Alexis Ffrench
British composer and pianist
Beatrice Rana
Classical piano phenomenon
Katherine Jenkins OBE
returns to the stage for a spectacular performance from The Greatest Showman
Pretty Yende
Supreme South African soprano
Andrew Lloyd Webber
A celebration of his extraordinary career in his 70th Birthday year
All join the already announced:
Andrea Bocelli
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe – singing West Side Story
Sir Bryn Terfel
Tokio Myers with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Also announcing the ultimate duet:
Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel
13th June, Royal Albert Hall – 15th edition of the Show – Broadcast exclusively on ITV
Official Partners:
Apple Music, Classic FM, PPL and Royal Albert Hall
The Classic BRIT Awards 2018 is honoured to announce more incredible performances to complete their line-up for 13th June at the Royal Albert Hall.
In true BRITs tradition, these are world exclusives, once-in-a-lifetime events and never to be forgotten collaborations.
In a Classic BRITs exclusive, mezzo-soprano superstar Katherine Jenkins OBE returns to the stage for her first television performance since the happy news of the birth of her second child. One of Britain’s most popular singers, she was recently crowned the Number 1 selling ‘Classical Music Artist of the Last 25 Years’ by Classic FM.
Katherine will perform the beautiful ‘Never Enough’ from the UK’s biggest selling album of 2018 so far – the runaway success that is the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman.
Also nominated in our new Soundtrack Of The Year category, The Greatest Showman OST has spent an astonishing 11 consecutive weeks at Number 1 on the UK Official Charts – the joint longest run at Number 1 in 30 years, tied with Adele’s ‘21’.
Katherine Jenkins said, “The Classic Brits have always been a special, memorable and loved event for me and so I’m delighted to have been chosen to return and perform at this year’s awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s hugely important that we continue to honour and recognise the talent and work of the Classical Music world and I wish all the nominees the best of luck on the night!”
In addition, Classic BRITs will present a celebration of the remarkable career of the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber in what is a landmark year for the great musical theatre legend, including a very special performance by Meghan Picerno, currently starring as Christine in the smash-hit tour of “Love Never Dies”.
Lloyd Webber recently celebrated his 70th birthday and the Classic BRIT Awards is honoured to present this very special performance for this year’s ceremony.
Simply the most successful composer of musicals in history, his repertoire includes some of the world's most celebrated shows, selling 330 million tickets; ‘Sunset Boulevard’, ‘Cats’, ‘Aspects Of Love’, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, ‘Evita’, ‘Starlight Express’, ‘The Phantom of The Opera’, ‘School of Rock’ and ‘Love Never Dies’ - to name but a few.
Last year, Lloyd Webber became the only person to equal the record set in 1953 by Rodgers and Hammerstein with four shows running on Broadway concurrently. Two of his shows are currently running in both Broadway and the West End: School Of Rock and The Phantom Of The Opera, in addition to sell out tours across the US of The Phantom Of The Opera, School of Rock and Love Never Dies, and numerous other productions being enjoyed by audiences across the world.
Beatrice Rana is the classical world’s piano sensation. The 24 year old is one of the most sought after performers on the planet, appearing at every major concert venue and collaborating with the world’s greatest conductors. The Italian’s album of Bach’s Goldberg variations sees her nominated as Female Artist of the Year.
Rana’s next album is due to be released this August as part of the Bernstein Symphonies project with Sir Antonio Pappano and will feature Bernstein’s Symphony No2 (called “The age of anxiety” for piano). Catch her at the Classic BRIT Awards, a world-class performer with the world at her fingertips.
Alexis Ffrench and Pretty Yende are at the forefront of whole new generation of exciting classical artists and together they make an irresistible and inspirational duo. We showcase a unique collaboration between these supremely talented artists who are lighting up the classical scene.
As one of Britain’s most gifted modern composers and pianists, Ffrench’s love of classical music alongside R&B and the likes of Kendrick Lamar has enabled him to create a sound all his own. His beautiful, modernist and accessible compositions have seen him rise in the digital music world, attracting over 50 million streams.
Especially for the Classic BRITS, he teams up here with Pretty Yende - one of the most exciting opera voices in the world today, whose story has been likened to modern fairy tale.
A soprano born in the small town of Piet Retief, South Africa, she was inspired to learn to sing having seen by chance a British Airways advert that featured the ‘Flower Duet’ from the opera Lakmé. She has gone on to grace the great opera stages from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, to Paris Opera and Milan’s La Scala.
We cannot wait to see the results of this exciting collaboration.
In 2003, two of the world’s great operatic voices, Andrea Bocelli and Bryn Terfel performed together at the Awards and this year, they will join together again for us. Already announced as solo performers, this will be an extra special moment.
Tokio Myers will perform with the full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and is sure to stamp his own style on a classical template, drawing on his Royal College Of Music training and out of this world talent that has taken his career into the stratosphere.
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.
Showcasing the best and brightest of incredible new British talent, the Classic BRIT Awards’ Sound Of Classical Poll is looking for 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 ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on 13th June. Enter at www.classicbrits.co.uk.
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: Phone Number 020 7589 8212 and website www.royalalberthall.com
