The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are music awards first awarded 6 April 2011. ICMA replace the Cannes Classical Awards (later called MIDEM Classical Awards) formerly awarded at MIDEM. The jury consists of music critics of magazines Andante, Crescendo, Fono Forum [de], Gramofon, Kultura, Musica, Musik & Theater, Opera, Pizzicato, Rondo Classic, Scherzo, with radio stations MDR Kultur (Germany), Orpheus Radio 99.2FM (Russia), Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg), the International Music and Media Centre (IMZ) (Austria), website Resmusica.com (France) and radio Classic (Finland).[1]
The award ceremony and gala concert 2012 took place in Nantes (15 May 2012, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire). The award ceremony and gala concert 2013 were held in Milan (18 March 2013) and hosted by Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. In 2014, the award ceremony and gala concert took place in Warsaw during the Beethoven Festival (with the Sinfonia Iuventus). The award ceremony and gala concert 2015 took place in Ankara with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (28 March 2015).[2]
Special Achievement Award: Ward Marston (restorer of historical recordings)
Website/Online Award: classicalplanet.com
2012 audio and video categories
Recording of the Year + Solo instrumental category: Robert Schumann: Papillons, Klaviersonate op. 11, Kinderszenen, Fantasie op. 17, Waldszenen, Thema mit Variationen (Geistervariationen); Andras Schiff (ECM 2122/23)
Baroque instrumental: Rameau: L’Orchestre de Louis XV – Rameau: Les Indes galantes, Naïs, Zoroastre, Les Boréades (Orchestral Suites); Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall (Alia Vox AVSA9882)
Contemporary: Krzysztof Penderecki: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto No. 2; Grigory Zhislin, Tatjana Vassiljeva, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit (Naxos 8.572 211)
Early Music; Palestrina Vol. 1 – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa Assumpta est Maria, Salve Regina, Ave Maria; The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (Coro COR16091)
Vocal Recital: Tragédiennes 3 – Etienne Nicolas Méhul, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Antonio Salieri, Christoph Willibald Gluck, François Joseph Gossec, Hector Berlioz, etc.; Véronique Gens, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. (Virgin 50999 070927 2 5)
Vocal Recital: Slavic Opera Arias – Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Parashkev Hadjiev, Alexander Borodin, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Veselin Stoyanov, Krassimira Stoyanova, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Pavel Baleff (Orfeo C 830 111 A)
Early music: Amarcord – zu S. Thomas, Zwei Gregorianische Messen aus dem Thomas-Graduale – Thomaskirche Leipzig, um 1300; Amarcord Ensemble (RKap 10112)
Baroque instrumental: Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonatas & Partitas BWV 1001–3 (Vol. II); Isabelle Faust, violin (Harmonia Mundi HMC 902124)
Baroque vocal: Polychoral Splendour Music from the four galleries of the Abbey Church of Muri by Giovanni Gabrieli and Heinrich Schütz Cappella Murensis; (Siri Karoline Thornhill, Stephanie Petitlaurent, Rolf Ehlers, Jürgen Ochs, Mirko Ludwig, Manuel Warwitz, Simon Schnorr, Kees Jan De Koning, Les Cornets Noirs, Johannes Strobl (Audite 92.652)
Vocal recital: Christian Gerhaher – Ferne Geliebte, Beethoven – Haydn – Schönberg – Berg; Christian Gerhaher, baritone, Gerold Huber, piano (Sony Classical 88691935432)
Opera: Stanislaw Moniuszko: Verbum nobile; Aleksander Teliga, Aleksandra Buczek, Leszek Skrla, Michal Partyka, Janusz Lewandowski, Chor i Orkiestra Opery na Zamku / Warcislaw Kunc (Dux 783)
Solo instrument: Serge Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28, Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36; Nikolai Lugansky, piano (Naïve AM208)
Concertos: Dances to a Black Pipe, Copland – Brahms – Fröst – Piazzolla – Hillborg – Högberg; Martin Fröst, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (BIS SACD 1863)
Historical recording: Les Ballets Russes, Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird, Petrushka, The Rite of Spring; Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Dmitri Kitayenko, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Fedoseyev (Melodiya 1001990)
Baroque instrumental: The Scarlatti Restored Manuscript, Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Soler: Sonatas; Andrea Bacchetti, piano, RCA Red Seal
Baroque vocal: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: Stabat Mater, Laudate Pueri, Confitebor tibi Domine; Philippe Jaroussky, Julia Lezhneva, Coro della Radiotelevisione della Svizzera Italiana, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis (Erato)
Choral works: Berlioz: Grande messe des morts, Op. 5; Barry Banks, London Symphony Chorus, London Philharmonic Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, LSO Live
Solo instrument: Maurice Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales – George Enescu: Sonata op. 24/1 – Claude Debussy: 4 Préludes, Elisabeth Leonskaja, piano (eaSonus) & Scarlatti Illuminated (Scarlatti – Scarlatti/Tausig – Scarlatti/Friedman); Joseph Moog, piano (Onyx)
Chamber music: Béla Bartok: String Quartet No. 3 – Alban Berg: String Quartet op. 3 – Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No. 3; Signum Quartet (Capriccio)
Concertos Béla Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112 – Peter Eötvös: Seven – György Ligeti: Violin Concerto; Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Peter Eötvös (Naïve)
