Freddie De Tommaso Wins BBC Music Magazine’s Newcomer Award

The winners of the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2022, the only classical music recording awards in which the main categories are voted for by the public, were revealed tonight, 28 April, at a live ceremony at Kings Place in London.

Newcomer Award

British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso won the Newcomer Award for his debut album Passione which celebrates his Italian heritage and heroes. Passione debuted at No. 1 on the UK Classical Artist Albums Chart, the first solo tenor album to do so in 20 years. BBC Music Magazine noted, “Sung in the tradition of De Tommaso’s hero Franco Corelli, the recording is stylish and heartfelt, spinning gold out of the simplest of popular Italian songs.”

Freddie De Tommaso hit the headlines in December when he made his unexpected debut at the Royal Opera House as Cavaradossi in Tosca. Although Freddie De Tommaso was not due to make his first appearance until the following week he stepped in midway during a performance, when Bryan Hymel fell ill, and brought the house down. The Observer noted, “The new Pavarotti? We’ve heard that before. This time it might just be true.”

Freddie De Tommaso will perform the role of Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Dresden Staatsoper in May and in his much-anticipated return to the Royal Opera House in June. He will also open the 2022 BBC Proms on 15 July as soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.

Freddie De Tommaso’s second album, Il Tenore, featuring some of the most iconic arias and duets ever written for the operatic voice, will be released on 24 June.

Instrumental Award and Recording of the Year

Pianist Igor Levit’s album of works by Shostakovich and Ronald Stevenson, On DSCH, won the Instrumental prize and Recording of the Year at the 2022 BBC Music Magazine Awards. The recording includes Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues and Stevenson’s Passacaglia on DSCH.

Personality of the Year

Nicky Spence won Personality of the Year at the 2022 BBC Music Magazine Awards. The tenor’s incredible year has included high calibre operatic performances, volunteering as a vaccinator during the pandemic, and his Sky Arts show Anyone Can Sing.

Vocal, Orchestral, Choral, Chamber, Concerto, Opera, Premiere Awards

Soprano Kateřina Kněžíková won the Vocal Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards for her album Phidyle.

The Sinfonia of London and conductor John Wilson won the Orchestral Award for their recording of Dutilleux’s Le Loup. The Choral Award was given to performances of JS Bach’s Cantatas, BWV 32, 82 & 106 by the Dunedin Consort.

The Sitkovetsky Trio won the Chamber Award for Ravel and Saint-Saëns Piano Trios, and the Concerto Award was awarded to violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, cellist Sol Gabetta and Camerata Bern’s album Plaisirs Illuminés.

Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, performed by Anthony Roth Costanzo, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Karen Kamensek, won the Opera Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards.

The Premiere Award was given to The Jukebox Album, inspired by a lockdown project, including works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Clarice Assad, and Jesse Montgomery performed by violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Tom Poster.

For further information on the BBC Music Magazine award winners click here.

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