16th October 2018

Awards, Opus Klassik Awards 2018

by Chris O'Reilly

Opus Klassik The star-studded presentation-ceremony for Germany's premiere classical music awards (formerly the Echo Klassik Awards, but re-branded this year) took place on Sunday evening at the Konzerthaus Berlin, with victors including Diana Damrau, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Christa Ludwig and Daniil Trifonov. Read on for full details of the winners in each category.

Female Singer of the Year - Diana Damrau

Diana Damrau (soprano), Orchestre et Choeur de l'Opéra National de Lyon, Emmanuel Villaume

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Male Singer of the Year - Juan Diego Flórez

Juan Diego Flórez (tenor), Orchestra La Scintilla, Riccardo Minasi

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Instrumentalist (guitar) - Frank Bungarten

Frank Bungarten (contra guitar)

Available Format: SACD

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Instrumentalist (oboe) - Albrecht Mayer

Albrecht Mayer (oboe), I Musici Di Roma

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Instrumentalist (accordion) - Mie Miki

Mie Miki (accordion)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Instrumentalist (double bass) - Roman Patkoló

Instrumentalist (piano) - Daniil Trifonov

Daniil Trifonov (piano), with Sergei Babayan (piano); Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Conductor of the Year - Cornelius Meister

Offer, Martinů: Symphonies Nos. 1-6

ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cornelius Meister

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Orchestra of the Year - Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ensemble (instrumental) - L’Arpeggiata

Nuria Rial (soprano), Valer Sabadus (countertenor), L’Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ensemble of the Year (choral) - ORA

ORA, Suzi Digby

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Newcomer (ensemble) - 4 Times Baroque

4 Times Baroque

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Newcomer (flute) - Kathrin Christians

Kathrin Christians (flute), Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbron, Ruben Gazarian

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Newcomer (cello) - Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Newcomer (singer) - Regula Mühlemann

Regula Mühlemann (soprano), La Folia Barockorchester, Robin Peter Müller

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Newcomer (violin) - Emmanuel Tjeknavorian

Emmanuel Tjeknavorian (violin)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

The 'Klassik ohne Grenzen' Prizes (Classical without Borders)

Benny Andersson (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Barokksolistene, Bjarte Eike

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Philharmonix

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Symphonic Recording (Music up to and including 18th century)

Xenia Löffler (oboe), Capricornus Consort Basel

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Symphonic Recording (19th-century music)

Symphonic Recording (20th/21st-century music)

Jennifer Johnson Cano (mezzo-soprano), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Concert Recording (Music up to and including 18th century)

Berliner Barock Solisten, Reinhard Goebel

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alon Sariel (mandolin)

Available Format: CD

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Concert Recording (19th-century music)

Tatjana Ruhland (flute), Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Alexander Liebreich

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Howard Shelley (piano & conductor), Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Concert Recording (20th/21st-century music)

Lisa Batiashvili (violin), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Frank Dupree (piano), Adrian Brendel (piano), Uram Kim (piano), Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Karl-Heinz Steffens

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Choral Recording of the Year

Renner Ensemble Regensburg, Hans Pritschet

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC

Opera Recording (up to and including 17th/18th century)

Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon

Available Formats: 2 CDs + Book, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Opera Recording (19th century)

Joyce DiDonato (Didon), Michael Spyres (Énée), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Cassandre); Orchestre et Choeur philharmonique de Strasbourg, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Choeur de l’Opéra du Rhin, John Nelson

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Opera Recording (20th/21st century)

Christian Gerhaher (Pelléas), Magdalena Kožená (Mélisande), Bernarda Fink (Geneviève), Franz-Josef Selig (Arkel), Gerald Finley (Golaud), Elias Mädler (Yniold), Joshua Bloom ((Shepherd/Doctor); London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Solo Recording - harpsichord (music up to and including 18th century)

Jean Rondeau (harpsichord)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Solo Recording - piano (19th century)

George Li (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Solo Recording - piano (20th/21st-century music)

Boris Giltburg (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Carlos Miguel Prieto

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Solo Recording (Opera Arias)

