Classic BRITs' Sound of Classical Poll shortlist revealed

The Classic BRIT Awards 2018 announces the shortlist for the first ever Sound Of Classical Poll. 

Showcasing the best and brightest of incredible new British talent, the Classic BRIT Awards’ Sound Of Classical Poll called on classical artists aged 13-30 and tipped for a great future. The winner will be chosen by an expert panel and revealed at the ceremony in June.  

The winner will receive £1000 toward their music tuition or equipment and 4 tickets to the Classic BRIT Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 13^th June.

With closing date for entries ending last week, a Classic BRITs panel convened to consider all the entrants and perform the difficult task of deciding a top 5.

As radio media partner of the Classic BRIT Awards, Classic FM, the UK’s most popular classical music station, will broadcast a special Sound of Classical week, starting on Monday 4^th June. On air, Classic FM will highlight the five nominated artists and share their journeys with the station’s 5.6 million weekly listeners, with lots more content and information available on ClassicFM.com.

Sound of Classical Poll 2018 Shortlist

1. Carly Paoli – mezzo soprano

“Nothing fills me with greater joy than being able to share my love for music, and I hope it can inspire more young people to follow their dreams in the same way I was inspired by my predecessors as a child. So being nominated for such a prestigious musical award means EVERYTHING to me. “

Born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, 29 year old Carly was inspired by the great operatic voice of Maria Callas but also classic musicals.  Her Italian heritage saw her spend summers in Puglia, her mother’s hometown where her love of music grew into a passion and she trained at the Royal Northern College of Music before being spotted by producer David Foster.  In 2016, she sang for HRH The Prince Of Wales at Windsor castle alongside opera legend Jose Carreras who returned the favour by duetting on her 2017 debut album ‘Singing My Dreams’.

https://carlypaoli.com

2. Ember Trio – string trio

“We are so proud to be nominated for the Sound of Classical 2018 award. It’s amazing that the Classic BRITs are shining a light on independent classical talent. We are truly grateful that in such a short space of time we’ve managed to make a connection through our social media performances (which now have over 150 million views) and are going some way to make classical instruments more appealing to a younger online audience.”

The London based trio consists of 2 cellos (Tom and Chris) and a violin (Elliot) and have been picking up fans online with their innovative videos, putting a classical twist on electronic pop covers.  Featuring tracks by the likes of Aviici, Major Lazer and Sia, their videos have logged over 150 million views.  Modern and original, they met while playing a string session at Abbey Road studios for Pink Floyd.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWFvVfKk4mg9dVvCm1I5-4Q

3. George Harliono – Pianist

“I feel so honoured to have been nominated for this award, the Classic BRITs is such a cool event, it is so great that they are back!!”

Born in Hackney, 17 year old pianist George was invited to make his first one hour long, solo recital at the age of nine, making his concerto debut at 12. He is a regular performer with orchestras including The Russian State Orchestra “Evgeny Svetlanov” and The Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Sladkovsky. He recently performed to a sold-out Royal Albert Hall with Lang Lang and in Moscow alongside eminent Russian pianist Denis Matsuev. Aged just 16, George began studying at The Royal College of Music on a full four-year scholarship for a BMUS Degree, one of the youngest students ever to be accepted onto this course. Underlining his status as one of classical music’s brightest young prospects, world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev last year invited George to perform Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto with the Mariinsky Orchestra. He is the youngest British pianist ever to have been asked to perform with Maestro Gergiev. Upcoming engagements include concerto performances in Spain, Japan, the US and at the Berliner Philharmonie in Germany. He will also give an open air performance at the Jurmala Festival in Latvia, where he will appear alongside Aleksandrs Antonenko.

4. Jess Gillam – classical saxophonist

“I’m so thrilled to be part of the Sound of Classical Poll.  The saxophone is such a versatile and expressive instrument and is not recognised as widely as other instruments in the classical world so it’s a real honour to be a part of such a fantastic event. To give a platform for young artists to show their talent to a wider audience is a great idea and I hope it inspires more young musicians.”

Our first entrant was revealed when the return of Classic BRIT Awards was announced in March and 19 year old Jess Gillam has made the shortlist.

From Cumbria, she made music history as the first saxophonist to win the Woodwind Final of the Young Musician of the Year in 2016.  She has recently been announced as the youngest ever performer for the Last Night Of The Proms and the first ever classical saxophonist to be signed to Decca Records.

She is already becoming recognised as an international ambassador for her instrument – exploding the audience’s understanding of what a saxophone can do.

http://www.jessgillamsax.co.uk

5. Sean Shibe – classical guitarist

“The Classic BRITs have always celebrated the scope of classical music as a genre; I’m amazed to be shortlisted for an award this year, knowing past winners and their household names.”

This 26 year old Scot has been referred to as the foremost classical guitarist of his generation and his 2017 debut solo album ‘Dreams and Fancies’ was named Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine and BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Choice.  His project softLOUD premiered at East Neuk and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, juxtaposing Jacobean lute music for classical guitar and was called ‘uncompromisingly monumental’. Constantly creating, he commissions and performs new works for his instrument, performing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and has appeared with BBC Scottish Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and BBC Symphony Orchestras. softLOUD will be released on Delphian Records this September.

http://delphianrecords.co.uk/product-group/softloud-music-for-acoustic-and-electric-guitars/

Classic BRIT Awards co-host and Classic FM presenter Myleene Klass says, “Classical musicians know the dedication needed to master their instrument and often the expense. It's not always easy to come by music education in schools at the moment either. We want to show support for the great young talent in this country.”

The Classic BRIT Awards returns for 2018 for the first time in 5 years – reformatted and refreshed, exclusively broadcast on ITV and in partnership with Classic FM – to celebrate the growing appeal of classical and music from film, television, theatre and games. Our hosts are musicians and Classic FM presenters Myleene Klass and Alexander Armstrong.

Dame Vera Lynn has already been announced as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Tokio Myers will be named Classic BRITs Breakthrough Artist Of The Year.

The categories for this year’s Classic BRIT Awards 2018 are:

Male Artist of the Year

Female Artist of the Year

Group of the Year

Soundtrack of the Year

Critics’ Choice in association with Apple Music

Classic FM Album of the Year

Classic BRITs Icon

Sound of Classical 2018

Classic BRITs Breakthrough Artist of the Year

Special Recognition Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

Tickets for The Classic BRIT Awards 2018 on sale now

Ticket Prices range from: £23.00 to £74.00

Available from: 020 7589 8212 and www.royalalberthall.com

www.classicbrits.co.uk