Johannes Pramsohler
(c) P. Foster Williams
A few years ago, you started your own record label. Why?
You know what? Sometimes I ask myself the same question. Having a record label presents a huge amount of work on top of what I’m doing as a concert violinist. But I think without Audax Records I wouldn’t be able to do all the projects I’m doing – anyway not in this way and definitely not at this speed. My wish is to not only record music, but to draw people closer to the fascinating world of sounds that I care so much about. Read More →
Yunus Kaya
(c) Victor Marin
Wie geht es Ihnen in diesen Tagen?
Im Moment findet quasi kein Konzertleben statt. Ich habe auch noch keine Streaming-Konzerte gemacht, jedoch konzentriere ich mich auf meine pädagogische Arbeit am Vorarlberger Landeskonservatorium. Trotzdem hoffe ich sehr, dass es bald wieder Live-Erlebnisse geben wird. Auf jeden Fall zeigt die aktuelle Situation, wie gut es ist, mehrere Standbeine zu haben. Read More →
Since the age of 4, Munich-born Maya Wichert has been playing the violin. Her enormous talent became apparent very early on. Master classes with Julia Fischer, Christoph Poppen, Ingolf Turban, countless competition successes, sponsorship awards and scholarships underline the potential of the young violinist. Many reasons for the jury of the International Classical Music Awards to present Maya Wichert with the Discovery Award 2021. Jury member Guy Engels (Radio 100.7, Luxembourg) made the following interview with her.
Maya Wichert
At the age of 15, you are still fully involved in the daily school routine, which is not easy to cope with, especially in times of a pandemic. Apart from the current difficulties, how do you generally manage school and music studies and still keep some free time as well?
I just try to combine everything well: the time for school, for practicing and for myself. I usually do my schoolwork first, then I get out the violin. Rehearsing depends a lot on other appointments and factors. If there are exams at school, for example, there are about two hours left for the violin. During the vacations, on the other hand, it can be more. Read More →
The Reina Sofía School of Music celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021, consolidated as a center of high musical training. It was created in 1991 by its founder and president, Paloma O’Shea, one of the most important figures in the promotion of music in Spain, with the support of Her Majesty Queen Sofía and the participation of a group of excellent musicians – Mstislav Rostropovich, Yehudi Menuhin, Alicia de Larrocha, and Zubin Mehta – who helped Ms. O’Shea to design the School and recruit the best professors at the time. At the occasion of this anniversary, Pizzicato is presenting the school and interviews with Dean Oscar Colomina and several students from various countries.
The Reina Sofía School of Music: a building by architect Miguel de Oriol in Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente
Located in a magnificent building in the heart of Madrid, next to the Royal Theatre and the Royal Palace, the School welcomes each year around 150 young musicians from more than 30 countries. Read More →
Der lettische Komponist Peteris Vasks feiert am 16. April seinen 75. Geburtstag. Aus diesem Anlass veröffentlicht BR-Klassik eine neue CD mit Streicherkompositionen. Auf sie nimmt das Interview Bezug, das Remy Franck mit dem Komponisten führte.
Peteris Vasks
(c) Schott-Melanie Gomez
Musica dolorosa, Musica appassionata, bis hin zu Musica serena… Das ist wohl symbolisch für Ihren Lebensweg. Sind Sie jetzt ruhig geworden?
In Bezug auf Musica appassionata und Musica serena – ja. Die Musica appassionata – Energie der Lebensreife, Leidenschaft, Feurigkeit als auch Trauer um das unaufhaltsame Zerfließen der Zeit. Und die Musica serena – lauer Lebensabend, Weisheit, doch die Liebe und der Idealismus gehen nie zu Ende. Read More →
Das Klavierduo Genova & Dimitrov gehört zu den bekanntesten Klavierduos weltweit. Aglika Genova und Liuben Dimitrov gehören zu den wenigen Pianisten, die sich ausschließlich dem Klavier-Duorepertoire widmen und nicht nebenher noch eine Solo-Karriere bestreiten. Damit gehören sie einem exklusiven und kleinen Kreis von Interpretinnen und Interpreten an: Außer den Schwestern Labèque und den Schwestern Pekinel gibt es wohl derzeit kein anderen weltweit bekanntes Duo, das so konsequent seine Richtung verfolgt.
Klavierduo Genova & Dimitrov
(c) Irene Zandel
Von Oktober 2020 bis Oktober 2021 feiern Genova & Dimitrov ihr persönliches Jubiläumsjahr: 25 Jahre Klavierduo Genova & Dimitrov gilt es zu feiern. Und ausgerechnet dann wütet die Corona-Pandemie und legt weltweit das Konzertleben lahm. Im Interview mit René Brinkmann sprechen Genova & Dimitrov über ihre bisherige Karriere, wie sie sich als Klavierduo professionell und privat gefunden haben, ihre langjährige Partnerschaft mit dem CD-Label cpo und nehmen in Bezug auf den heutigen Stand der Klassikbranche kein Blatt vor den Mund. Read More →
The Swedish label BIS recently released the Requiem Under the arching by American-Finnish composer Alex Freeman, a work commissioned by Nils Schweckendiek and the Helsinki Chamber Choir to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Finnish civil war. In this interview made by Dr. Burkhard Schäfer, the composer refers to this composition.
Alex Freeman
Alex, you come from the USA and have lived in Finland for a long time. Which nationality do you feel you belong to more in your capacity as a composer?
It comes up a lot and it’s interesting that it has changed with time. Recently, I was mentioned in a newspaper article as « Yhdysvaltalais-suomalainen säveltäjä », « American-Finnish composer ». I think that’s about as accurate as it can be. Read More →
We no longer present Paul van Nevel, to whom we owe a unique work on the choral repertoire and so many unexpected discoveries. At the helm of his Huelgas Ensemble, van Nevel recorded Simone de Bonefont's Messa pro Mortuis. This album Cyprès won in ICMA's Early Music category. ICMA jury member Pierre-Jean Tribot (Crescendo) made the following interview with the conductor.
Paul van Nevel
(c) Martina Simkovicova
We know very little about Simone de Bonefont, except that he was a canon and singer at the Cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand. How did you discover this composer?
I was researching choral books at the Austrian National Library in Vienna. I came across a book by the publisher Nicolas du Chemin, published in Paris, which presented this work by Simone de Bonefont. Read More →
Josu de Solaun
(c) Audite
Among the winners of the International Classical Music Awards 2021 is the CD Fantasque produced by Audite and played by the violinist Franziska Pietsch and the pianist Josu de Solaun. It contains Sonata no. 1 op. 13 in A major by Gabriel Fauré, the Sonata in G minor by Claude Debussy, the Sonata no. 2 in G major by Maurice Ravel and the Sonata for violin and piano by Francis Poulenc. Florica Jalba from Jury member Radio Romania Muzical made the following interview with Josu de Solaun. Read More →
The CD with the performances of the Croatian Glagolitic Requiem by Igor Kuljeric and the Hymn to Freedom by Jakov Gotovac, released by BR Klassik, won the prestigious International Classical Music Award in the choir category. Jury member Sanda Vojkovic made the following interview with Ivan Repusic, the chief conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra, the guest conductor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the chief conductor of the Zadar chamber orchestra and the person responsible for the selection, performance and recording of the award-winning program.
Ivan Repusic
(c) Lisa Hinder
What does this award mean to you, the person who chose this program and conducted the performance?
The prize primarily brings a sense of satisfaction and pride, but not so much personal pride as much as the pride that two Croatian vocal compositions won this award, and in an international interpretation as well, which adds a special importance to it and gives me an immense pleasure. Read More →
