Outstanding Young Artist Award 2008

Release: 22 October 2007

The Outstanding Young Artist Award is one of the principle awards at the MIDEM Classique Awards, presented by the MIDEM / IAMA partnership each year in Cannes during the MIDEM international record fair. The award aims to introduce the as yet unsigned recording stars of the future to the Classical recording industry, and is central to the Young International Performers (YIP) programme run by IAMA for not-for-profit organisations who nurture young musicians at the beginnings of their careers.

IAMA would like to thank the member companies who participated by nominating their artists and those who took part as jury members who were: Rachel Bostock, Van Walsum Management; Leontine van der Vliet, Interartists/Klinkhammer van der Vliet; Stefan Forsberg, Stockholm Concert Hall; Eckard Heintz, Internationales Kulturmanagement; John Summers, Halle Orchestra

Out of the 16 candidates entered, the 7 candidates, in alphabetical order (surname) who will be forwarded to the Midem Jury for the final round of voting, will be:

Hinrich Alpers, Piano, nominated by Honens International Piano Competition, Calgary

Alexandre Bouzlov, Cello, nominated by Young Concert Artists, New York

Francois Dumont, Piano nominated by Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition, Brussels

Benjamin Moser, Piano, nominated by Young Concert Artists, New York

Navarra String Quartet nominated by Young Concert Artists Trust, London

Morgan Szymanski, Guitar, nominated by Young Concert Artists Trust, London

Hong Xu, Piano, nominated by Honens International Piano Competition, Calgary

The Midem Jury list follows:

Aarno CRONVALL, Executive Producer. CLASSIC RADIO (Finland)

Bernadette BEYNE, Editor-in-Chief, CRESCENDO (Belgium)

Gregor WILLMES, Editor-in-Chief, FONO FORUM (Germany)

Attila RETKES, Managing Director / Editor-in-Chief , GRAMOFON (Hungary)

Rudolph TANG, Editor , GRAMOPHONE CHINA (China)

Christian MAY, Director, IAMA (Austria)

Franz PATAY, Secretary General, IMZ (Austria)

Matthias BRIXEL, Managing Director, KLASSIK.COM (Germany)

Gérard PANGON, Editor, LE MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE (France)

Martin HOFFMEISTER, Deputy Head of Music Department, MDR (Germany)

Stephen HASTINGS, Editor, MUSICA (Italy)

Andrea Meuli, Editor-in-Chief, MUSIK & THEATER (Switzerland)

Dr. Haide TENNER, Head of Music Department, ORF (Austria)

Rémy FRANCK, Editor-in-Chief, PIZZICATO (Luxembourg)

Francis DRÉSEL, Directeur de la programmation musicale, RADIO CLASSIQUE (France)

Luis SUNÉN, Director, SCHERZO (Spain)

James JOLLY, Editor-in-Chief, THE GRAMOPHONE (United Kingdom)