Classic FM & RLPO win Arts & Business Award

Classic FM and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic have won an Arts and Business North Award for their partnership.

The 2010 Awards were announced on 23 March at the City Inn, Leeds.

The Sustained Partnership Award, sponsored by Arts Council England, recognises an on-going partnership that continues to set standards in creative arts-business collaborations. Classic FM’s partnership with the RLPO was established in 2001, since when the RLPO has been Classic FM’s Orchestra in North-West England.

The RLPO was our first arts partner and has been featured on-air, online, in the Classic FM Magazine, and at Classic FM Live concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. There are Classic FM-branded concert series at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, with presenters giving their pick of performances.

Last year the first major hardback book about the Liverpool was published: The Original Liverpool Sound: The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Story. It was written by Classic FM’s Managing Director Darren Henley and the Phil’s former archivist. All royalties from the book go to the Phil’s Learning and Engagement programmes.

Independent research has shown that the partnership has made a significant contribution to the growth in ticket sales for RLPO concerts, and motivates Classic FM listeners to attend live concerts.

Darren Henley, Managing Director of Classic FM commented: ‘Classic FM and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic are united in a common belief that classical music should be part of everyone's lives. As well as working with the orchestra since 2001 to introduce thousands of people across the Northwest to live classical music experiences, we've also shared the Liverpool Phil's world class musicianship with our six million listeners across the UK.’