International Classical Music Awards

The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are music awards first awarded April 6, 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, Gramofon, Kultura, Musica, Musik & Theater, Opera, Pizzicato, Rondo Classic, Scherzo, with radio stations MDR-Figaro (Germany), Orpheus Radio (Russia 99.2FM), Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg) the Internationales Musik And Medienzentrum (IMZ), Vienna, website Resmusica.com (France) and radio Classic (Finland).

The Award Ceremony and Gala Concert 2012 took place in Nantes (15 May 2012, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire). 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). Award Ceremony and Gala Concert 2015 took place in Ankara with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (28 March 2015).

2015

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Dmitrij Kitajenko
• Artist of the Year: Christian Tetzlaff
• Young artist of the Year vocal: Jodie Devos
• Young artist of the Year instrumental: Yury Revich
• Label of the Year: Accentus
• Special Achievement Award: Panufnik Edition: Lukasz Dlugosz, Ewa Kupiec, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Sarah van der Kemp, Michael von Schönermark, Raphael Wallfisch, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Lukasz Borowicz (cpo).
• Special Achievement: Award Zhu Xiao-Mei, piano. Johann Sebastian Bach: The Art of Fugue (Accentus CD: ACC30308) ; Goldberg Variations (Accentus DVD: ACC20313)
• Special Achievement Award: Bilkent Symphony Orchestra
• 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, Hespérion 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)
• Chamber music: Ludwig van Beethoven: Streichtrio op. 3 – Serenade op. 8; Frank-Peter Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Christian Poltéra (BIS 2087)
• 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)
• Symphonic music: Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9; Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon 4793441)
• 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)
• Best collection: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Symphonies; Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Adam Fischer (Dacapo 8201201)
• Historical recording: Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; The State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture; Gennady Rozhdestvensky (Melodiya MELCD 1002170)
• 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)
• DVD documentaries: Richard Strauss and his Heroines; A Film by Thomas von Steinaecker; Brigitte Fassbaender, Renée Fleming, Gwyneth Jones, Christa Ludwig, Christian Strauss, Rufus Wainwright, Franz Welser-Möst (Arthaus Musik 102181)

2014

• Lifetime achievement award: Charles Dutoit
• Artist of the year: Andreas Staier
• Young artist of the year: Adrien Boisseau
• Label of the year: Glossa
• Classical website award: Metropolitan Opera Archives
• Special achievement award: Ludwig van Beethoven Association, Kraków (Poland)
• Special achievement award: SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg
• Early music: Erasmus van Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly, Louise Moaty, Marc Mauillon, René Zosso, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall
• 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
• Vocal recital: Franz Schubert: Erlkönig, Matthias Goerne, baritone & Andreas Haefliger, piano, Harmonia Mundi
• 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
• Opera: Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia, Ian Bostridge, Angelika Kirchschlager, Christopher Purves, Susan Gritton, Peter Coleman-Wright, Claire Booth, Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble, Oliver Knussen , Erato
• 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 Quartett, 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
• Symphonic music: Johannes Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4, Tragische Ouvertüre, Haydn-Variationen, Liebeslieder-Walzer etc. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly. Decca
• Contemporary music: Krzysztof Penderecki: The Complete Symphonies. Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, Krzysztof Penderecki. Dux 947
• Best collection: Paul Hindemith: Violin Concerto – Violin Sonatas, Frank Peter Zimmermann, violin, Enrico Pace, piano, Paavo Järvi, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi, BIS
• 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
• DVD documentaries: Refuge in Music – Terezin. A Film by Dorothee Binding and Benedict Mirow, with Anne-Sofie von Otter, Daniel Hope, Christian Gerhaher, Bengt Forsberg, Bebe Risenfors, Alice Herz-Sommer, Coco Schumann. Deutsche Grammophon

2013

• Lifetime achievement award Aldo Ciccolini
• Artist of the year Carolin Widmann
• Young artist of the year vocal Valer Sabadus
• Young artist of the year instrumental Alessandro Mazzamuto
• label of the year: Audite
• Classical website award: Philharmonia Orchestra
• Special achievement award Robert von Bahr
• Special achievement award Orchestra LaVerdi
• 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
• Choral works Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Geistliches Chorwerk Kammerchor Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius Carus 83020
• 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
• Chamber music Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps Carolin Widmann, violin, Jörg Widmann, clarinet, Nicolas Altstaedt, cello, Alexander Lonquich, piano Orfeo C 840121 B
• Concertos Dances to a Black Pipe Copland – Brahms – Fröst – Piazzolla – Hillborg – Högberg Martin Fröst, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti BIS SACD 1863
• Symphonic music Albert Roussel: Le festin de l’araignée (The Spider’s Banquet), Padmâvatî Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Stéphane Denève Naxos 8.572243
• Contemporary music Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cello Concerto No. 2 ‘Towards the Horizon’, Modificata, Percussion Concerto ‘Incantations’ Truls Mørk, cello, Colin Currie, percussion, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds Ondine ODE11782
• Best collection Anton Bruckner: Symphonies No. 1 – 9 Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt Querstand VKJK 1230
• 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, Dmitrij Kitajenko, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Fedoseyev Melodiya 1001990
• DVD performance Francesco Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Olga Borodina, Alessandro Corbelli, David Soar, Iain Paton, Janis Kelly, Sarah Castle, Maurizio Muraro, Bonaventura Bottone, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sir Mark Elder (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director) Decca 0743459
• DVD documentaries John Cage – Journeys in Sound. A Film by Allan Miller & Paul Smaczny Accentus ACC 20246

2012

The Jury announced the winners for 2012 in 20 categories from a nomination list comprising over 250 CD and DVD productions.

