MIDEM Classical Awards 2010: Four Artists and a Label Already Confirmed

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The MIDEM Classical Awards Jury today announces the first Special Awards for the 2010 edition. The winners are Italian soprano Mirella Freni, Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt, Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca, German baritone Christian Gerhaher and the label Naïve.

The four artists and Naïve will be honoured as part of the MIDEM Classical Awards 2010 ceremony, on January 26th, in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

The “Lifetime Achievement” award goes to the Italian soprano Mirella Freni. The singer became enormously successful in 1963 when she conquered the audience at the Scala in Milan as “Mimi” in Franco Zeffirelli's and Herbert von Karajan's legendary “ La Bohème.” This production became one of the most popular opera films of all times.

In Cannes, the Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt will receive the “Instrumentalist of the Year” award. Hewitt is a proven specialist of Johann Sebastian Bach's music and is just as successful with Chopin, Beethoven or Schumann. In 2005, she launched the Trasimeno Music Festival held annually in Magione.

For the category “Singer of the Year,” the MIDEM Classical Awards Jury decided to honour two artists: the mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca and the baritone Christian Gerhaher. Born into a musical family in Riga, Elina Garanca made her international breakthrough in 2003 at the Salzburger Festival when she sang “Annio” in a production of Mozart's “La Clemenza di Tito,” conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She has since established herself as one of the world’s most renowned singers.

Considered one of the most talented interpreters of our time, the German baritone Christian Gerhaher also caught the Jury’s attention. He took part in Helmut Deutsch’s “lied class” and participated in the master-classes given by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Inge Borkh. In 1998 he won the Prix International Pro Musicis in Paris/New York and subsequently debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Schubertiade Feldkirch.

Finally, by electing Naïve as “Label of the year”, the Jury has acknowledged the energy deployed by the label in the music industry and its capacity to explore a large and rare catalogue including a range of first choice artists.

New this year:

• MidemNet for free! - Access to the cutting-edge digital business conference included in MIDEM registration.
• MidemNet Lab - Discover the latest business innovations through a selection of 15 promising music start-ups chosen by a jury of highly successful entrepreneurs.
• MIDEM+ - Innovative networking solutions and one-on-one expert guidance to boost business efficiency.
• Redesigned exhibition zone - Networking, knowledge and open meeting places right at the heart of the market.
• The Fringe - A friendly and efficient manner to showcase artists to the world.

Discover all the latest news on our website www.midem.com.

Note to the editors:

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