The previous evening Kaufmann had wowed Royal Festival Hall audiences with a concert of Verdi and Wagner. “He’s been described as the Wagner tenor we’ve all been waiting for. And for once the hype is justified” ( Evening Standard)

Kaufmann’s Wagner disc with Donald Runnicles conducting the Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin was released in February. “With this glorious disc, Kaufmann sets a standard for our time” – Sunday Times. He recently sang the title role of Wagner’s Parsifal at the New York Metropolitan Opera. “Jonas Kaufmann looks and acts the part to perfection”(AP)

The prize winning recording of Alessandro, released last September, starred soloists Max Emanuel Cencic, Julia Lezhneva, Karina Gauvin and Armonia Atenea. George Petrou conducted his Armonia Atenea. “These discs should come with an asbestos slipcase, so incendiary is the performance they convey . . . a supremely ensemble effort, singers and instrumentalists striking sparks off each other under the energised and energising musical direction of George Petrou . . . Cencic is imperious hot-bloodedness personified (BBC Music Magazine)

The 55th annual Grammy® awards ceremony, held in Los Angeles on February 10 and telecast internationally, honored Renée Fleming´s album Poèmes. Recorded with Alan Gilbert and Seiji Ozawa conducting the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Poémes was named “Best Classical Vocal Solo” recording. Released in February 2012, this collection of sensual French masterpieces includes Ravel’s evocative Shéhérazade and Messiaen’s first major song cycle, Poèmes pour Mi.

The recording also features two works by Henri Dutilleux: Le Temps l’horloge, written specifically for Fleming, and Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou, which the composer asked her to take into her repertoire.