Admittance of applications for participation in the 2021 “Pure Sound” International Award for the Best Recording of Russian Academic Music has opened.
The Award ceremony established by Russian Musical Union was first held in the fall of 2019. This is the first ever award for the best recording of Russian academic music.
The goal of the project is to support the national recording industry, composer school and musical culture. Preserving musical masterpieces, perfectly convey their unique sound without losing the magic of live performance – the skill that those who are awarded the Pure Sound Award absolutely have.
Alexander Klevitsky, General Director of Russian Musical Union, composer, conductor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, says:
– The Pure Sound Award brought together professionals from various fields of academic music. We were very happy to welcome the winners, whose records of the highest level make us sincerely proud. The award also became a communicative zone where the opportunity for interaction and exchange of experience and information among sound engineers, composers, performers, record companies representing not only Russia but also other countries of the world opens up. I believe that the upcoming award can make even more sensation both among public and experts.
The 2021 Award is held in eight categories: opera, choral works, orchestral music, chamber vocal music, chamber instrumental ensemble music, chamber instrumental solo music, restoration of archived audio recordings, and in a mixed nomination (collection of audio recordings with various performers).
Alexander Tchaikovsky, the Chairman of the Jury, composer, People’s Artist of Russia underlines the importance of the project:
– After the first Pure Sound Award, the uniqueness of the award became even more apparent. Firstly, such an award has ever existed neither in the Soviet Union nor in modern Russia. Secondly, the idea of the award turned out to be right on time in terms of the fact that it opens not only a huge storehouse of Russian music, which is little known and rarely performed, but also many new names. And thirdly, and most importantly, we got top quality recordings. These three factors determine for many years to come that the award must exist and develop!
The award draws the attention of the public to those who, as a rule, undeservedly remain in the shadows – talented sound engineers. The winners of the first Pure Sound Award were audio recordings done by Gennady Papin, Maria Soboleva, Victor Osadchev, Alexander Volkov, Erdo Groot (Holland), Ilya Dontsov, Mikhail Spassky and others. The award was granted to the releases of such famous record labels as PENTATONE Music B.V., Melodiya, Toccata Classics, and FANCYMUSIC.
The awarded sound tracks contain both the works by famous composers from previous eras of Russian music, and compositions by outstanding contemporary authors. Among them are Efrem Podgaits, Vladimir Martynov, Iraida Yusupova, Vladimir Rannev, Igor Yakovenko, Sergey Akhunov. Among the performers are Russian National Orchestra, State Academic Choir of Russia named after A. A. Yurlov, Friedrich Lips (accordion), Nikita Borisoglebsky (violin), vocal ensemble N’Caged, choir of “Stanislavsky Electrotheatre”, Mikhail Dzyudze (double bass balalaika), Olga Solovyova (piano) and many others.
The partners of the Award are: National Fund for Copyright Holders’ Support, Orpheus Radio Station, “Russia-Culture” TV Channel, “Russian Public Television” TV Channel, International Music Council (IMC), European Music Council (EMC), “Culture” newspaper, “CineLab” Studio Complex, Moscow theater “New Opera”, Information Portal “Culture Mania” (Kulturomania), “InterMedia” Information Agency, “Musical Life” Magazine, Russian Congress of Sound Directors of Music Programs, “The Musical Klondike” magazine, “Yamaha Music Russia” company.
Sound tracks released within the time period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020 may participate in the award competition. Applications are accepted from rightholders: authors of works, performers, publishers, sound engineers, other copyright holders.