Since 2005 the Prix Montblanc Award is intrinsic part of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation honouring young emerging instrumentalists in the classical music world.
On Tuesday, 27th of October 2009 the PRIX Montblanc Award 2009 will be handed over to this year’s winner Nicolai Tokarev during a gala concert of the Philharmonia of the Nations under the musical direction of Prof. Justus Frantz. The prize is endowed with 10.000 USD and the Montblanc Donation Pen Arturo Toscanini.
International celebrities such as Montblanc Brand Ambassador Eva Green, Michael and Pat York, actor Clemens Schick, topmodel Franziska Knuppe, Minu Barati-Fischer, designers Ivan Strano, Klaus Unrath and Jetto Joop will attend the gala concert, which is hosted by Montblanc at the “Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt” in Berlin.
Konzerthaus in Berlin
Prix Montblanc Award winner Nikolai Tokarev
The Prix Montblanc 2009 for a young talented pianist: Nikolai Tokarev
This year’s winner of the Prix Montblanc Award is the 26-year-old Moscow virtuoso pianist Nikolai Tokarev who will be honoured during the gala concert of the Philharmonia of the Nations by a jury, consisting of Prof. Justus Frantz (Director of the Philharmonia of the Nations), internationally acclaimed percussionist Prof. Li Biao, music professor and composer Prof. Jürgen Christ and Lutz Bethge, CEO Montblanc International.
The young emerging pianist began his career at the age of six and is considered as one of the great discoveries in contemporary piano playing. His remarkable debut CD “No.1″ had already earned him the Echo Klassik award for the best newcomer in 2008. His style is described as a breathtaking combination of his supreme technical skill and his unmistakable delight in playing.
The Philharmonia of the Nations – “Let’s make music as friends”
The Philharmonia of the Nations was founded in 1995 by Justus Frantz under the credo of Leonard Bernstein “Let’s make music as friends” which still serves as motto and inspiration for the orchestra’s activities.
The idea behind was the formation of an unconventional, multicultural orchestra of young creative musicians from different nations and cultures whose common language is music, thus conveying a message of peace and harmony.
Sharing these ideals Montblanc is one of the founding sponsors and patron of the Philharmonia of the Nations.
PRIX Montblanc winner of 2008 was the 23-year-old Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova.
The ensemble is made up of young talented musicians, currently from 40 nations and four continents and has been reviewed by the New York Times as one of the ten best orchestras in the world.
