The Gilbert Betjemann Prize (originally the Gilbert R. Betjemann Prize, also referred to as the Gilbert Betjemann Medal) is a
gold medal awarded by the
Royal Academy of Music (RA) "for
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
tic singing".
The award was founded in 1897 by G.H. Betjemann
HonRA, to commemorate his son Gilbert Richard Betjemann, who was an associate and former student of the Academy
and who had died following the collapse of a snow bridge over which he was walking near
Grindelwald
, neighboring_municipalities = Brienz, Brienzwiler, Fieschertal (VS), Guttannen, Innertkirchen, Iseltwald, Lauterbrunnen, Lütschental, Meiringen, Schattenhalb
, twintowns = Azumi, now Matsumoto (Japan)
Grindelwald is a village and ...
in the
Bernese Alps
, topo_map= Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
, photo=BerneseAlps.jpg
, photo_caption=The Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau
, country= Switzerland
, subdivision1_type= Cantons
, subdivision1=
, parent= Western Alps
, borders_on=
, ...
on 9 September 1896.
In 1948 it was described as:
In 2013, the great-nephew of the 1909 recipient,
Margaret Ismay, showed her medal on an episode of the BBC's ''
Antiques Roadshow
''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...
''.
She had had it converted into a
coin watch
A coin watch or medal watch comprises a watch inserted into a coin or medal.
A coin watch is typically made by slicing a coin into two disks, one thinner than the other; or by removing one face of a coin. A watch mechanism is then embedded into t ...
by
Cartier.
The Gilbert Betjemann Memorial Prize is a registered charity in England and Wales with number 310007.
Recipients
The first 49 recipients are listed on a wooden prize board, with gold lettering, in the collection of the Academy.
They were:
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References
{{Portal bar, Opera
Royal Academy of Music
Music competitions in the United Kingdom
Singing competitions
Opera-related lists