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Best Concerts in Beijing 2008 HonouredBy Rudolph Tang
March 18, 2009
For the first time past concerts in Beijing are honoured by an independent music organization in China. The annual Classical Elites Beijing (CEBJ), in the fashion of Classical Brits and Echo Klassik, was announced in Beijing yesterday. A panel of five leading music critics, invited by the organizer KLASSIKOM Music Info Service, voted for their best concerts in Beijing in the year of 2008 which coincided with the Beijing Olympics.
A total 16 winners were announced in 13 categories, including Orchestral, Chorus, Opera Production, Contemporary Music, Chamber Music, Period Music Concert and Recital of the Year, as well as Conductor, Soloist and Vocalist of the Year. A specially created Jury Award was given to five distinctive charity and fund-raising concerts in Beijing after the devastating Wenchuan Earthquake. The earthquake left thousands dead and millions homeless in May 2008.
Orchestral Concert of the Year goes to Venezuelan Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra conducted by the sweeping Gustavo Dudamel at the National Center for the Performing Arts, a mammoth arts complex designed by Paul Andrew and inaugurated end of 2007. The panel was highly impressed by the Dudamel phenomenon and the exciting output from an orchestra as dearing as a family member to the young maestro, who deliberately saluted the audience amongst the musicians instead of on the podium. The concert also won Concert of the Year and Dudamel named Conductor of the Year.
The French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet took Instrumental Recital of the Year for his complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle performed on the stage of the Forbidden City Concert Hall in 8 concerts in a span of two years. The French pianist Pascal Roge was named Soloist of the Year for his daring programming and breath-taking showcase of the keyboard music of Debussy, Poulenc, Ravel, Faure and Sadie.
Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier in the production by Gotz Friedrich presented by the Deutsche Opera Berlin during the 11th Beijing Music Festival won Opera Production of the Year. Another BMF trophy went to Handel’s Messiah presented by AAM conducted by Richard Egarr at the Wangfujin Cathedral with limited access to the publc though. It won Chorus of the Year. As part of the farewell tour, the invulnerable veteran string quartet Alban Berg outsmarted big names like Romero Guitar Quartert and Anne-Sophie Mutter with Trondheim Soloists. The Alban Berg took the Chamber Music Concert of the Year.
“Let’s honour the past and preserve the future,” explained Rudolph Tang, president of KLASSIOM Music Info Service: “Highlights from the past season will do credit to the arts institutions in Beijing. I am convinced it also helps to guarantee a fulfilled new season while the world is doomed by financial turmoil.” 260 nominations in the round-up were presented by all the major arts organizations in Beijing including the NCPA, Poly Arts Group, BMF, FCCH and Century Theatre. Full list of winners follows.
Concert of the Year / Orchestral
Gustavo Dudamel conducting Venezuelan Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra
Presented by National Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 11th-12th, 2008
Opera Production
Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier
In a production of Gotz Friedrich, staged by the Deutsche Opera Berlin, presented by Beijing Music Festival
Oct 3rd-5th, 2008
Chamber Music
Alban Berg Quartet
Presented by National Center for the Performing Arts
July 15th-16th, 2008
Instrumental Recital
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Presented by Forbidden City Concert Hall
2008
Vocal Recital
Sumi Jo
Presented by Meet in Beijing
Aug 11th, 2008
Chorus
Handel’s Messiah
AAM, conducted by Richard Egarr, presented by Beijing Music Festival
Oct 14th, 2008
Period Music
Concerto Köln
Presented by Forbidden City Concert Hall
Oct 26th, 2008
Contemporary Music
Amsterdam Nieuw Ensemble
Presented by National Center for the Performing Arts
Nov 6th-7th, 2008
Conductor of the Year
Gustavo Dudamel
Conducting Venezuelan Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra at NCPA
Dec 11th-12th, 2008
Recitalist of the Year
Pascal Roge
Playing Debussy, Poulenc, Ravel, Faure and Sadie
Sep 30th, 2008
Vocalist of the Year
Sumi Jo
Singing arias and Korean folk songs
Aug 11th, 2008
Appendix – Panel Members
Xuefeng LIU, music critic, editor of Symphony World
Bin LUN, chief music critic of Beijing Youth Daily
Cheng LI, chief music critic of Beijing Morning Post
Zhiyin CHEN, chief music critic and editor of Music Weekly
Wei LI, music critic and producer of Beijing Radio Station Music Channel