Scottish conductor Donald Runnicles has been knighted in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music. Runnicles, general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and former conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, was bestowed with the title of the Knights Bachelor.

Also among the list this year were oboist Nicholas Daniel, composer Sally Beamish and tenor John Mark Ainsley, all of whom were awarded OBEs for services to music.

A clutch of other musicians and conductors were recognised in the list, with MBEs going to violinist Jennifer Pike, conductor Stephen Layton, the Kingdom Choir's conductor Karen Gibson, conductor of the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra Martin McHale and Paul Philbert, principal timpanist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Authors

Freya ParrDigital Editor and Staff Writer, BBC Music Magazine

Freya Parr is BBC Music Magazine's Digital Editor and Staff Writer. She has also written for titles including the Guardian, Circus Journal, Frankie and Suitcase Magazine, and runs The Noiseletter, a fortnightly arts and culture publication. Freya's main areas of interest and research lie in 20th-century and contemporary music.

Save over 50% when you subscribe to BBC Music Magazine today!

Subscribe today!