Taking place on 2 October 2012 at the Royal Albert Hall is The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard honour John Williams a Lifetime Achievement Award
The BPI, the UK’s recorded music association, has announced that The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will honour the five time Oscar winner and legendary soundtrack composer John Williams with the Lifetime Achievement award. Taking place on 2 October 2012 at the Royal Albert Hall the gala evening will feature a spectacular salute to the work of one of the most prolific and globally recognised composers of all time. With work including Fiddler On The Roof, Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter and most recently War Horse, The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will bring a touch of Hollywood to London’s Royal Albert Hall. Myleene Klass will host the event for the fifth consecutive year to be broadcast on ITV1 in October.
Widely considered the most respected composer of film music in modern history, John Williams, now aged 80, has had a career spanning over six decades. With his first album release in 1960 (music to accompany the motion picture Checkmate) the world famous composer has produced 130 studio albums, 49 compilation albums and 23 singles. He has won numerous accolades including 5 Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards and 21 Grammys. With a total of 47 Academy Award nominations the composer is the second most nominated person ever, after Walt Disney. As one of the most trusted hands in the film industry, John Williams became the composer of choice for Steven Spielberg, and has scored all but two of his movies.
Co-chairmen of The Classic BRIT Awards committee, Dickon Stainer, President of Decca Records and Barry McCann, Avie Records Director said: “For many, the first introduction to large-scale orchestral music was a cinematic experience. From the film scores of William Walton, Ralph Vaughan Williams,Erich Korngold and others to the modern day composer, their sheer emotive power has thrilled audiences for decades. John Williams has crafted some of the most memorable film scores for over half a century and we are delighted that he has kindly accepted the Lifetime Achievement award in honour of his fine work”.
The Classic BRIT Awards, now in it’s thirteenth year, broadened the event in 2011 to include musical theatre and film score composition. The result was a show with performances by the cast of Les Misérables and the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey in tribute to John Barry, a combination that saw The Classic BRIT Awards double its viewing figures compared to the previous year, making it one of the most viewed shows in the history of the event.
The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 is thrilled to confirm that joining the event alongside the special celebration of the work of John Williams will be the chart-topping, multi-million selling spectacular of Dutch violinist, conductor and composer André Rieu with the stunning Johann Strauss Orchestra, tenor Andrea Bocelli returning to The Classic BRIT Awards stage for the first time since 2008 and previous Classic BRIT Award winner (Young British Classical Performer 2008) British Violinist Nicola Benedetti. For the first time in the history of the event, winners will be presented with a newly designed Classic BRIT Award statuette presented in polished black chrome mirroring the Hollywood glamour theme of this year’s show.
The Classic BRIT Awards plays a major role in supporting and nurturing talent in both the core and crossover classical world. The event was established in 2000 to honour and recognise all forms of classical music from contemporary to crossover, opera to soundtracks, traditional to theatre and has continued to evolve as classical music has once again become a major seller in the music world.
The nominations for The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 will be announced on 6 September at London’s stunning Savoy Hotel. Hosted by Classic FM’s Margherita Taylor, the nominations launch will set the tone for the most spectacular awards show yet, with performances from classically trained vocal quartet Amore, Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson and chart-topping American tenor Noah Stewart.
Reflecting the evolution in music buying in the UK, the Classic BRIT Awards 2012 will include the award for Classical Single of the Year for the first time in the history of the show. A public voted award, the Classical Single of the Year will celebrate the fact that during the past twelve months over one million classical singles have been bought or downloaded in the UK.
The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be a two-hour musical spectacular, featuring the greatest British and international talent and music. The show-stopping performances and attendance of global classical superstars continues to make the Classic BRIT Awards a must see annual part of the ITV calendar.
Tickets are on sale now and are available from the Royal Albert Hall box office. Ranging from £20 to £287.50 for a full dinner/show experience, the Classic BRIT Awards remains one of the best value for money experiences on the classical calendar.
The Classic BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be broadcast on ITV1 in October.
Published on 23 August 2012 by Wayne Feltham
