The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are music awards first awarded 6 April 2011. ICMA replace the Cannes Classical Awards (later called MIDEM Classical Awards) formerly awarded at MIDEM. The jury consists of music critics of magazines Andante (Turkey), Crescendo (Belgium), Das Orchester (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Opera (United Kindgom), Papageno (Hungary), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Tygodnik Powszechny (Poland), Rondo Classic (Finland), Scherzo (spain); radio stations Deutsche Welle (Germany), Gewandhaus Radio (Germany), radio klassik Stephansdom (Austria), Opus Raido (Luxembourg), Radio România Muzical (Romania); the organizations International Music and Media Centre (IMZ) (Austria) and Unison (Croatia); and the websites Kulmag (Liechtenstein) and Resmusica.com (France) .
The first award ceremony was held in Tampere, Finland on 6 April 2011. The 2012 award ceremony and gala concert took place in Nantes (15 May 2012, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire). The 2013 award ceremony and gala concert were held in Milan (18 March 2013) and hosted by Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. In 2014, the award ceremony and gala concert took place in Warsaw during the Beethoven Festival (with the Sinfonia Iuventus). The 2015 award ceremony and gala concert took place in Ankara with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (28 March 2015).
Award ceremony hosts 2011 Tampere 2012 Nantes 2013 Milan 2014 Warsaw 2015 Ankara 2016 San Sebastián 2017 Leipzig 2018 Katowice 2019 Lucerne 2020 Seville 2021 Vaduz 2022 Luxembourg City 2023 Wrocław 2024 València 2025 Düsseldorf 2026 Bamberg
2011 The Jury announced the winners for 2011 in 20 categories from a nomination list comprising over 500 CD and DVD productions.
2011 special awards Lifetime Achievement Award: Menahem Pressler, founder of the Beaux Arts Trio Artist of the Year: Esa-Pekka Salonen Young Artist of the Year: David Kadouch (French pianist) Label of the Year: Chandos Records Special Achievement Award: BIS Records' complete Sibelius Edition Website/Online Award: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Digital Concert Hall
2011 audio and video categories Recording of the Year + Opera category – Mozart Die Zauberflöte, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin dir. René Jacobs (Harmonia Mundi HMC 90206870) Symphonic – Shostakovich 8th Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko (Naxos) Baroque – Via Crucis soloists Núria Rial, Philippe Jaroussky, L'Arpeggiata, cond. Christina Pluhar (Virgin Classics 5099969457708) Chamber Music – Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos 3, 9 "Kreutzer" – Viktoria Mullova, Kristian Bezuidenhout (Onyx 4050) Choral – Stravinsky Oedipus Rex – Depardieu, Mariinsky Orchestra & Chorus, Gergiev (Mariinsky MAR0510) Concerto – Schumann Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra – Lena Neudauer, German Radio PO, Pablo González (Hänssler Classic CD 93 258) Contemporary – Friedrich Cerha Spiegel-Monumentum-Momente – SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Sylvain Cambreling (Kairos KAI0013002) Early Music – Dinastia Borgia Book and CDs – Montserrat Figueras, Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall (Alia Vox AVSA9875A+C) First Recording – Vivaldi Armida al campo d'Egitto Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini (Naïve OP30492) Historical – Sibelius Complete Symphonies – Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (Melodiya MELCD 1001669) Solo Instrumental – Debussy Complete Piano Works Vol 5 – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (Chandos CHAN 10545) Vocal Recital – Mahler Lieder – Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber (RCA 886975677320) DVD Performance – Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen – cond. Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana with La Fura dels Baus (C Major 703 808) DVD Documentary – Tchaikovsky Two films: (Tchaikovsky's Women, Fate) – Christopher Nupen (Allegro Films A 10CN D)
2012 The Jury announced the winners for 2012 in 20 categories from a nomination list comprising over 250 CD and DVD productions.
