Congratulations to Michala Petri and Mahan Esfahani for being selected as the WINNERS of the 2016 IMCA (International Classical Music Awards) for their debut release on OUR Recordings, “La Follia” (OUR Recordings 6.220610), in the category Best Baroque Instrumental.
The album was the result of an extraordinary musical voyage that began during 13th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival, in Cyprus. In danger of losing its funding due to the Greek economic crisis, Esfahani and Petri deferred paymentin order that the festival be able to continue its programming. Their performances were hailed as one of the highlights of the festival and it was announced "On Cyprus a Dream Team is Born."
Plans were immediately made for future performances and recording projects, the first of which was an inspired take on Corelli’s Baroque masterworks, the Violin Sonatas Op. 5. Drawing upon the rich legacy of contemporary sources, the duo set about rehearsing for what would be the ne plus ultra of High Baroque embellishment and improvisation.
The recording was made by Michala Petri and Mahan Esfahani during three inspired days of playing in Copenhagen's Garnisons Kirke, and the album won enthusiastic acclaim from the international music press upon release.
"This is a recording that will repay repeated listening as a masterclass in musical collaboration. It breaks new and higher ground" Julie Anne Sadie, Gramophone January 2015.
The other nomineés were: J .S. Bach: Harpsichord Concertos with A. Staier and Freiburger Baroqueorchester on Harmonia Mundi and W. Lawes: The Royal Concerts with Phantasm on Linn Records.
The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) grew out of the Cannes Classical Awards (later called MIDEM Classical Awards) and were first awarded on April 6, 2011. The jury consists of music critics of the international music magazines Andante, Crescendo, Fono Forum, Gramofon, Kultura, Musica, Musik & Theater, Opera, Pizzicato, Rondo Classic, Scherzo, and the radio stations MDR-Figaro (Germany), Orpheus Radio (Russia 99.2FM), [1] Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg) the Internationales Musik And Medienzentrum (IMZ), Vienna, the website Resmusica.com (France) and radio Classic (Finland). For the 2016 awards the jury nominated from 115 labels representing 18 countries from Europe, Asia and North America.
The award ceremony will take place April the 1th at a TV/Radio Broadcast Gala Concert in San Sebastian, Basque Country in Spain, with the Euskadi Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jun Märkl.
2015 Nordic Council Music Prize
2015 ECHO Klassik (Deutsche Schallplattenpreis) Germany)
for the CD "The Nightingale"
with SWR Chamber Choir in a Children's version
