OPUS KLASSIK 2020 - Wide-ranging success for Deutsche Grammophon artists

Pictured above: Anne-Sophie Mutter (top left), Elīna Garanča (top right), Rudolf Buchbinder (bottom left), Kassandra Wedel (bottom center), Víkingur Ólafsson (bottom right)

Berlin, 18 October 2020. Artists signed to Deutsche Grammophon were honoured in no fewer than 8 out of 25 categories at tonight’s OPUS KLASSIK 2020 awards. In this most challenging of years, the organisers succeeded in staging a ceremony live at the Konzerthaus Berlin, with the necessary safety measures in place. In front of a reduced audience, host Thomas Gottschalk welcomed this year’s winners to the stage during an evening of high-calibre musical entertainment. The ceremony was broadcast live on ZDF and livestreamed on Facebook.

The gala event not only acknowledged some of the most exceptional individual artistic achievements of the past twelve months, it also acted as a beacon of solidarity at a time when so many of those working in the arts and culture sector are suffering from the impact of the pandemic.

Actor Matthias Brandt presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, who has had a decisive influence on the performance history of such significant works as Beethoven’s piano sonatas. Legendary film composer and five-time Oscar®-winner John Williams paid his own special tribute to the world-famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter (Instrumentalist of the Year/Violin), who won her award for the album Across the Stars, a violinistic homage to Hollywood featuring music not only written by Williams but also adapted and conducted by him. Actress Natalia Wörner congratulated acclaimed mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča (Female Singer of the Year) on Sol y Vida, an album of non core-classical repertoire in praise of sunshine, life and love. And Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, a prize-winner in her own right (Innovative Concert of the Year), presented her compatriot Víkingur Ólafsson with his award (Solo Instrumental Recital/Piano). OPUS KLASSIK awards were also presented to Benjamin Bernheim (Newcomer/Singer), Kassandra Wedel (Video Clip of the Year) and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (Conductor of the Year).

Among those appearing live on stage during the evening were Elīna Garanča, who sang Agustín Lara’s Granada; Anne-Sophie Mutter, who played “Nice to Be Around” from John Williams’s film score for Cinderella Liberty; Víkingur Ólafsson, performing The Arts and the Hours, his own transcription from Rameau’s opera Les Boréades; and, finally, Rudolf Buchbinder, who played the third movement from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1.

 As Kleopatra Sofroniou, General Manager Classics at Deutsche Grammophon, explains, “Music draws its life breath from the dialogue it creates with an audience. OPUS KLASSIK has celebrated that idea this year by offering us these exceptional live performances. We’re thrilled that the artists of our labels have received so much recognition tonight. And the fact that they were nominated in such a wide range of categories reflects the many and varied creative explorations fostered by the Yellow Label. We’re very proud to promote this kind of diversity.”

Frank Briegmann, CEO & President Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon, adds, “Congratulations to our award-winning artists. It was a wonderful experience both for those present at the Konzerthaus and for those watching on TV or online to see these musicians perform live on stage. We were able to present our work in all its variety and couldn’t be happier for all our nominees and winners. I’d also like to thank and congratulate our media partner ZDF and everyone else involved in making this evening’s ceremony possible in such challenging circumstances.”

The OPUS KLASSIK is Germany’s most prestigious classical music prize. Designed to honour outstanding artists and recordings, it is awarded by the Verein zur Förderung der Klassischen Musik e.V. (Society for the promotion of classical music), whose members include labels, promoters, publishers and other representatives of the classical music world. The OPUS KLASSIK awards are decided on by a jury of industry experts. Tickets for this year’s awards ceremony were by invitation only.

Tonight’s ceremony was broadcast at 22.15 (CET) by OPUS KLASSIK’s media partner ZDF.

Details of the award-winners:

Benjamin Bernheim

Newcomer of the Year (Singer)

Benjamin Bernheim (Deutsche Grammophon)

Rudolf Buchbinder

Lifetime Achievement Award

Elīna Garanča

Female Singer of the Year

Sol y Vida (Deutsche Grammophon)

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Conductor of the Year

Weinberg: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 21 (Deutsche Grammophon)

Hildur Guðnadóttir

Innovative Concert of the Year

Chernobyl (Deutsche Grammophon)

Anne-Sophie Mutter

Instrumentalist of the Year (Violin)

Across the Stars (Deutsche Grammophon)

Víkingur Ólafsson

Solo Instrumental Recital (Piano)

Debussy · Rameau (Deutsche Grammophon)

Kassandra Wedel

Video Clip of the Year

Deaf Hip-Hop World Champion Dances Beethoven Symphony No. 5