Historical recording: Sergiu Celibidache – The Berlin Recordings, 1945–1957; Hans Bottermund, Helmut Heller, Lilia d’Albore, Erna Berger, Margarete Klose, Gustav Scheck, Gerhard Puchelt, Tibor de Machula, Raoul Koczalski, Hans Peter Schmitz, Helmut Schlövogt, Karl Rucht, Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Sergiu Celibidache (Audite)
DVD performance: Sergey Prokofiev: The Gambler; Sergei Aleksashkin, Tatiana Pavlovskaya, Vladimir Galuzin, Larissa Dyadkova, Nikolai Gassiev, Alexander Gergalov, Nadezhda Serdyuk, Andrei Popov, Oleg Sychev, Andrei Spekhov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev; Laurent Gentot, film director (Mariinsky)
Special Achievement Award: Zhu Xiao-Mei, piano. Johann Sebastian Bach: The Art of Fugue (Accentus CD: ACC30308); Goldberg Variations (Accentus DVD: ACC20313)
Early music: Bal-Kan. Honey and Blood, Cycles of Life; Meral Azizoğlu, Irini Derebei, Gürsoy Dinçer, Lior Elmaleh, Montserrat Figueras, Tcha Limberger, Marc Mauillon, Amira Medunjanin, Stoimenka Outchikova-Nedyalkova, Agi Szalóki, Zacharias Spyridakis, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall (Alia Vox AVSA 9902)
Baroque instrumental: Pavanes and Fantasies from the Age of Dowland; Dowland – Purcell – Jenkins – Lawes – Morley – Locke; John Holloway, Monika Baer, Renate Steinmann, Susanna Hefti, Martin Zeller (ECM 4810430)
Baroque vocal: Vivaldi: Pieta – Sacred Works for Alto; Philippe Jaroussky, Ensemble Arteserse (Erato 825646258109)
Vocal recital: Stella di Napoli; Pacini – Bellini – Carafa – Rossini – Mercadante – Donizetti...; Joyce DiDonato, Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Lyon, Riccardo Minasi (Erato 2564636562)
Choral works: Beethoven: Missa Solemnis; Lucy Crowe, Jennifer Johnston, James Gilchrist, Matthew Rose, Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner (Soli Deo Gloria SDG 718)
Opera: Leonard Bernstein: West Side Story; Alexandra Silber, Cheyenne Jackson, Jessica Vosk, Kevin Vortmann, Juliana Hansen, Kelly Markgraf, Julia Bullock, San Francisco Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas (SFS Media 821936-0059-2)
Solo instrument: Franz Schubert: Sonatas D. 894 & D. 959; Evgeni Koroliov, piano (Tacet 979)
Concertos: Joseph Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante; Wolfgang A. Mozart: Oboe Concerto; Lucas M. Navarro, Gregory Ahss, Konstantin Pfiz, Guilhaume Santana, Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado (Claves 1302)
Contemporary music: Unsuk Chin: Piano and Cello Concertos, Su for Sheng and Orchestra; Alban Gerhardt, Wu Wei, Sunwook Kim, Seoul Philharmonic, Myung-Whun Chung (Deutsche Grammophon 481 0971)
DVD performance: Nikolaï Rimsky-Korsakov: The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh; Vladimir Vaneev, Maxim Aksenov, Svetlana Ignatovich, John Daszak, Alexey Markov, Netherlands Opera Chorus, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Marc Albrecht, conductor, Dmitri Tcherniakov, stage director (Opus Arte OA1089D)
Opera: Piotr Tchaikovsky: Iolanta; Olesya Golovneva, Alexander Vinogradov, Andrei Bondarenko, Dmytro Popov, Vladislav Sulimsky, John Heuzenroeder, Marc-Olivier Oetterli, Dalia Schaechter, Justyna Samborska, Marta Wryk, Choir of the Cologne Opera – Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Dmitri Kitayenko (Oehms Classics OC963)
Solo instrument: Franz Schubert: Sonatas, Impromptus & Moments Musicaux; Andras Schiff (ECM 4811572)
Chamber music: Johannes Brahms: Violin Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3 – Robert Schumann: Romances, Brahms/Schumann/Dietrich: F.A.E. Sonata; Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov (Harmonia Mundi HMC902219)
Symphonic music: Jean Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1–7; Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings BPHR 150071)
Contemporary music: Krzysztof Penderecki: Clarinet Concerto, Flute Concerto, Concerto grosso for 3 Cellos and Orchestra; Michel Lethiec, Lukasz Dlugosz, Arto Noras, Bartosz Koziak, Rafal Kwiatkowski, Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, Krzysztof Penderecki (Dux 1186)
Opera: Claude Vivier: Kopernikus; Svea Schildknecht, Uta Buchheister, Barbara Ostertag, Neal Banerjee, Ji-Su Park, Dorothea Winkel, Florian Kontschak, Holst-Sinfonietta, Opera Factory Freiburg, Klaus Simon (bastille musique bm001)
Solo instrument: Piotr Tchaikovsky: The Seasons Op. 37bis, Children’s Album Op. 39; Elena Bashkirova (Gideon Boss GB008)
Solo instrument: Sergei Lyapunov – Works for Piano Vol. 2; Florian Noack (Ars Produktion 38209)
Symphonic music: Claudio Abbado: The Last Concert, Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum, Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique op. 14; Deborah York, Stella Doufexis, Damen des Chors des BR, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado (Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings BPHR 160081)
Video performance: Alban Berg: Wozzeck; Christian Gerhaher, Gun-Brit Barkmin, Brandon Jovanovich, Mauro Peter, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Lars Woldt, Pavel Daniluk, Cheyne Davidson, Martin Zysset, Irène Friedli, Philharmonia Zürich, Chor der Oper Zürich, Fabio Luisi, Stage Director: Andreas Homoki (Accentus Music)
Video documentaries: Leonard Bernstein – Larger than Life; A Film by Georg Wübbolt (C Major 735908)
2018
The jury has nominated 357 audio and video productions.[7][8]
Choral: Felix Nowowiejski: Quo vadis, Wioletta Chodowicz, Wojtek Gierlach, Robert Gierlach, Slawomir Kaminski, Podlaskie Opera and Philharmonic Choir, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Lukasz Borowicz. cpo 5550892.
