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Several classical music figures have received New Year’s Honours. Pianist Peter Donohoe received a CBE, as did the conductor James Loughran and mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, who has sung leading roles with English National Opera and Royal Opera.
OBEs went to the film composers Craig Armstrong, who composed the scores for Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and Love Actually, and Rachel Portman, who scored Chocolat and The Duchess. In 1996 she became the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score – for Emma.
Kenneth Montgomery, Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra also received an OBE, as well as Marc Jaffrey. Jaffrey has championed the Music Manifesto, the campaign for children’s music education.