Sir John Tomlinson awarded Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal

8 May 2014, 17:00 | Updated: 8 May 2014, 17:13

The three-time RPS Award-winner is set to be honoured by the society with their ultimate honour at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards on Tuesday 13 May.

In announcing Sir John's award, the RPS praised him as an 'international treasure' whose 'magnificent bass voice has thrilled audiences around the world in opera and in concert for more than 40 years'.

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Introduced in 1870, the gold medal is the society's highest honour. As well as being produced to mark the 100th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, it also bears the his effigy, celebrating the close relationship between the society and the composer.

Sir John joins an illustrious list of previous winners including Simon Rattle, Janet Baker, Daniel Barenboim, Mitsuko Uchida, Thomas Quasthoff, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Alfred Brendel, Placido Domingo, Pierre Boulez, György Kurtág and András Schiff. Fewer than 100 medals have been presented since its initiation.