2012 special awards Lifetime Achievement Award: Krzysztof Penderecki Artist of the Year: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Young Artist of the Year: Joseph Moog (pianist) Label of the Year: Ondine Special Achievement Award: Ward Marston (restorer of historical recordings) Website/Online Award: classicalplanet.com
2012 audio and video categories Recording of the Year + Solo instrumental category: Robert Schumann: Papillons, Klaviersonate op. 11, Kinderszenen, Fantasie op. 17, Waldszenen, Thema mit Variationen (Geistervariationen); Andras Schiff (ECM 2122/23) Symphonic: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 4; Sunhae Im, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (Exton EXCL00048) Baroque instrumental: Rameau: L’Orchestre de Louis XV – Rameau: Les Indes galantes, Naïs, Zoroastre, Les Boréades (Orchestral Suites); Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall (Alia Vox AVSA9882) Baroque vocal: Heinrich Schütz: Musicalische Exequien; Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier (Ricercar RIC 311) Chamber Music: Ludwig van Beethoven: Septet op. 20, Sextet op. 71; Scharoun Ensemble Berlin (Tudor 7146) Choral: Gabriel Fauré: Requiem; Philippe Jaroussky, Matthias Goerne, Chœur de l'Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre de Paris, Paavo Järvi (Virgin 5099908847027) Concerto: French Impressions – Camille Saint-Saëns, Eugène Ysaÿe, Ernest Chausson, Maurice Ravel; Rachel Kolly d'Alba, Orchestre Symphonique de Bienne, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, John Axelrod (Warner Classics 2564671814) Contemporary: Krzysztof Penderecki: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto No. 2; Grigory Zhislin, Tatjana Vassiljeva, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit (Naxos 8.572 211) Early Music; Palestrina Vol. 1 – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa Assumpta est Maria, Salve Regina, Ave Maria; The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (Coro COR16091) Opera: Frank Martin – Der Sturm; Robert Holl, Christine Buffle, Ethan Herschenfeld, James Gilchrist, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Choir, conducted Thierry Fischer (Hyperion CDA678213) Historical: Béla Bartók: Concertos, Cantata profana, Divertimento, etc.; Tibor Varga, Andor Foldes, Géza Anda, Louis Kentner, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, RIAS Berlin, conducted Ferenc Fricsay (Audite 21 407) Vocal Recital: Tragédiennes 3 – Etienne Nicolas Méhul, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Antonio Salieri, Christoph Willibald Gluck, François Joseph Gossec, Hector Berlioz, etc.; Véronique Gens, Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. (Virgin 50999 070927 2 5) Vocal Recital: Slavic Opera Arias – Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Parashkev Hadjiev, Alexander Borodin, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Veselin Stoyanov, Krassimira Stoyanova, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Pavel Baleff (Orfeo C 830 111 A) DVD Performance: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9; Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (Accentus Music ACC 20214) DVD Documentary: Carlos Kleiber – Traces to Nowhere; Film by Eric Schulz. With Plácido Domingo, Brigitte Fassbaender, Otto Schenk, Veronika Kleiber (Arthaus Musik 101553)
2013 2013 special awards Lifetime achievement award: Aldo Ciccolini Artist of the year: Carolin Widmann Young artist of the year vocal: Valer Sabadus Young artist of the year instrumental: Alessandro Mazzamuto (pianist) label of the year: Audite Classical website award: Philharmonia Orchestra Special achievement award: Robert von Bahr (BIS Records) Special achievement award: Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (Orchestra LaVerdi)
