The International Classical Music Awards are the only independent international awards for classical music in the world. The jury consists exclusively out of professional critics for classical music from international media. This guarantees the high level and the independency of the ICMA. Both make the ICMA the most important international music award. Thus we feel particularly honored to receive these awards!

The ICMA Jury comprising 17 leading media from 13 countries selected 15 CD and DVD productions among a total of 275 nominations. The winning releases, far from being commercial mainstream, are a selection made without any national motive and therefore provide reliable guidance to the global audience. The ICMA also include six Special Awards paying respect to exceptional musicians and producers. "All these Awards are the expression of our jury's aim of making the difference between good and exceptional," said Remy Franck, President of the Jury.

On March 18th the winners received the ICMA Trophies during a festive award ceremony in the Auditorium Milano in Milan/Italy. Ludger Böckenhoff and Sabine Wiedemann accepted the award "Label of the Year" for audite. The statement of the jury accompanying this Special Award:

"For the past forty years Audite has been presenting new and historic recordings to discriminating music-lovers. Even in these difficult times the label has never compromised on quality and continues to issue long forgotten recordings in fine sound, as well as giving a chance to talented performers of today to explore a broad range of repertoire."

For Polychoral splendour (winner category Baroque/vocal) Johannes Strobl, Gebhard David and Frithjof Smith took part in the ceremony. The statement of the jury for this award:

"A marvelous recording reflecting the highly colorful, rich and vital spirituality of Venice in the 17th century. The title 'Polychoral Splendour' could not be better chosen for the committed performances by Cappella Murensis and Les Cornets. The surround sound recording is impressive indeed."

The ceremony was followed by a top-class Gala Concert with the participation of the ICMA winners, among them audite artists Les Cornets Noirs (Polychoral Splendour) and clarinetist Laura Ruiz Ferreres (Brahms: The Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet). Together with Orchestra LaVerdi conducted by its Principal Conductor John Axelrod she enchanted the audience with a convincing performance of Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet. Through the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) the concert is available to radio stations all over the world.

The ICMA jury consists of professional music critics of important magazines, online services and radio stations: Andante (Turkey), Classic Radio (Finland), Crescendo (Belgium), Fono Forum (Germany), Gramofon (Hungary), IMZ (Austria), Kultura (Russia) MDR-Figaro (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Orpheus Radio (Russia), Opera (UK), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg), Resmusica.com (France), Rondo Classic (Finland), and Scherzo (Spain).
You can find a complete winners'list and more information here.

Front picture from left to right: Sabine Wiedemann (audite), Ludger Böckenhoff (audite), Rémy Franck (ICMA, pizzicato), Photo credits: Martin Hoffmeister (ICMA)
all other pictures: pfoto credits Björn Woll (ICMA)
ICMA Jurors & Winners
Members of Les Cornets Noirs: Frithjof Smith, Gebhard David, Johannes Strobl
Laura Ruiz Ferreres

​Trio Testore, as part of its recording of the complete Brahms Piano Trios, presents both versions of the Trio in B major, Op. 8: the original version and the revised version which was made twenty-five years later and which, to a large extent, amounts to a new composition. Whilst revising his first trio, Brahms also wrote another pair of new, contrasting trios. Together, these works provide an exemplary impression of Brahms' development as a composer.

​With financial support of the Kunststiftung NRW this two artists use the project to connect church music with jazz: They combine the apparent different styles of music in order of making an inspired experience for the recipients and to put the Gregorian Choral of requiem, which serve as basis for this composition, into an extended musical context.   
Because of the improvisation which is typical for the church music as well as for jazz, Hansjörg Fink and Elmar Lehnen are able to create an eminent symbiosis of this two styles.

Here you can find more information:  

​The second concert of a series of three follows the motto "Visionaries":

Wednesday, April 17th 2013, 20:00 PM
Berlin Cycle II: "Visionaries"

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - String Quartet Op. 44 No. 2
Béla Bartók - String Quartet No. 3 Sz 85
Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131

Three visionaries from three different periods- an intriguing musical journey.

The next concert:

Sunday, June 9th 2013, 20h
Berlin Cycle III: Brahms-Haydn-Variations

Johannes Brahms - String Quartet B flat major Op. 67
Joseph Haydn - String Quartet C major Op. 76 No. 3 "Kaiserquartett"
Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Quintet B minor Op. 115
(with Laura Ruiz Ferreres, clarinet)

More information about the concerts here.

​Deutschlandradio describes the works as "two works of extraordinary subjectivity and at the same time of exceedingly objectivity, because they are key works of the 20th century detached from their biographic background." Bernhard Schmidt, who recorded these works with the Mandelring Quartett for audite will be giving information about his approach to the two quartets in the interview with the host Jürgen Liebing.

The clarinetist Martin Spangenberg (Solo Clarinet of the Münchener Philharmoniker under Sergiu Celibidache), the violinist Stephan Picard (Deutscher Musikwettbewerb & competition Maria Canals) and the violist James Creitz (Unesco Prize 2000) will perform toghether with the Trio Testore. Initiator and artistic director of the festival is the cellist of the Trio Testore Hans-Christian Schweiker.

Please listen also to a program about the festival from the Belgium radio.

