Mr. Guy Engels, you are one of the jury members who grant awards for classical music. When did the International Classical Music Awards first take place?

The International Classical Music Awards started as a classical music section within MIDEM, but when MIDEM gave up this section, this new modality of honoring great artists was established. Each year, the jury of this forum prospects everything that happens all over the world.

What did you decide regarding the events which took place in 2013?

We give awards for CD and DVD productions. Each year, The International Classical Music Awards receives over 250 nominations from publishing houses. The jury listens to these CDs and in the end we have awards for the 15 categories and some other Special Awards, as well.

Who are the members of this jury?

The jury is made up of journalists from various trade magazines, producers from various radios and online sites.

How many productions were brought to your attention and how many awards did you grant?

This year, we received 260 CDs and DVDs and on 20^th January, 2014, we brought into the open the awards and the special awards. For instances, conductor Charles Dutoit will be given The Lifetime Achievement Award. The Artist of the Year is Andreas Staier and The Young Artist of the Year award will go to Adrien Boisseau, a French artist. The label of the Year 2013 Award will go to Glossa. This year, the Classical Website Award will go to Metropolitan Opera Archives. For special achievements, we offered two awards: one to The Symphony Orchestra in Baden-Baden and Freiburg and to Ludwig van Beethoven Association in Krakow managed by Mr. and Mrs. Penderecki.

By granting these awards, you cover the events from all over the world. Was it difficult for you to decide upon 15 awards?

For the CD and DVD productions we have 15 special awards which go from baroque music to instrumental performers, soloists, Opera shows, documentary DVDs and other types of productions. These are the 15 categories to which we grant awards to the year’s best entries.

Mr. Guy Engels, you are a jury member of the International Classical Music Awards and you also work at a radio station.

Yes, at Radio 100.7. This is the public radio here, in Luxembourg. I have worked here for 20 years. It is a new radio station. It mainly has classical music, also news and fun music since it is a public radio. But we mainly focus on classical music. We broadcast the concerts performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra in Luxembourg and we are members of the European Broadcasting Union. We share our concerts and we are also members of the International Classical Music Awards. We may be a young radio station, but we do a great job.

Do you think that nowadays, classical music radio stations have a bigger audience?

I have heard from my listeners that the number of classical music lovers is increasing. Together with our radio, we are placed between France and Germany, where there are many classical music radio stations. Nonetheless, we constantly gain listeners.

Mr. Guy Engels, we thank you for this interview!

It has been my pleasure! I wish your Romanian colleagues the best!