London Music Masters is a UK-based, privately funded charity that supports the involvement of young musicians in classical music. It is focused on both community development activities and supporting exceptional individual talent. Founded in 2007, LMM provides teaching, mentoring, financial support and performance opportunities to musicians between the ages of 4 and 25. Its flagship music education programme, LMM Learning, raises the aspirations and nurtures the potential of disadvantaged primary school children across London. LMM's creative partners include the London venues Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal College of Music as well as London Contemporary Orchestra and the Young Classical Artist Trust. It also partners periodically with the US-based Sphinx Organization, a similar non-profit arts and youth development organisation. Internationally renowned musicians such as percussionist Colin Currie, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, British lyric soprano Nadine Benjamin and violinists Anthony Marwood and Tai Murray support this charity's work as LMM Ambassadors. During the last year of his life American composer Elliott Carter was also an LMM Ambassador. Other recognised musicians, such as violinists Maxim Vengerov, Midori Gotō and Nicola Benedetti have collaborated with LMM in specific projects.
History
London Music Masters was founded in 2007 by Victoria Sharp and Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky with the dual aim of introducing classical music to primary school children from financially disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds and supporting some of the best of the next generation of young professional musicians. It has two main focus areas: LMM Learning and LMM Artists (Awards programme and Ambassador Scheme. The organisation has worked with over 2000 children in inner city schools and helped develop the careers of nine of the finest young musicians of their generation. London Music Masters aims to invest in future generations in order to help them reach their full potential as both musicians and contributors to society.
Governance
Chairman
Victoria Robey OBE 2007–2010, Julian Simmonds 2010–2012, Simon Freakley 2012–current.
Simon Freakley, John Antoniazzi, Shaun Bailey, Talia Hull, Philip Keller, John Nickson, Victoria Robey OBE HonRCM, Philippa Thomas, Ed Vaizey MP, Timothy Walker.
Chief Executive/Executive Director
Robert Adediran 2013–present, Victoria Robey OBE HonRCM 2009–2013, Mary Deissler 2008–2009.
Current initiatives
LMM currently operates the following programmes to satisfy its aims:
LMM Learning
LMM Learning is a community development programme that targets socio-economically disadvantaged areas in order to increase the ethnic, cultural and socio-economic diversity within the classical music industry. The project currently operates in six primary schools across three London boroughs providing free musicianship, violin and cello lessons for children aged 4+. In 2017/18, the programme delivered more than 60 creative workshops, performance opportunities and masterclasses for pupils and school communities. LMM Learning was one of the three finalists for the "Everyday Impact Award – New Enterprises" category of the 2012 Social Change Awards organised by the Directory of Social Change. In 2015 London Music Masters was awarded the Excellence in Early Years and Primary Music Award] in the third annual Music Teacher Awards at a ceremony held in London.
LMM Artists
LMM Artists commit to year-long residencies in LMM schools designing and leading programmes of musical activity for our students, which are inspired by the Artist's own practice. This maximises the potential of an Artist in a school community by allowing relationships to grow over an extended period, with an intense focus on a shared creative project.
Diversity and inclusion
London Music Masters provides consultation, coaching and facilitation on diversity and inclusion in the creative industries across the UK and globally. Recent engagements include IAMA international conference, Classical Next, Association of British Orchestras, Sphinx Con.
I'M IN – The Inclusive Music Index
London Music Masters are currently leading a coalition of organisations to build a diversity and inclusion audit tool for organisations in the music sector, which will provide an analysis of behaviours and attitudes across the whole organisation, looking at organisational drivers, culture, leadership and accountability, procurement, recruitment, talent management, marketing, the audience and customer experience. The tool, called I'M IN, is being developed together with global consulting firm AlixPartners, and is set to be released in Autumn 2018.
LMM Awards (2009–2017)
LMM Awards
The LMM Awards supported exceptional violinists in entering the professional classical music industry. LMM provided financial support, career guidance and performance opportunities including a Wigmore Hall recital and a concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. LMM also regularly commissioned new works of music to be premièred by the Award Holders.
