From today (19 April), music lovers can register for their free tickets to Shine, a celebratory event at the Barbican Centre. Hosted by ABRSM in partnership with the Barbican and the UK’s most popular classical music station, Classic FM, the event will take place on 7 July 2017 and will showcase music and music education from around the world. Guests will be able to enjoy:

• Performances from some of the world’s leading young musicians, such as ABRSM Scholars Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Jess Gillam;
• Sir Simon Rattle conducting an open rehearsal of the London Symphony Orchestra;
• A series of workshops and sessions for teachers, students and parents in the afternoon, delivered by leading music organisations and educators from across the UK.

Celebration and performances

There will be performances from young professional musicians, including the Southbank Sinfonia and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. In addition, Classic FM presenter Myleene Klass will announce the winners of the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards with Casio and ABRSM, plus there will be keynotes and speeches from leading figures in music education. ABRSM has also specially commissioned a new piece of music called Shine which will be performed by a Big Band in the morning. Different arrangements of the piece will be made available for guests to use free of charge after the event.  Michael Elliott, ABRSM Chief Executive, said, "Shine is a celebration of leadership and innovation in music education. Together with our partners, we want to highlight the impact of musical progression and showcase the next generation of inspirational leaders! We are also choosing this occasion to launch a Commission for Music, an independent year-long inquiry designed to explore how more people can fulfil their potential as music learners." Classic FM presenter Myleene Klass said: "I am really looking forward to hosting this year’s Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards and being part of the Shine event to celebrate excellence in music education. Over the past year, I’ve seen first-hand the fantastic work done by ABRSM: I was the accompanist for my daughter at her instrumental exam and I felt so proud when she passed with flying colours. That’s why I jumped at the chance of hosting the awards as we honour these brilliant and inspiring teachers in style!"  Sean Gregory, Director of Learning & Engagement, Barbican and Guildhall School, said: "We believe that everyone should have access to world-class arts and learning. Every year tens of thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds participate in our diverse range of Creative Learning programmes, projects and events. We are therefore delighted to be a part of Shine, a unique, and future-focused event, with a national and international perspective, combining outstanding performances with vital discussions on music education and leadership."