Klaus Heymann
At a ceremony at Yale School of Music, Naxos Chairman and owner Klaus Heymann recently was presented with the prestigious Samuel Simons Sanford Award. Previous winners include Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, Isaac Stern, Alfred Brendel, Marilyn Horne, Aaron Copland, Pierre Boulez, Sir George Solti, Eugene Ormandy and Juilliard President Joseph Polisi.
In his citation at the presentation, Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, made reference to the accomplishments of Klaus Heymann and the Naxos group of companies he created: « The Samuel Simons Sanford award is the highest honor the School of Music gives (…) We honor people who have given distinguished service to music. This morning it is our great pleasure to honor Klaus Heymann. Klaus Heymann is the Chairman of the Naxos group of companies with wholly or partly owned subsidiaries in fifteen countries. The group is the world’s leading producer and distributor of classical music. Owned labels include Naxos, Marco Polo, Ondine, Dynamic, Capriccio, Proprius, Prophone and others.
Naxos is a pioneer in the distribution of digital music. In 1996 it became the first label in the history of the music industry to make its entire catalogue available for streaming online. In 2002 Naxos launched the industry’s first- ever streaming subscription site www.naxosmusiclibrary.com. Other platforms operated by the group are naxos.com, naxosmusiclibrary.com/jazz, and several others. Group companies handle the physical and digital distribution of practically all independent and most major classical record labels. The Naxos group has also made substantial investments in music education and has published numerous music education books, e- books and apps.
Klaus Heymann and Naxos are recipients of numerous awards including Classical Producer of the Year, Best Classical Label, Classical Label of the Year, the Orders Litteris et Artibus of the Republic of Austria, Gloria Artis of the Republic of Poland and the medals of honor of the Johann Strauss societies of Austria and England. Naxos the label has won more than 20 Grammys.
Klaus Heymann is a visionary. He starts a project and the project continues to grow, and grow, and grow. And with his vision and his guidance he has enriched the worldwide community by making so much music accessible to them. Mr. Heymann it is the great pleasure of the School of Music to present you with the Samuel Simon Sanford Medal.”
