After the cancellation of the 2020 ICMA Award Ceremony, ICMA’s Jury member Franz Patay handed over the Label of the Year Award at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Pentatone’s Managing Director Simon M. Eder was there to receive the trophy, accompanied by the label’s violinist Arabella Steinbacher, and singers Anna Lucia Richter and Piotr Beczala. “After the ICMA gala had to be cancelled, I was thankful to receive the award in my hometown and excited that so many of our artists living in Vienna came to accept the award together with Pentatone. A label is nothing without its artists, the award is due to the great recordings with them. », says Simon M. Eder, “Receiving the award this year is a bittersweet recognition as so many musicians, artists and professionals in our sector find themselves currently in an extremely precarious situation due to the pandemic impacts. Especially in this extraordinary period, which hit the entire music and cultural sector so hard, we must not rest on our laurels but should think. »
Pentatone also received the ICMA Vocal Music award 2020 for the recording of Schubert Winterreise with Ian Bostridge and Thomas Adés.
Franz Patay, ICMA Juror, stated that “The International Classical Music Awards recognise creativity, imagination in choice of repertoire and artistic excellence. We are honoured to award Pentatone in the categories Vocal Music and Label of the Year in recognition of their exceptional catalogue, the unrivalled classical music experience they offer and the superior audio quality of their work! »
From left to right: Anna Lucia Richter, Simon Eder, Arabella Steinbacher and Piotr Beczala
Piotr Beczala said: « Congratulations to my label Pentatone for winning the ICMA award ‘Label of the Year’. It is their hard work, trust and support that allows us artists to be fully creative and to be able to produce wonderful records. I thank Pentatone for their great cooperation and wish them all the best for everything that is ahead of us.”
Arabella Steinbacher said: “Congratulations to Pentatone on this wonderful prize! I am so grateful to be a member of this family. For me Pentatone is not only Label of this Year, but for three years it has been the Label of every Year! Thank you!” Anna Lucia Richter said: « A big congratulation from my side to the fantastic team of Pentatone! I am very proud and grateful for all the wonderful projects we have done together over the past years, thank you so much!“
