ICMA’s ‘Label of the Year 2013’ Audite celebrated it’s 40th anniversary yesterday in Berlin. With music performed by Audite artists ‘Mandelring Quartett’ and ‘Klavierduo Bard’ the official celebration consisted essentially in the presentation of several upcoming birthday editions confirming the label’s outstanding artistic achievement. Read More →

Nach einem überaus erfolgreichen und unvergesslichen Auftakt geht ICMA-Preisträger Nicolas Altstaedt in seine zweite Runde als Künstlerischer Leiter des Kammermusikfestes Lockenhaus. Den Gründungsgedanken, im Sommer Künstler aus aller Welt einzuladen, die sich in eigens für Lockenhaus zusammengestellten Ensembles auf die Suche nach neuen Interpretationen begeben, hält Altstaedt dabei ebenso hoch wie den Anspruch, Kammermusik auf einem internationalem Spitzenniveau zu präsentieren. Read More →

The second edition of Classical:NEXT takes place from today, 29 May until 1 June in Vienna, Austria. After a successful premiere in Munich last year, the new professional forum for classical music is set to become the annual meeting point for the classical music scene. The new venue for the Classical:NEXT exhibition and conference spaces is the MAK, the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/ Contemporary Art, in Vienna. The Showcase concerts will be held at nearby theatres.

A rich program of showcases and conferences is organized for this exhibition. ICMA President Remy Franck will chair the panel discussion ‘Signposts in the Jungle – How important are reviews and awards for the music industry?’ on Thursday, 30.5.2013 from 14:00-14:45.

Bilkent Symphony Orchestra of Ankara, which will host the ICMA Award ceremony and Gala concert on 28 March, 2015, has performed the Ankara premiere of Mahler’s 8^th Symphony. The performance on 30 April was the closing concert of the 30^th Ankara International Music Festival. The Bilkent Symphony, conducted by music director Isin Metin shared the big stage of the Congresium Hall in Ankara with choruses from Poland and Portugal and a distinguished line of soloists, some 400 players and singers in total. Read More →

In the category Historical Recordings, Russian label Melodiya won an Award for  ‘Les Ballets Russes’ (cat. 1001990) with  Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, played by Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra under conductors Dmitrij Kitajenko, Pierre Boulez and Vladimir Fedoseyev. While at the Award Ceremony in Milan (18 March ’13), Dimitrij Kitajenko was given a trophy, Vladimir Fedoseyev received his trophy at the beginning of a concert with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra on 10 April at the Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatory. The trophy was presented by Andrey Krichevskiy, CEO of Melodiya.