The results of Germany's premiere classical music awards (formerly the Echo Klassik Awards, but re-branded in 2018) have just been announced in advance of the prize ceremony, which will take place at the Konzerthaus Berlin next month. Read on for full details of the winners in each category, including Paavo Järvi, Igor Levit, Víkingur Ólafsson, and Sir Bryn Terfel.
Female Singer of the Year - Joyce DiDonato
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Steve Barnett (percussion), Jimmy Madison (drums), Craig Terry (piano/harpsichord), Chuck Israels (double bass), Charlie Porter (trumpet/flugelhorn), Lautaro Greco (bandonéon)
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Male Singer of the Year - Christian Gerhaher
Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Gerold Huber (piano)
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Instrumentalist of the Year (piano) - Igor Levit
Igor Levit (piano)
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Instrumentalist of the Year (cello) - Sol Gabetta
Sol Gabetta (cello), Bertrand Chamayou (piano), Kammerorchester Basel, Giovanni Antonini
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Instrumentalist of the Year (clarinet) - Andreas Ottensamer
Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet), Yuja Wang (piano), Berliner Philharmoniker, Mariss Jansons
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Conductor of the Year - Paavo Järvi
Orchestre de Paris, Paavo Järvi
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Composer of the Year - Jörg Widmann
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Kent Nagano
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Newcomer (singer) - Emöke Baráth
Voglio cantar
Strozzi, Cavalli, Cesti, Marini, Merula
Emöke Baráth (soprano), Il Pomo d'Oro, Francesco Corti
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 88.2 kHz, 24 bit)
Newcomer (singer) - Nadine Sierra
Nadine Sierra (soprano), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Robert Spano
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Newcomer (marimba) - Christoph Sietzen
Christoph Sietzen (percussion), Romanian National Symphony Orchestra, Cristian Mandeal
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 24 bit)
Newcomer (harmonica) - Konstantin Reinfeld
Konstantin Reinfeld (harmonica), Benyamin Nuss (piano)
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Ensemble/Orchestra - Lautten Compagney
Lautten Compagney, Dorothee Mields (soprano), Wolfgang Katschner
Available format: 2 CDs
Solo Vocal Recital (Opera)
Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor), Il pomo d’oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 176.4 kHz, 24 bit)
Solo Vocal Recital (song)
Andrè Schuen (baritone) & Daniel Heide (piano)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Solo Recital (flute)
Emmanuel Pahud (flute)
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Solo Recital (piano)
Víkingur Ólafsson (piano)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Solo Recital (organ)
Ben Van Oosten (organ)
Available formats: 4 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Solo Recital (viola)
Kim Kashkashian (viola)
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Concerto (violin)
La Venezia di Anna Maria
Concertos by Vivaldi, Galuppi & Albinoni
Midori Seiler (violin), Concerto Köln
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Concerto (recorder)
Lucie Horsch (recorder), The Academy of Ancient Music, Bojan Čičić
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Concerto (piano)
Markus Becker (piano), NDR Radiophilharmonie, Joshua Weilerstein
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Concerto (clarinet)
Kinan Azmeh (clarinet), Bodek Janke (percussion), Hogir Göregen (percussion), Dima Orsho (voice), David Adorján (cello), Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Manuel Nawri
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Chamber Music (duo)
Tillmann Höfs (horn) & Akiko Nikami (piano)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Chamber Music (trio)
Bin Huang (violin), Alexander Suleiman (cello), Yubo Zhou (piano)
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Chamber Music (quartet)
Signum Quartett
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 88.2 kHz, 24 bit)
Chamber Music (quintet)
Schumann Quartet, Anna Lucia Richter (soprano)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
The 'Klassik ohne Grenzen' Prizes (Classical Without Borders)
Concerto Stella Matutina, Rolf Lislevand
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Anneleen Lenaerts (harp), Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Brussels Philharmonic, Adrien Perruchon
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone)
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 24 bit)
Orchestral (18th-century music)
Dogma Chamber Orchestra
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Orchestral (19th-century music)
Anna Larsson (contralto), Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Ádám Fischer
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Orchestral (20th/21st-century music)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Franz Welser-Möst
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Choral
Calmus Ensemble, Amarcord
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Opera (up to and including 18th-century)
Huelgas Ensemble
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Opera (19th-century)
Albina Shagimuratova (Semiramide), Daniela Barcellona (Arsace), Mirco Palazzi (Assur), Barry Banks (Idreno), Gianluca Buratto (Oroe), Susana Gaspar (Azema), David Butt Philip (Mitrane), James Platt (L’ombra di Nino)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Opera Rara Chorus, Sir Mark Elder
Available formats: 4 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 24 bit)
Opera (20th/21st-century)
Gerald Finley (Robert Oppenheimer), Julia Bullock (Kitty Oppenheimer), Brindley Sherratt (Edward Teller), Samuel Sakker (James Nolan), Andrew Staples (Robert Wilson), Jennifer Johnston (Pasqualita)
BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
World Premiere Recording
Piano Duo Trenkner - Speidel
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Audio-Visual Production
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Friedrich Gulda (clavichord)
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Innovative Audio Production
Maria Bengtsson (soprano), Berolina Ensemble
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Best-seller
Jonas Kaufmann: An Italian Night (CD)
Live from the Waldbühne Berlin
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Anita Rachvelishvili (mezzo), Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Jochen Rieder
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