Julia Lezhneva (soprano), Concerto Köln, Mikhail Antonenko

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Olga Peretyatko (soprano), Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, Dimitri Liss

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Solo Recording - voice (Oratorio/Concert/Lied)

Barbara Hannigan (soprano/conductor), Ludwig Orchestra

Available Formats: CD + DVD Video, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Chamber Music Recording (Music up to and including 17th/18th Century)

Katharina Bäuml, Capella de la Torre

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Chris Thile (mandolin), Edgar Meyer (double bass)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Chamber Music Recording (19th-Century Music)

Radovan Vlatkovic (horn), Cornelia Gartemann (violin), Mozart Piano Quartet

Available Format: SACD

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Jörg Widmann (clarinet), Tabea Zimmermann (viola) & Dénes Várjon (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Chamber Music Recording (20th/21st-Century Music)

Hinrich Alpers (piano), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (baritone), Tehila Nini Goldstein (soprano), Agata Szymczewska (violin), Marie-Pierre Langlamet (harp), Kuss Quartet

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Martha Argerich (piano) & Sergei Babayan (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Outstanding Achievement in Editing

Jascha Nemtsov (piano)

Available Formats: 5 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Symphonies, Concert & Theater Works, Ballets, Song

Available Format: 25 CDs

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World Premiere Recording of the Year

EntArteOpera Chorus & Israel Chamber Orchestra, Martin Sieghart

Available Format: DVD Video

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Classics for Children

Audiophile Multi-Track Recording of the Year

Gerhild Romberger (alto), Budapest Festival Orchestra, Cantemus Children's Choir, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Iván Fischer

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Music DVD/Blu-ray of the Year - Opera

Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Søndergård

Available Format: SACD + DVD Video

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Bestseller of the Year

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Thomas Hengelbrock

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Youth Development Award

Ensemble Esperanza, Chouchane Siranossian

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC

Lifetime Achievement Award

Christa Ludwig

Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive

Chris grew up in London and studied cello from the age of 5. He never did enough practice to get really good at it, but caught a passion for Classical music which would stick with him forever. He has wide ranging musical tastes, still plays Chamber music and particularly loves Mahler.

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Awards, Opus Klassik Awards 2018

Female Singer of the Year - Diana Damrau

Male Singer of the Year - Juan Diego Flórez

Instrumentalist (guitar) - Frank Bungarten

Instrumentalist (oboe) - Albrecht Mayer

Instrumentalist (accordion) - Mie Miki

Instrumentalist (double bass) - Roman Patkoló

Instrumentalist (piano) - Daniil Trifonov

Conductor of the Year - Cornelius Meister

Orchestra of the Year - Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Ensemble (instrumental) - L’Arpeggiata

Ensemble of the Year (choral) - ORA

Newcomer (ensemble) - 4 Times Baroque

Newcomer (flute) - Kathrin Christians

Newcomer (cello) - Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Newcomer (singer) - Regula Mühlemann

Newcomer (violin) - Emmanuel Tjeknavorian

The 'Klassik ohne Grenzen' Prizes (Classical without Borders)

Symphonic Recording (Music up to and including 18th century)

Symphonic Recording (19th-century music)

Symphonic Recording (20th/21st-century music)

Concert Recording (Music up to and including 18th century)

Concert Recording (19th-century music)

Concert Recording (20th/21st-century music)

Choral Recording of the Year

Opera Recording (up to and including 17th/18th century)

Opera Recording (19th century)

Opera Recording (20th/21st century)

Solo Recording - harpsichord (music up to and including 18th century)

Solo Recording - piano (19th century)

Solo Recording - piano (20th/21st-century music)

Solo Recording (Opera Arias)

Solo Recording - voice (Oratorio/Concert/Lied)

Chamber Music Recording (Music up to and including 17th/18th Century)

Chamber Music Recording (19th-Century Music)

Chamber Music Recording (20th/21st-Century Music)

Outstanding Achievement in Editing

World Premiere Recording of the Year

Classics for Children

Audiophile Multi-Track Recording of the Year

Music DVD/Blu-ray of the Year - Opera

Bestseller of the Year

Youth Development Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

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