2013 audio and video categories Early music: Amarcord – zu S. Thomas, Zwei Gregorianische Messen aus dem Thomas-Graduale – Thomaskirche Leipzig, um 1300; Amarcord Ensemble (RKap 10112) Baroque instrumental: Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonatas & Partitas BWV 1001–3 (Vol. II); Isabelle Faust, violin (Harmonia Mundi HMC 902124) Baroque vocal: Polychoral Splendour Music from the four galleries of the Abbey Church of Muri by Giovanni Gabrieli and Heinrich Schütz Cappella Murensis; (Siri Karoline Thornhill, Stephanie Petitlaurent, Rolf Ehlers, Jürgen Ochs, Mirko Ludwig, Manuel Warwitz, Simon Schnorr, Kees Jan De Koning, Les Cornets Noirs, Johannes Strobl (Audite 92.652) Vocal recital: Christian Gerhaher – Ferne Geliebte, Beethoven – Haydn – Schönberg – Berg; Christian Gerhaher, baritone, Gerold Huber, piano (Sony Classical 88691935432) Choral works: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Geistliches Chorwerk; Kammerchor Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius (Carus 83020) Opera: Stanislaw Moniuszko: Verbum nobile; Aleksander Teliga, Aleksandra Buczek, Leszek Skrla, Michal Partyka, Janusz Lewandowski, Chor i Orkiestra Opery na Zamku / Warcislaw Kunc (Dux 783) Solo instrument: Serge Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28, Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36; Nikolai Lugansky, piano (Naïve AM208) Chamber music: Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps; Carolin Widmann, violin, Jörg Widmann, clarinet, Nicolas Altstaedt, cello, Alexander Lonquich, piano (Orfeo C 840121 B) Concertos: Dances to a Black Pipe, Copland – Brahms – Fröst – Piazzolla – Hillborg – Högberg; Martin Fröst, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (BIS SACD 1863) Symphonic music: Albert Roussel: Le festin de l’araignée (The Spider’s Banquet), Padmâvatî; Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Stéphane Denève (Naxos 8.572243) Contemporary music: Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cello Concerto No. 2 Towards the Horizon, Modificata, Percussion Concerto Incantations; Truls Mørk, cello, Colin Currie, percussion, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds (Ondine ODE11782) Best collection: Anton Bruckner: Symphonies No. 1 – 9; Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt (Querstand VKJK 1230) Historical recording: Les Ballets Russes, Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird, Petrushka, The Rite of Spring; Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Dmitri Kitayenko, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Fedoseyev (Melodiya 1001990) DVD performance: Francesco Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur; Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Olga Borodina, Alessandro Corbelli, David Soar, Iain Paton, Janis Kelly, Sarah Castle, Maurizio Muraro, Bonaventura Bottone, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sir Mark Elder (conductor) and David McVicar (stage director) (Decca 0743459) DVD documentaries: John Cage – Journeys in Sound. A Film by Allan Miller & Paul Smaczny, and written by Anne-Kathrin Peitz (Accentus ACC 20246)
2014 2014 special awards Lifetime achievement award: Charles Dutoit Artist of the year: Andreas Staier Young artist of the year: Adrien Boisseau Label of the year: Glossa Classical website award: Metropolitan Opera Archives Special achievement award: Ludwig van Beethoven Association, Kraków (Poland) Special achievement award: SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg
2014 audio and video categories Early music: Erasmus van Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly; Louise Moaty, Marc Mauillon, René Zosso, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall Baroque instrumental: The Scarlatti Restored Manuscript, Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Soler: Sonatas; Andrea Bacchetti, piano, RCA Red Seal Baroque vocal: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: Stabat Mater, Laudate Pueri, Confitebor tibi Domine; Philippe Jaroussky, Julia Lezhneva, Coro della Radiotelevisione della Svizzera Italiana, I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis (Erato) Vocal recital: Franz Schubert: Erlkönig; Matthias Goerne, baritone & Andreas Haefliger, piano (Harmonia Mundi) Choral works: Berlioz: Grande messe des morts, Op. 5; Barry Banks, London Symphony Chorus, London Philharmonic Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, LSO Live Opera: Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia; Ian Bostridge, Angelika Kirchschlager, Christopher Purves, Susan Gritton, Peter Coleman-Wright, Claire Booth, Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble, Oliver Knussen (Erato)