On Saturday, March 13, at 9 pm, the presentation ceremony of the “Great Music Awards 2020” will take place, the representative of VSIA “Latvijas koncerti” Rinta Bružēvica informed LETA.
Composer Imants Kalniņš and conductor Aleksandrs Viļumanis will receive the Grand Music Award for Lifetime Achievement. Pianist Agnese Egliņa, pianist and composer Raimonds Pauls, conductor Ainārs Rubiķis and pianist Reinis Zariņš were nominated in the category “For outstanding performance throughout the year”.
In the category “For outstanding work in the ensemble”, cellist Māra Botmane, trumpet player Jānis Porietis and vibrophonist Andrejs Puškarevs will apply for the “Grand Music Prize”.
In the category “For Outstanding Interpretation”, pianist Georgi Osokin will compete for the laurels of victory for Frederick Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto on February 8, performed in the Dzintari Concert Hall together with the Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra. Singer Aleksandrs Antonenko and pianist Reinis Zariņš have also been nominated in this category for the performance of music by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner in the closing concert of the “Jurmala Festival” on August 4 in Dzintari Concert Hall. Violinist Magdalena Geka and pianist Georgs Kjurdians were also nominated for the category “For Outstanding Interpretation” for playing music by Latvian composers in the concert “Pēteris Vasks invites. Summer. Mežotne ”, which took place on August 9 in the Small Mežotne Castle.
In the category “New work of the year”, the jury nominated Arthur Muscat’s “Summer Dreams”. The premiere of the composition took place on September 13 in Dzintari Concert Hall, where mezzo-soprano Lusiana Mančīni, violinist and conductor Hugo Tičati and the chamber orchestra “Kremerata Baltica” performed. Uģis Prauliņš’s “Mesa and Interludes L’homme armč” also claim the victory in this category. The premiere of the composition took place on December 20 in the 1st studio of Latvian Radio, with the participation of the vocal group “Ars Antiqua Riga”, players Kaspars Majors and Vairis Nartišs, organist Jānis Pelše and Prauliņš. In the category “New Work of the Year”, the jury has nominated the Peter Vask Sixth String Quartet. The premiere of the composition took place on October 3 in Dzintari Concert Hall with a performance by the string quartet Artemis.
Violinist Daniils Bulajevs, conductor Aivis Greters and singer Beāte Zviedre were nominated for the category “Young Artist of the Year”. In its category “For creative, courageous and innovative artistic activity in the conditions of Covid-19 crisis” the jury has nominated the concert “Mahler’s Fifth and RIX” organized by the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO), which took place on March 13 in the Grand Guild. The concert organized by “Kurzeme Philharmonic” – performance “Viens”, which took place on July 24 in the concert hall “Latvija”, was also nominated. The musical performative adventure “While the River” organized by the Cēsis Art Festival will also compete for the victory in this category.
For the category “Concert of the Year”, the concert “Dedication to Maris Jansons” of the “Jurmala Festival” was nominated, which took place on July 29 in Dzintari Concert Hall, with performances by Kristīne Balanas, LNSO and conductor Andris Poga. The concert of singer Elīna Garanča and pianist Malkolma Martino, which took place on October 10 in Liepāja Concert Hall “Lielais dzintars”, will also compete for victory. The concert of the festival “Organisms” “Iveta Apkalna, Raimonds Pauls and LNSO”, which took place on October 24 at the Latgale Embassy “Gors”, with Apkalna, maestro Paul, LNSO and conductor Jānis Stafeckis, also claims to win in this category.
Bružēvica pointed out that this award is the highest Latvian state award in music. In 1993, at the initiative of the then Minister of Culture Raimonds Pauls, the Ministry of Culture decided to honor the most outstanding achievements in the music life of our country with a special award.
She emphasized that the high prestige of the award, both in society and in the music community, is ensured by the work of a respectable jury, whose members attend concerts throughout the year and meet monthly.-
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