OPUS KLASSIK 2023 for Mayumi Hirasaki & Max Volbers
Mayumi Hirasaki (Univ.-Prof. of Baroque Violin) is honored in the category “Concert Recording of the Year” for her CD “Pisendel” with Concerto Köln on the Berlin Classic label, Max Volbers (Senior Lecturer at the Department of Early Music) in the category “ Young Artist of the Year” for his CD “Whispers of Tradition” on the Genuin label.
The OPUS KLASSIK is the most prestigious prize for classical music in Germany. The aim of the Verein zur Förderung der Klassischen Musik e. V., the organizer of Germany's most important classical music prize, is to promote classical music and, in particular, to honor its artists. A jury of experts, composed of representatives from the music and media industries, awards prizewinners in 27 categories. The OPUS KLASSIK 2023 will be awarded from October 6-8, 2023 in Berlin.
Mayumi Hirasaki has been concertmaster with Concerto Köln since 2011 and is a regular guest with various baroque orchestras and ensembles such as Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Dresdner Festspielorchester, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Kammerorchester Basel, Gaechinger Cantorey Stuttgart, Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik, La Divina Armonia, Il Suonar Parlante and Il Gardellino with concerts in Europe, USA and Japan. Since 2017 she holds a professorship for baroque violin and viola at the Mozarteum University.
Mayumi Hirasaki's inspiration for Concerto Köln's recording "Pi - Pisendel" was a historical model, the violin virtuoso, composer and concertmaster Johann Georg Pisendel himself. According to Hirasaki, it should be "a program that does not focus only on me as a violinist, but unfolds the virtuosity of the whole orchestra."
As a recorder player, harpsichordist and ensemble leader, Max Volbers is one of the most versatile young musicians in the field of early music. He is always dedicated to new music and regularly works with composers on commissioned compositions. In addition to his concert activities, Max teaches at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and at various master classes.
With his debut CD "Whispers of Tradition" on GENUIN, recorder player Max Volbers presents a stylistically diverse program, with two concerti, a world premiere, music with variable continuo instrumentation and consort.
Congratulations!
