The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) jury has announced the winners of the 2025 edition. Among the honorees, violinist Gidon Kremer receives the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his remarkable contributions to classical music.
Conductor Leonardo García Alarcón is Artist of the Year. Cellist Benjamin Kruithof is the Young Artist of the Year, and pianist Can Saraç is the winner of the Discovery Award. Christoph Ehrenfellner wins the Composer Award. BR Klassik is Label of the Year. The ICMA-Classeek Award goes to cellist Ettore Pagano. Special Achievement Awards are granted to conductor Adam Fischer, pianist Oliver Triendl and the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker. In the audio and video categories, 17 productions have been awarded, with artists such as Vilde Frang, Unsuk Chin, Anna Gourari, Marin Alsop, Andreas Scholl, Samuel Hasselhorn and many more.
Jury President Remy Franck remarked, “Our awards were chosen from a nomination list comprising 374 releases and a wide range of artists and labels. The winner list includes many renowned as well as young musicians and no less than 17 international labels. Our awards recognise excellence in musical performance and aim to enhance the reputation and motivation of the recipients in a musical environment where revenue from streaming services often falls short of providing real rewards.”
The winners will receive their ICMA trophies during the annual Award Ceremony, which will take place at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf on March 19, 2025. This event will include a Gala Concert featuring several awardees performing alongside the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker under the baton of Adam Fischer.
The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) is an independent organisation comprising a jury of music critics and journalists from leading classical music publications, radio stations, and online platforms across Europe. Known for its impartiality, the ICMA recognises excellence in classical music performance, composition, and production through its annual awards.
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