The concerts in detail:

May 5th 2013 8:00 PM
J. Haydn: Piano Trio C major Hob. XV:27
D. Schostakowitsch: Piano Quintet G minor,  Op.54
J. Brahms: Clarinet Quintett B minor, Op. 115

May 11th 2013 8:00 PM
W.A: Mozart: Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Viola "Kegelstatt-Trio"
Z. Kodaly: Duo for Violine and Violoncello, Op. 7
S. Prokofjew: Ouverture about a Hebrew theme, Op. 34
J. Brahms: Piano Trio B major, Op. 8 (original version)

May 12 th 2013 11:00 AM
R. Schumann: Piano Trio  No. 2 F major Op. 80
A. Dvorak: Terzet, Op. 74
W.A. Mozart: Duo for Violin and Viola B major KV.424
M. Bruch: Piano Quintett G minor, Op. posth.

Festival venue: 
ENERGETICON
Fördermaschinenhaus
Konrad-Adenauerallee 7
52477 Alsdorf / Germany

You can find more information in the flyer of the festival and here.

​

​From May 29th to June 2nd renowned artists follow the Mandelring's invitation to the Palatine and present a top-class festival program. Besides the Mandelring Quartett this year also audite artists Laura Ruiz Ferreres (Brahms: The Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet, Gala Concert ICAM Milano for audite: Label of the Year 2013)  and Anne-Cathérine Heinzmann (Works for Flute) will be participating in the HAMBACHERMusikFEST.

The HAMBACHERMusikFEST was founded in 1997 under the artistic direction of the Mandelring Quartet, and takes place each year during the week of Corpus Christi. The success of this international chamber music festival is determined by an unique combination of highest musical standards and delightful concert venues such as Hambach's famous Schloss, idyllic wine estates, and the town's beautiful baroque church.

In 2013 the host ensemble presents a colorful mixture of compositions from the 18th to the 20th century. Special focus will lie on the Romantic Period, with works like Richard Strauss' Introduction from „Capriccio", Op. 85 for String Sextet, the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano from Claude Debussy as well as Pyotr I. Tchaikovskys String Quartet C minor ,Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence". Alomgside the Mandelring Quartett two more audite artists will take part in Hambach. The clarinetist Laura Ruiz Ferreres (Brahms: The Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet & performance as audite representative for the award Label of the Year 2013 in the gala concert of the International Classical Music Award) as well as the flutist Anne-Cathérine Heinzmann (Works for Flute).

The Mandelring Quartett points out that next to the traditional Surprisekonzert on Saturday after Corpus Christi another specialty takes place on the very same weekend: The city of Neustadt celebrates its 1st Neustadter Kulturfest.

The Mandelring's expressivity and remarkable homogeneity of sound and phrasing have become its distinguishing characteristics. The four individual members are as one in their shared determination always to seek out the innermost core of the music and remain open to the musical truth. By grasping the spiritual dimension, exploring the emotional extremes and working on the details, these musicians probe far beneath the surface of each work, thus revealing the multiple layers of meaning inherent in each. Their approach to the music is always both emotional and personal.

Their success in winning some great competitions - in Munich (ARD), Evian and Reggio Emilia (Premio Paolo Borciani) - was what initiated their international career. In addition to numerous performances in Germany, the Mandelring Quartet's concert tours have taken them throughout Europe - Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris and Vienna; annually to North America - New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and Vancouver; to Japan -- Osaka and Tokyo; to Central and South America - Buenos Aires, Lima and Montevideo; the Middle East and Asia. The Mandelring Quartet has enjoyed highly successful appearances at international Festivals including Lockenhaus, Montpelier, Montreal, Ottawa, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Enescu Festival in Bucharest and the Salzburg Festival.

Numerous CD recordings, repeatedly awarded the German Music Critics' Prize and nominated for the International Classical Music Award, confirm the Mandelring Quartet's exceptional quality and wide-ranging repertoire. Their recording of the complete string quartets of Shostakovich has been hailed by the press as one of the outstanding complete recordings of our time. The discs of works by Schubert and Schumann have been selected as new benchmark performances, and their recent CD of the string quartets of Leos Janáček has received a range of awards. Currently, the quartet is recording the complete chamber music for strings by Mendelssohn. Two of the four CDs have already been published.

Information on the Festival can be found here or by calling +49/(0) 6321/92043.

Impressions of a recording session for the complete Beethoven Quartets with the Quartetto di Cremona in "Fondazione Spinola Banna per l'Arte" in Poirino (near Turin).

​Founded in 1999 by Christophe Le Gall, established in France but international by its team active across Europe and in North America, ResMusica covers news on performances, concerts, festivals and musical institutions with daily reports and articles, interviews and analysis on all aspects of classical music and dance. Reviews on albums, videos and books are also available.

Each month ResMusica give five La Clefs du mois to reward outstanding publications on albums, videos and books. Since 2009, a selection of these La Clefs du mois are awarded the La Clefs d'Or, rewarding outstanding releases of the year.Since 2009, ResMusica is the French representative to the jury ICMA, the International Classical Music Awards.

The 11,000 articles freely available and the 1200 reviews published every year, the team of 40 writers spread across 7 countries contribute to make ResMusica the most active francophone publication for classical music and dance on the Internet.

A fortiori we are very happy about this important decoration!