One of the best opera singers today, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho was named Artist of the Year 2023 by the International Classical Music Awards jury. A great opportunity to have an ample discussion with a tremendous artist about art, music, sacrifices, the hard work you need to put in constantly, and best of all about emotions and the power of vulnerability. Irina Cristina Vasilescu, from ICMA Jury member Radio Romania Muzical had a conversation over the phone with Ermonela Jaho in Sydney, rehearsing for her performances with Adriana Lecouvreur. Her ambition and generosity can be felt in each of her answers. .
Ermonela Jaho, I would like to briefly go over some of the most important moments of your professional life. I read somewhere that as a child you wanted to be a pop singer. Is that true?
Yes, it is true. When you’re a child that is the music that impacts you the most and you want to become famous immediately, those dreams start that way, as a game. So it started like that but after that I realized my soul belonged to classical music. Read More →
The latest Karajan Community Letter focuses on the Salzburg Easter Festival which Karajan founded in 1967. P.R. Jenkins says: « He had in mind not only a platform for the best possible production of Wagner operas but also for the interpretation of the great sacred works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms and Verdi. » Read More →
The winner of this year’s Franco Buitoni Award is Italian pianist Filippo Gorini in recognition of his Sonata for 7 Cities project which will be launched in 2025. The Award will be officially presented by Ilaria Borletti Buitoni at a special concert in association with Società del Quartetto in Milan on 22 June. Read More →
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Klarinettenquintett; Jörg Widmann: Klarinettenquintett; Jörg Widmann, Klarinette, Hagen-Quartett; 1 CD Myrios MYR031; Aufnahme 10.2020, Veröffentlichung 17.03.2023 (71'56) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch
Mit dem bekannten Quintett für Klarinette und Streicher von Mozart und als Ersteinspielung dem zeitgenössischen Werk gleicher Besetzung von Jörg Widmann warten dieser sowie das Hagen Quartett auf dieser Einspielung auf. Read More →
Anti-Melancholicus; Johann Sebastian Bach: Kantaten BWV13, Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen + BWV106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus tragicus), + BWV 131, Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr zu dir; Élodie Fonnard, Sopran, William Shelton, Altus, Thomas Hobbs, Tenor, Romain Bockler, Bassbariton, Ensemble Alia Mens, Olivier Spilmont; 1 CD Paraty PTY2522057; Aufnahme 10.2020, Veröffentlichung 03.2023 (64'11) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch
Der Albumtitel Anti Melancholicus soll, so die Interpreten, den Willen des Komponisten ausdrücken, dass seine Musik gleichzeitig ästhetisches Vergnügens wie auch spirituelle Entzückung vermittelt. Dabei darf man sagen, dass die Gesangsstimmen diese Idee weitestgehend gelungen umgesetzt haben. Read More →
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 21 & 24; Robert Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Richard Egarr; 1 CD AAM 041 Aufnahme 08.2021, Veröffentlichung 03.2023 (55'28) - Rezension von Remy Franck
Der Gründer von Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood, und der Fortepianist Robert Levin taten sich 1993 zusammen, um Mozarts Gesamtwerk für Tasteninstrumente und Orchester zum ersten Mal auf historischen Instrumenten aufzunehmen. Von geplanten 13 Alben wurden nur acht aufgenommen und bei L’Oiseau Lyre und Decca veröffentlicht, das letzte erschien im Jahr 2001. Als Hogwood 2014 starb, schien es als würde der Zyklus nie vollendet werden. Doch nun nimmt die Academy das Projekt wieder auf und veröffentlicht diesen neunten Band nach 20 Jahren Wartezeit. Read More →
The winner of ICMA's 2023 Discovery Award is 16-year-old Austrian violinist Leonhard Baumgartner, a scholar of the International Music Academy Liechtenstein. He already won prizes like 1st Prize at Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, 1st Prize and Grand Prix at Stockholm International Music Competition. He also was Wiener Symphoniker Talent and made his debut as soloist in Vieuxtemps' Concerto No 5 with the Wiener Symphoniker at Wiener Konzerthaus in 2022. His studies took him at Universities for Music Graz, Vienna and Munich. His main teachers there are Regina Brandstätter since 2019, since October 2022 Dora Schwarzberg and Ingolf Turban. He answered questions of ICMA Jury members.
How did it come that you play the violin?
When I was two years old, I listened to my father practicing the viola. Several times he laid the instrument down and I tried to do some pizzicato and also arco, which my father did not really appreciate. But when I asked to get a violin, he bought me one for my third birthday. Then I started my first violin lessons with a teacher who was specializing on kindergardeners, Szilvay method. At that time, playing the violin was just for fun. Read More →
South Carolina’s Rock Hill Symphony has named Christopher James Lees as Music Director. Lees assumes artistic leadership of the Rock Hill Symphony immediately, while remaining as Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina, a post he took in 2018. Read More →
Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani (Tehran, 1984) won an ICMA 2023 in the Category Baroque Instrumental with his CD Bach: Italian Concerto - French Overture (Hyperion). Eduardo Torrico from the Spanish magazine Scherzo, member of the ICMA Jury, made the following interview with the artist.
Mahan Esfahani never leaves anyone indifferent. Neither when he plays music nor when he speaks. A student of Musicology and History at Stanford University, it was precisely there where he received his first harpsichord lessons from Elaine Thornburgh. From there he went to Boston to further his musical training with Peter Watchorn. He completed it in Prague, under the auspices of the historical Czech harpsichordist Zuzana Ruzickova. Read More →
Leipzig 1723; Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe BWV 22 + Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn BWV 23; Christoph Graupner: Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden GWV 1113/23b + Aus der Tiefen rufen wir GWV 1113/23a; Georg Philipp Telemann: Ich muß auf den Bergen weinen und heulen TVWV 1:591; Ælbgut, Capella Jenensis; 1 CD Accentus Music ACC30598; Aufnahme 07.2022, Veröffentlichung 03.03.2023 (77’10) - Rezension von Guy Engels
Von der Suche nach dem Leipziger Super-Kantor schreibt Michael Maul in seinem unterhaltsamen und lehrreichen Beitrag im Booklet. Uns selbst kommen Leipzig und seine Kantorenstelle einmal mehr als eine musikalische Wundertüte vor. Read More →
