The 2015 ECHO Klassik awards presentation was held this Sunday evening as part of a gala event at the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The ECHO is one of the most important prizes in the field of classical music and was handed out this year for the 22nd time in a row. The event is organized by the Deutsche Phono-Akademie, which acts as the cultural arm of Germany's Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI). Nina Eichinger and Rolando Villazón performed their co-hosting duties to perfection and took the audience on an informed and entertaining journey through the gala evening, which was broadcast immediately thereafter on Germany's public channel ZDF. The event can be viewed starting now on ZDF's "Mediathek" online platform. Following the awards ceremony, a number of the prize-winners joined the hosts, guest speakers and many leading figures drawn from art, culture, business, politics and society at the ECHO Klassik Night.  

The awards ceremony got underway with Jonas Kaufmann as Singer of the Year. Other recipients of this year's coveted ECHO trophies were Elīna Garanča, Pablo Heras-Casado, Lang Lang, David Garrett, Sonya Yoncheva, Maurice Steger, Nemanja Radulović and Andreas Ottensamer. They received their awards from the hands of presenters Thomas Gottschalk, Fritz Karl, Johannes B. Kerner, Mirjam Weichselbraun and Wigald Boning. An especially moving moment came with the awarding of the ECHO Klassik Lifetime Achievement award to the exceptional pianist and artist Menahem Pressler. Pressler is the founder of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio and was presented with the trophy by violinist Daniel Hope, with whom Pressler has worked for many years. Pressler said he considered himself very lucky that he could still do today what was "the greatest joy": make music. "I had a trio, I play solo, I can do so many things, and then share them with you, and that's the great, the wonderful thing.”

Please visit our press area at www.echoklassik.de/klassik-presse/ for artist statements as well as photos of the prize-winners, congratulatory speakers and guests appearing at the event, on the red carpet and at the photo call.

A Frenzy of flashbulbs for the prize-winners

Many of the prize-winners in each of the 2015 ECHO Klassik's 22 categories were able to enjoy the frenzy of photographers' flashbulbs on the red carpet and attend the awards ceremony live at the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The excitement surrounding Andreas Ottensamer, Sonya Yoncheva and the Aurora Orchestra – which won an ECHO award for the first time ever – could be felt in the air. It was also a very special evening for violinist Tianwa Yang: last year, she won the award for Best Newcomer of the Year, and this year she received the ECHO Klassik for Instrumentalist of the Year. BVMI Managing Director Florian Drücke expressed his satisfaction: "The event was a complete success, with many moving moments and performances. It was a tremendous evening for all of the artists, for everyone watching in the concert hall, and, of course, for classical music in general. I am convinced that thanks to our partner ZDF this atmosphere could also be felt by everybody watching the show at home on tv."

Alle Preisträger des ECHO Klassik 2015 im Überblick (in alphabetischer Reihenfolge):

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

The ECHO Klassik is one of the most prestigious and well-known music awards in the world. In 2015, it will be handed out for the 22nd time. Each year a virtual who's-who of the classical music scene attends the glamorous gala. This year, the ECHO Klassik was held on October 18, 2015 at the Konzerthaus in Berlin.

The German music-industry body known as the Deutsche Phono Academy, which acts as the cultural arm of the Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI), has honoured outstanding performances by national and international artists as part of its ECHO Klassik awards annually since 1994. The prize-winners are chosen by a jury consisting of prominent industry experts. In addition to recognizing extraordinary recordings, one of the other key goals of the ECHO Klassik is to use the prestigious award to foster young talent and bring the appeal and diversity of classical music to a broader audience.