentation skills.
“Thanks to Live Music Now, thousands more people who might not otherwise have the chance have been able to experience the thrill and inspiration of live performances.”
The Prince also highlighted the fact that Live Music Now worked with other like-minded organisations such as his Arts and Kids Foundation on a number of projects across the country.
Click here to find out more about The Prince's Arts and Kids Foundation.
Click here to find out more about The Prince's Patronages.