Three of the winners at this year's British Composer Awards received their prizes for string compositions. The 2012 awards, given by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, were announced at a ceremony in London's Goldsmiths' Hall on 3 December.

Harrison Birtwistle, who has previously been recognised three times by the Academy, received his fourth award for his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Composed in 2009–10, the work received its premiere in March 2011, with violinist Christian Tetzlaff and the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marcelo Lehninger. Thomas Adès won in the chamber music category for his string quartet The Four Quarters, which also had its premiere in March 2011.  

Austrian composer Thomas Larcher received the Academy's international award for his Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra. Commissioned by the BBC, the work had its first performance at the 2011 Proms, with soloists Viktoria Mullova and Matthew Barley.

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