Remember A Charity 2021: The Richard Toeman Award

During Remember A Charity Week (6 – 12 September 2021), we’ve been sharing the stories of our Named Awards. When you attach your name or the name of a loved one to an AYM Award, you’re associated with giving wonderful music to the world. 

The Richard Toeman Memorial Award for Young Pianists was created in honour of Richard Toeman (1933-2005), a key figure in the music publishing world and an accomplished pianist. 

From 1970 until his retirement in 1998, Richard was the managing director of Josef Weinberger Ltd, Chair of the Performing Rights Society from 1979 to 1982 and vice-president of the Music Publishers Association. A man of many talents, Richard was a skilled pianist, a talented bookbinder, a genealogist and collector of signed musical scores. Richard was also a prolific composer of light music and specialised in translating the lyrics of well-known Austrian and German operettas from German into English. 

When Richard died in 2005 his wife Diana Toeman considered how she could honour Richard’s lifetime of service to music by setting up The Richard Toeman Memorial Award in support of young pianists. Diana has also chosen to leave a legacy to AYM in her Will: 

“When Richard died in 2005, I started to think about how I could honour his musical life by giving opportunities to young musicians who need them. I learnt about Awards for Young Musicians when I was invited to a concert and was so impressed by the young musicians I saw perform. I knew that Richard would have been equally impressed. I heard the musical talent of young people growing up in low income families; it was clear that in order to make further progress they really need AYM’s support. 

At the moment, the state of music education in this country is dire. When I was a schoolgirl there was so much more opportunity and music was an integral part of our education. Nowadays it has almost completely disappeared. I’m so pleased to support a charity like AYM which is trying to bridge this gap and feel it’s incredibly important to do so. Richard would have loved the work Awards for Young Musicians do and I’m so pleased to honour his and my legacy in this special way.” 

Legacies are hugely important to AYM and the hundreds of young musicians we support every year. After you have looked after your family, friends and those closest to you, a gift in your Will could do amazing things. You can pass on something wonderful, you can pass on a musical life. Will you give talent a chance?