Interviews

ICMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Matti Salminen has been among the most famous basses of opera stages already over 40 years. He is especially famous in Wagner-roles, but his repertoire is large, reaching even to Finnish tangos. His steady, resonant bass is flexible enough also for subtle nuances, and he emphasizes opera always as a comprehensive theatre. Read our article by Harri Kuusisaari, ICMA Jury member for the Finnish magazine Rondo Classic. Read More →

The Swedish label BIS is Label of the Year of the International Classical Music Awards. Known for the quality of sound and music, for a substantial catalogue of more than 2.300 titles and some exciting projects, the label is a strong player on the international market. Remy Franck made the following interview with the label’s CEO Robert von Bahr.

Robert, what was the starting point for your business?
When my first wife, the flutist Gunilla von Bahr, wanted to release a recording, I wrote to a couple of labels, and at first we got only refusals. So I decided to make the recording and to try again. I wrote another round of letters and got again either no answer or a refusal. Read More →

Bereits mit drei Jahren hielt Tabea Zimmermann das Instrument in der Hand, mit dem sie weltberühmt wurde. Sie studierte in Freiburg bei Ulrich Koch und in Salzburg bei Sandor Végh. Schon während des Studiums wurde sie mit Preisen ausgezeichnet, darunter Erste Preise in Genf 1982, 1984 in Budapest und beim Wettbewerb ‘Maurice Vieux’ in Paris 1983. Dort erhielt sie als Preis eine Bratsche von Etienne Vatelot. Sie hat mit allen großen Dirigenten der Welt zusammengearbeitet. Sie spielte zahlreiche Ur- und Erstaufführungen. Seit Jahren widmet sie sich intensiv der Kammermusik  u.a. mit dem von ihr mitgegründeten Arcanto-Quartett. 2017 ist Tabea Zimmermann ‘Artist of the Year’ der ICMA (International Classical Music Awards). Remy Franck hat sich mit ihr unterhalten. Read More →

ICMA Young Artist of the Year Pablo Ferrandez was interviewed by ICMA Jury members Luis Sunen (Scherzo) and Guy Engels (Radio 100,7). They talked about his studies, his career, his repertoire and his cello.

Pablo, tell us about your first steps with the cello.
I started when I was 3. Because, well, my whole family are musicians. My father is a cellist. My mother invented a method called ‘El mago Diapason’ to teach children music…, it was the perfect environment. Read More →

Jury members Nicola Catto (Musica) and Andrea Meuli (Musik + Theater) met ICMA’s Artist of the Year 2016 for an interview. Read this amazing piece…

Christian Lindberg, You once said that the trombone is the instrument of the last century. Do you still think that it’s the instrument of the current one?
I don’t think so. I’m a little bit disappointed. You see, I have done my work with the trombone and I’m going now into different areas. Of course, I will continue premiering trombone concertos. In 2017, I will premiere my concerto No. 100 by Per Egland, the Swedish composer. But generally things are not going like I would have hoped. I had some masterclasses with really talented young trombone players. And I encouraged them very strongly to follow and try making solo careers. But everyone goes to orchestras (he laughs). Read More →

This year, 13-year-old Russian-Korean flautist Nikolai Song received ICMA’s  ‘Discovery Award’. Andrea Meuli (Musik + Theater, Zurich) and Isabel Roth (MDR, Leipzig) met the young musician for an interview.

How old were you, when you began playing the flute?
I was five years old. First I played the recorder, then I carefully changed to the Piccolo, before getting to the flute.

When did that happen?
I was eight or nine years old. Read More →

Polish flutist Lukasz Dlugosz was among the musicians having recorded a Concerto disc with compositions by Krzysztof Penderecki for Dux. This disc won in the category Contemporary music of the ICMA Awards 2016. Lukasz Dlugosz was also one of the winners to perform at the ICMA Gala Concert in San Sebastian. Jury member Maciej Chizynski (ResMusica) has made the following interview.

With whom did you study and how did your studies with different professors influence your views on music?
From an early age, I participated in master courses which complemented my education. Among others, I took part in Sir James Galway’s, Aurèle Nicolet’s and Peter-Lukas Graf’s classes. Read More →

‘Palazzetto Bru Zane’, le Centre de musique romantique française, a reçu un ‘Special Achievement Award’ des ICMA.  Rémy Franck s’est entretenu avec le directeur scientifique du ‘Palazzetto’, Alexandre Dratwicki.

Alexandre Dratwicki, pourriez-vous nous expliquer ce qui se cache derrière le nom ‘Palazzetto Bru Zane’.
C’est une fondation privée, installée à Venise, qui s’occupe de redécouvrir la musique romantique française oubliée du 19^e siècle, donc on va, en gros, de la période de Louis XVI et Marie-Antoinette avec Gluck comme compositeur célèbre, jusqu’à la Première Guerre mondiale. Read More →

At ICMA’s Gala Concert in San Sebastian, Spanish pianist Javier Perianes will represent the label he is exclusively recording for, Harmonia Mundi. Remy Franck met him for the following interview.

In Spain, if we don’t consider the composers who were also pianists, we have Alicia de Larrocha, Joaquín Achúcarro, José Iturbi…and you. Isn’t Spain a piano land?
Of course, the greatest Spanish pianist was Alicia de Larrocha. She played with all the major orchestras on the world. But there was also Rafael Orozco who made a recording of the four Rachmaninov Concertos with Edo De Waart in Rotterdam. Yet for me, it is a great honour that you are putting my name on that list. Read More →