Glashütte Original names winner of 9th Music Festival Award 2012 prize goes to Hélène Grimaud

Dear Revolusionistas,

The first of June saw Saxon watch manufactory Glashütte Original and
the Dresden Music Festival present the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award,
now in its ninth year.

This year, French pianist Hélène Grimaud took home the 25,000 Euro prize.



Dieter Pachner, Glashütte Original Vice President Sales, and Jan Vogler,
Director of the Dresden Music Festival, presented the prize to Hélène Grimaud
following an extraordinary concert performance at the Semper Opera:





The pianist with Antoinette Pospischil (Chair of the International Children's Camp)



An ambassador for the „Villa Sans Souci International Children’s Camp“,
Ms Grimaud has chosen to donate the prize money to support one of
the organization’s projects in Brandenburg.

Hélène Grimaud is one of the most unusual artists and most successful pianists
of our time. Through the power of her music she is also an effective ambassador
of music as a means of communication and mutual understanding.

She dedicates a great deal of time to social and environmental projects
such as the Wolf Conservation Centre, which she founded.

For her commitment as an active member of the non-profit Villa Sans Souci
International Children’s Camp foundation in Brandenburg, Hélène Grimaud
has now been honoured with the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award 2012.



As in past years, the construction of the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award
trophy was undertaken by two apprentice watchmakers from the Alfred Helwig
Watchmaking School in Glashütte. For ten years now the school, an integral part
of the Glashütte Original manufactory, has accepted 15 new students each year,
12 apprentice watchmakers and 3 future toolmakers.



Stefanie Leuschke and Sandro Schubert are the two apprentice watchmakers
who made this year's Glashütte Original Music Festival trophy.



The design of the trophy combines traditional watchmaking craftsmanship
with modern materials. The cantilevered tourbillon with its 18 tiny weighted screws
symbolizes the watchmaker’s virtuosity. The flying tourbillon complication itself
is considered to be the epitome of the art of watchmaking; it was developed
in Glashütte in 1920.

Since 2004 the prize, funded by Glashütte Original, has been awarded jointly
by the Dresden Music Festival and Glashütte Original.



The award honours the lifetime work of an artist dedicated to the musical arts
who has continued and furthered his or her commitment to music over the course
of several decades.

Previous prize-winners include the director Kurt Masur, choreographer
John Neumeier, opera director Joachim Herz, violinist Gidon Kremer and
the mezzo-soprano, Christa Ludwig.

With the naming of director Gustavo Dudamel as prize-winner for 2009
the award reflected a change in perspective: for the first time the prize
honoured an artist who has dedicated considerable time and effort
to supporting emerging artists.

The new orientation is also evident in the choice of Valery Gergiev, director
and general manager of the renowned Mariinsky Theatre, who was awarded
the prize in 2010. Ever since, as intended, the prize money has gone to support
the development of young artists.



Wim K.
Glashütte Original Forum Moderator

Dream as if you'll live forever,
live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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un día a la vez, siempre cerca de usted