> Events

Archived : 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |

Romanians Awarded at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) 2025

Monday, 20 January 2025 , ora 10.58
 

On January 14th, 2025, the 26 winners of the International Classical Music Awards 2025 were announced. These awards, among the most prestigious worldwide, are often referred to as the "Oscars of classical music."

"The international and independent jury selected the winners from a list of 374 nominations and a great variety of artists and record labels. Our winners represent the highest level of artistic professionalism, and their selection demonstrates that our jury does not settle for a superficial analysis of the music industry but conducts an in-depth evaluation," said Remy Franck, president of the jury.

The jury grants 10 special awards and 16 awards for audio-video productions, covering releases from November 1st, 2023, to October 31st, 2024.


In 2025, the "Symphonic Music" award goes to the album George Enescu, performed by the Orchestre National de France, conducted by Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru. The album includes Enescu's two Romanian Rhapsodies and his first three symphonies.

This marks the first time that an ICMA award for an audio-video production has been granted to a Romanian artist, a remarkable achievement that recognizes the exceptional quality of this album. Released by Deutsche Grammophon on April 12th, the album has already received major international awards, such as Choc and Diapason d'Or.

The jury statement for achieving this award: "Some of George Enescu's most famous symphonic works, in the best available interpretations: this album, performed by the Orchestre National de France with the participation of the Radio France Choir, is conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. This is an outstanding achievement by Măcelaru, who worked from Enescu's original manuscript scores. The Romanian Rhapsodies-where we can feel the conductor's deep connection to his Romanian roots-and Enescu's first three symphonies, played with the richness and inventiveness required by these compositions with French influences, are masterfully performed by an orchestra with almost a century-long tradition of interpreting French music at the highest level. A true revelation, both in terms of the works themselves and their interpretation!"

Cristian Măcelaru: "First and foremost, I am truly delighted to have had the opportunity to create this album featuring Enescu's music. This is music I have loved my entire life, and I have always wanted to bring it into the spotlight for a wider audience. I am happy that these recordings continue to receive significant recognition.

For me, this award is not only a validation of the work we have put into this project but also a recognition of the sheer quality of Enescu's music itself, and that is what makes me the happiest.

I accept this award with great joy. Of course, I am incredibly pleased that the effort we have put in is being recognized and understood. I see this as a gift I want to offer to the entire world through these recordings. I deeply appreciate the honor that this award represents."

The Radio România Muzical broadcasts featuring this album are available here.

In the "Chamber Music" category, the ICMA 2025 award goes to the Danel Quartet, which includes Romanian violist Vlad Bogdănaș.

The Franco-Belgian quartet was founded in 1991, and Vlad Bogdănaș has been a member since 2005. The quartet receives the award for their complete recording of Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartets. Jury Statement: "Few musical cycles reflect the 20th century's tragedies and musical grandeur as powerfully as Shostakovich's fifteen quartets. Taking on the challenge of a complete live recording, Quatuor Danel achieves a performance that meets the highest standards. Their interpretation stands out not only for its instrumental brilliance but also for its deep commitment, providing a new benchmark for admirers of this music worldwide."

Vlad Bogdănaș's Reaction:"I am truly honored that our work has been recognized by professionals. This award holds great value for us-when we study, rehearse, and perform on stage, we strive to build an interpretation that convinces us and brings us joy. If our music is appreciated by both the audience and experts, then we have achieved complete success."

One of the 10 special ICMA 2025 awards, the "Special Achievement" award, goes to German pianist Oliver Triendl. Jury Statement: "Oliver Triendl is one of the most dedicated musical researchers of our time. He tirelessly searches archives for valuable yet overlooked compositions, enriching record label catalogs with remarkable recordings. With over 150 albums, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to rarely performed classical and romantic repertoire, as well as support for contemporary composers" One of Oliver Triendl's recent recordings includes works by Romanian composer Paul Constantinescu.

The ICMA winners will receive their trophies at the ICMA Awards Gala, which will take place at Tonhalle Düsseldorf on March 19, 2025. The event will also feature a concert with performances by some of the award winners.

The complete list of ICMA 2025 winners is available here.

The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are among the most prestigious honors in the global recording industry. The jury is composed of professional music critics from leading magazines, online publications, and radio stations, including:Andante (Turkey), Crescendo (Belgium), Das Orchester (Germany), Deutsche Welle (Germany), IMZ (Austria), MDR-Klassik (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Opera (Great Britain), Papageno (Hungary), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Polskie Radio Chopin (Poland), Radio 100.7 (Luxembourg), Radio Romania Muzical (Romania), Resmusica.com (France), Scherzo (Spain), Rondo Classic (Finland), Unison (Croatia). Representing Radio România Muzical, Cristina Comandașu-manager and musicologist with significant experience in the recording industry-serves on the ICMA jury.

In the past, Romanian musicians have also received special ICMA awards: Romanian-born countertenor Valer Barna Săbăduș - Young Artist of the Year 2013, composer Sebastian Androne Nakanishi - Composer of the Year 2022, soprano Aida Pascu - Young Artist of the Year 2024.


Translated by Alina Goșman,
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II
Corrected by Silvia Petrescu