Dame Mitsuko Uchida received the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal at the RPS Music Awards in London on 8 May 2012 http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/gold_medal/
The Society’s citation reads: “Mitsuko Uchida has been enthralling audiences for decades with the sensitivity, insight, and unshowy brilliance of her playing. She is beloved by audiences the world over and held in special affection in Britain, where she now lives.
But she is not an artist who craves the limelight, devoting much of her time to rehearsal and study. Her luminous and penetratingly intelligent playing of the classical composers, especially the Viennese trio of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, has justly gained her worldwide respect and acknowledgement as one of the great pianists of our time. Through the Borletti-Buitoni Trust she is also a tireless mentor to young artists.
We salute Mitsuko Uchida therefore as both a peerless musician and a great humanist.”
The RPS Gold Medal was initiated in 1870 to commemorate the centenary of Beethoven’s birth and bears the effigy of Beethoven. It is the Society’s highest honour and is awarded internationally for the most outstanding musicianship. Read more about the Gold Medal here: http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/gold_medal/