Choral: Sergei Prokofiev: Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Ernst Senff Choir (Steffen Schubert, choir director) – Erfurt Air Force Music Corps, Staatskapelle Weimar, Kirill Karabits. Audite 97754.
Solo Instrument: Wolfgang A. Mozart: Fantasy K. 475 + Piano Sonatas Nos. 14, 16 & 18, Maxim Emelyanychev. Aparté AP 161.
Chamber Music: Es war einmal – Once upon a time, Robert Schumann: Märchenerzählungen op. 132, Fantasiestücke op. 73 + Märchenbilder op. 113, Jörg Widmann: 5 Stücke im Märchenton, Jörg Widmann, Tabea Zimmermann, Dénes Várjon. Myrios MYR020.
Concertos: The Golden Age – Cello 1925, Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 3 – Ibert: Concerto for Cello & Wind Instruments, Toch: Cello Concerto – Martinu: Concertino for Cello, Winds, Percussion & Piano, Christoph Heesch, Eroica Berlin, Jakob Lehmann. Genuin GEN18613.
Video Documentaries: Belcanto – The Tenors of the 78 Era, Documentary by Jan Schmidt-Garre, Caruso, Slezak, Tauber, McCormack, Schipa, Gigli, Schmidt, Koslovsky, Björling et al.. Naxos 2110389-91.
2020
ICMA Jury nominates 390 audio and video productions from 130 labels for the 2020 awards.[11]
Baroque Instrumental: Night Music, Vivaldi – Gerardo – Eyck – Lully – Hotteterre – Biber, Dorothee Oberlinger, I Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 190759 12522
Baroque Instrumental: The Berlin Album, Benda – Graun – Janitsch – Kirnberger – von Preußen – Schulz, Ensemble Diderot, Johannes Pramsohler, Audax ADX13726
Solo Instrument: Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo Op. 27, Hilary Hahn, Deutsche Grammophon 503130
Chamber Music: Schubert: Trio D 898, Notturno D 897, Rondo D 895, Piano Trio D 929, Arpeggione Sonata, Christian Tetzlaff, Tanja Tetzlaff, Lars Vogt, Ondine ODE 1394-2D
Video: Performance & Documentaries: When music resounds, the soul is spoken to – Herbert Blomstedt, Documentary by Paul Smaczny, Accentus Music ACC20417
Predecessors
Cannes Classical Awards (CCA) were music awards awarded at the Marché international du disque et de l'édition musicale (MIDEM) international music convention in Cannes, France, in January from 1994 until 2004.
The original chairman of the awards was the New York music critic David Hurwitz.[16] Voting was conducted by a multinational jury of several hundred music critics from magazines including Hurwitz' ClassicsToday.com website, Crescendo (Belgium), Répertoire (France), Pizzicato (Luxemburg), Klassik Heute (Germany), Scherzo (Spain), Musica (Italy) etc.[17]
MIDEM Classical Awards succeeded CCA in 2005 and were held until 2010.[18]
In 2011, the awards were replaced with the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), which were first awarded in Tampere, Finland on April 6.
^Meuli, Andrea (2016). "Gala in San Sebastian". Musik & Theater (in German). Zürich. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
^Czech music Český hudební fond Praha. Hudební informační středisko – 1995 "... which took part in the French seaside resort of Cannes between January 21st and 25th, ... chairman of the competition is the well known New York music critic and Czech music connoisseur David Hurwitz."
^Classic CD 1998 "Here we reveal the winners in the Cannes Classical Awards, presented on 19 January' by the editors of nine international music magazines and CCA chairman David Hurwitz at MIDEM, the classical industry's annual convention. ..."