• Recording of the Year + Solo instrumental category – Schumann: Papillons, Klaviersonate op. 11, Kinderszenen, Fantasie op. 17, Waldszenen, Thema mit Variationen (Geistervariationen) – Andras Schiff. ECM 2122/23
• Symphonic – Mahler: Symphony No. 4 – Sunhae Im, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck. Exton EXCL00048
• 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
• Baroque vocal – Heinrich Schütz: Musicalische Exequien Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier. Ricercar RIC 311
• Chamber Music – Beethoven: Septet op. 20, Sextet op. 71 – Scharoun Ensemble Berlin. Tudor 7146
• Choral – Fauré: Requiem – Philippe Jaroussky, Matthias Goerne, Chœur de l'Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre de Paris, Paavo Järvi. Virgin 5099908847027
• Concerto – French Impressions – Saint-Saëns, Ysaÿe, Chausson, Ravel – Rachel Kolly d'Alba, Orchestre Symphonique de Bienne, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, John Axelrod. Warner Classics 2564671814
• Contemporary – 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 – Palestrina: Missa Assumpta est Maria, Salve Regina, Ave Maria – The Sixteen, Harry Christophers. Coro COR16091
• Opera – Martin – Der Sturm (opera) – Robert Holl, Christine Buffle, Ethan Herschenfeld, James Gilchrist, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Choir, conducted Thierry Fischer. Hyperion CDA678213
• Historical – Bartók: Concertos, Cantata profana, Divertimento, etc. – Tibor Varga, Andor Foldes, Géza Anda, Louis Kentner, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, RIAS Berlin, conducted Ferenc Fricsay. Audite 21 407
• Vocal Recital – Tragédiennes 3 – Méhul, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Salieri, Gluck, Gossec, Berlioz, etc. – Véronique Gens, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. Virgin 50999 070927 2 5

Slavic Opera Arias – Tchaikovsky, Parashkev Hadjiev, Borodin, Dvořák, Smetana, Rimsky-Korsakov – Veselin Stoyanov, Krassimira Stoyanova. Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Pavel Baleff. Orfeo C 830 111 A

• DVD Performance – Mahler: Symphony No. 9 – Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado. Accentus Music ACC 20214
• DVD Documentary – Carlos Kleiber – Traces to Nowhere: Film by Eric Schulz. With Plácido Domingo, Brigitte Fassbaender, Otto Schenk, Veronika Kleiber. Arthaus Musik 101553
• Lifetime Achievement Award – composer Krzysztof Penderecki.
• Artist of the Year – pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
• Young Artist of the Year – pianist Joseph Moog.
• Label of the Year – Ondine.
• Special Achievement Award – restorer of historical recordings, Ward Marston.
• Website/Online Award – website, classicalplanet.com.

2011

The Jury announced the winners for 2011 in 20 categories from a nomination list comprising over 500 CD and DVD productions.

• Recording of the Year + Opera category – Mozart Die Zauberflöte, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin dir. René Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi HMC 90206870
• Symphonic – Shostakovich 8th Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, Naxos.
• Baroque – Via Crucis soloists Núria Rial, Philippe Jaroussky, L'Arpeggiata, cond. Christina Pluhar. Virgin Classics 5099969457708
• Chamber Music – Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos 3, 9 "Kreutzer" – Viktoria Mullova, Kristian Bezuidenhout. Onyx 4050
• Choral – Stravinsky Oedipus Rex – Depardieu, Mariinsky Orchestra & Chorus, Gergiev. Mariinsky MAR0510
• Concerto – Schumann Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra – Lena Neudauer, German Radio PO, Pablo González. Hänssler Classic CD 93 258
• Contemporary – Friedrich Cerha Spiegel-Monumentum-Momente - SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Sylvain Cambreling Kairos KAI0013002
• Early Music – Dinastia Borgia Book and CDs – Montserrat Figueras, Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall Alia Vox AVSA9875A+C
• First Recording – Vivaldi Armida al campo d'Egitto Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini. Naïve OP30492
• Historical – Sibelius Complete Symphonies – Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Melodiya MELCD 1001669
• Solo Instrumental – Debussy Complete Piano Works Vol 5 – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Chandos CHAN 10545
• Vocal Recital – Mahler Lieder – Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber. RCA 886975677320
• DVD Performance – Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen – cond. Zubin Mehta, with La Fura dels Baus. C Major 703 808
• DVD Documentary – Tchaikovsky Two films: (Tchaikovsky's Women, Fate) – Christopher Nupen. Allegro Films A 10CN D
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Menahem Pressler, founder of the Beaux Arts Trio.
• Artist of the Year – conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
• Young Artist of the Year – French pianist David Kadouch.
• Label of the Year – Chandos Records.
• Special Achievement Award – BIS Records' complete Sibelius Edition.
• Website/Online Award – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Digital Concert Hall

Prior

The 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 2010.

The original chairman of the awards was the New York music critic David Hurwitz. 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.

In 2011, the awards were replaced with the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), which were first awarded in Tampere, Finland on April 6.