The launch, hosted by Myleene Klass and held at the MayFair Hotel, London, saw Jonathan Ansell, Blake and Lawrence Power perform to an invited audience of nominees and main show performers. The winners of the seven categories will be announced at The Classical BRIT Awards 2008 with NS&I on the 8 May at the Royal Albert Hall.
The BPI also revealed that the 2007 biggest selling artist in the U.S., Josh Groban and last year’s Classical BRIT Award winner of ‘Singer Of The Year’ and 2008 nominee Anna Netrebko will perform at the Classical BRIT Awards 2008 with NS&I. Multi-million selling pianist, songwriter and vocalist Josh Groban makes his Classical BRIT Awards debut. With a career that has seen him perform with Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli and at Live 8 Philadelphia and last year’s Concert For Diana, his performance is one not to be missed. Recognised in Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2006 and referred to by BBC Music Magazine as ‘The Greatest Living Soprano’, Anna Netrebko’s performance is set to be a show highlight.
Bryn Terfel, the world-renowned Welsh bass-baritone, returns to the Classical BRITs following his sensational reprisal of Falstaff with the Welsh National Opera.
Classical BRITs Chairmen, Dickon Stainer and Thomas Kaurich commented: “We can promise that this year’s show will be the biggest and best in the history of the event, with a fantastic line up of artists whose combined album sales have exceeded 100 million units worldwide.”
Commenting on her return to the Classical BRIT Awards, Anna Netrebko said, “I am thrilled to be returning to the Classical BRITs. It’s a wonderful occasion to meet the stars of the British classical music scene and a very beautiful event. I am also really looking forward to performing a piece from my new album, which will be released in the autumn, and hope that the audience will enjoy this!”
Josh Groban, Bryn Terfel and Anna Netrebko join Andrea Bocelli, Nigel Kennedy and Sarah Brightman at the Royal Albert Hall on 8 May. The London Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Charles Abell, will accompany all the performing artists. The LCO is the longest established professional chamber orchestra in the UK, founded in 1921 by Anthony Bernard. Recognition for the orchestra has included invitations to perform at Buckingham Palace from HRH The Prince of Wales in April 2006, and HM The Queen at Kew Palace in the same month. The patron of the LCO is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.
Celebrating Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 60th Birthday, he will be the recipient of a special award for Outstanding Achievement, almost 25 years following the composition of his Requiem Mass which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. His musical legacy of course includes unparalleled success in music theatre for which he has become famous through the world.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “I am absolutely thrilled that my music is being recognised at this year’s Classical BRIT Awards and delighted to be receiving the award for an Outstanding Achievement In Music”.
Leading the nominees for 2008, British born tenor Alfie Boe has two nominations for this year’s awards, featuring in both the Male Artist of the Year and the NS&I Album of the Year categories. This is a meteoric rise for Alfie Boe, who having performed at the 2007 Classical BRIT Awards, now rises up the ranks to be the only artist nominated in more than one category at this year’s prestigious event. One of the strongest categories in the history of the event, Alfie Boe finds himself nominated alongside Mexican lyric tenor Rolando Villazon and the 2002 winner of Male of the Year, Sir Colin Davis.
Female Artist of the Year will be decided between Canadian Classical pianist Angela Hewitt, British cellist Natalie Clein and Russian Operatic Soprano Anna Netrebko who stormed the 2005 show with her magical performance and in 2007 picked up the award for Singer of the Year.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti has been nominated in the Young British Classical Performer or Group category for a third time. Soprano Kate Royal, who performed on the Paul McCartney 2007 NS&I Album Of The Year Ecce Cor Meum, gets her debut nomination along with critically acclaimed violist Lawrence Power. This year’s Young British Classical Performer or Group Award will be voted for by the BPI Academy.
Classic FM listeners and Classic FM magazine readers choose the NS&I Album of the Year. Visitors to www.classicfm.com will be able to vote for one of the 10 nominated artists. Joining Alfie Boe in this category are launch performers Blake alongside All Angels, Choirboys, Fron Male Voice Choir, Garder Thor Cortes, Hayley Westenra, Ludovico Einaudi, Natasha Marsh and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Voting for the NS&I Album Of The Year ends at midnight on Friday 11 April.
Soundtrack of the Year features Dario Marianelli’s Atonement, James Newton Howard’s Blood Diamond and Craig Armstrong and Ar Rahman’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Chosen by a panel of music critics from the national media, the Critics’ Award highlights performances by a diverse range of artists: Sir Charles Mackerras and the ENO Chorus & Orchestra performing the Makropulos Case by Janácek; the Pavel Haas Quartet performing quartets of Janácek and Pavel Haas; and Steven Isserlis performing the Bach Cello Suites.
The Classical BRIT Awards were established in 2000 to recognise the outstanding achievements of classical musicians and the growth of classical music sales in the UK. The awards have proved their vital importance to the UK music industry with the huge impact the event has on record sales of those artists performing, winning and nominated.
Tim Mack, Head of Marketing and Communications for NS&I said: “NS&I is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the prestigious Classical BRIT Awards 2008, the fifth consecutive year that the Awards have been sponsored by NS&I. The sponsorship of the Classical BRIT Awards builds on our relationship with Classic FM listeners and also widens our appeal in an exciting way.”
The last remaining tickets for The Classical BRIT Awards 2008 with NS&I have just been released and are now available from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on 020 7589 8212.
Source:Classicalbrits.co.uk
