The Deutsche Phono-Akademie, which acts as the cultural arm of Germany's Federal Music Industry Association (Bundesverband Musikindustrie, BVMI), will award the ECHO KLASSIK 2016 in the category “The Classics For Children Award” to a new multimedia version of Sergei Prokofiev’s musical fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”. The new adaptation was released under the title “Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood” to mark the 80th anniversary of the original. It was recorded by Germany’s National Youth Orchestra Bundesjugendorchester under conductor Alexander Shelley, Principal Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony. The role of the narrator in the German version was taken on by Campino, lead singer in the German rock band Die Toten Hosen. All award winners will be on hand in person to receive their awards on Sunday, 9th October 2016 at the gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Tickets will be available via the Konzerthaus Berlin ticket hotline starting 8th September 2016, 12 pm at 030-20309-2101.

Germany’s public TV channel ZDF will broadcast the ECHO KLASSIK awards ceremony hosted by Thomas Gottschalk on 9th October starting at 10 pm. For an overview of all award winners, please visit <link http: www.echoklassik.de en external-link-new-window external link in new>www.echoklassik.de/en. Among the award winners who will perform that evening together with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin under the young Venezuelan conductor Diego Matheuz are singers Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Philippe Jaroussky and Andrea Bocelli, pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, clarinettist Martin Fröst and the German Brass Ensemble.

“’Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood’ is a very exciting and innovative project that introduces a young audience to classical music in a playful yet serious way”, notes BVMI Managing Director Dr. Florian Drücke. “The multimedia concept behind this new version recasts the piece as an all-embracing contemporary work of art that speaks to children at eye level. The unique mixture of sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, video and music gives it an inimitable charm. It’s a brand-new take on the enduring story of ‘Peter and the Wolf’. Of course, the most important thing is that the magic of the original remains entirely undiminished”.

“I had a fantastic time working on ‘Peter and the Wolf’”, explains Campino. “It’s a great feeling to be able to introduce children to this new adaptation of a story that touched me so deeply as a child. At the same time, it paves the way for these young people to discover classical music today. My mother would never have believed that I would win an ECHO KLASSIK, even in her wildest dreams. I’m going to dedicate it to my old music teacher, Mr. Hermann”.

The new “Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood” is a truly innovative interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev’s classic composition, including a new libretto text and a contemporary setting. The concept catapults the original musical fairy tale for children from the Russian countryside in 1936 to California in the 21st century. The producers also expanded the piece to include an interactive app into which they integrated the works of other major composers, such as Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler and Erik Satie. The project was created under the direction of Doug Fitch and Edouard Getaz from the New York-based company Giants Are Small in cooperation with Deutsche Grammophon. In the English-language version, rock legend Alice Cooper takes on the role of the narrator.

ECHO KLASSIK – A Gathering of National and International Classical Music Stars

The ECHO KLASSIK is one of the most prestigious music awards in the world. In 2016, it will be handed out for the 23rd time in a row. Each year, a virtual who's-who of the classical music scene attends the glamorous ceremony. This year, the ECHO KLASSIK will be held on 9th October 2016 at the Konzerthaus in Berlin.

The German music-industry body known as the Deutsche Phono-Akademie, the cultural institute of the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), has organised the ECHO KLASSIK awards and honoured outstanding performances by national and international artists annually since 1994. The winners are chosen by a jury consisting of prominent industry experts. The key goals of the ECHO KLASSIK are to recognise extraordinary recordings but also to use the prestigious award to foster young talent and bring the fascination and diversity of classical music to a broader audience. 

An overview of ECHO KLASSIK 2016 award winners (in alphabetical order):