Global Music Awards: May 2013 Honorees
Shelbi Bennett of the band The Midnight Pine, Awake Now, album, raw undiscovered talent, is honored as female vocalist. She captivates with ageless, tender vocals that are said to recall a young Adele or perhaps Kelly Clarkson. Bennett has unusual range, power, and an exceptional gift for phrasing. Although Bennett is only in her early twenties, her voice has a timeless quality and captures the ear upon first encounter. She has compelling stage presence and audiences are surprised that big soulful voice? is coming out of that young performer. It's a compliment to Bennett that very seasoned musicians selected her to be their lead vocalist. Shelbi Bennett's siren vocal is hypnotic, dynamic and beautiful.
Silver Medal Winners - Outstanding Achievement
Alan Williams, The Cinema Collection, original scores, contains more than a decade-long list of award-winning compositions. His soaring Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa score won the Accolade Competition's Best of Show honors. This album, a double CD set, has 42 tracks of this legendary composer's best work.
Anoush Tchakarian, Ravel: Ondine from Gaspard de le Nuit, instrumental performance solo, is winner of Steinway Society Piano Competition held in Pittsburgh, PA and winner of the Concerto Competition, Duquesne University. Professor Anoush is with the adjunct piano faculty at Duquesne University's Mary Pappert School of Music.
Chad Ackerman, The In Between, male vocalist, is a rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer, director, actor, producer, illustrator, vegan, and artist. Ackerman's debut as a singer/songwriter was under the name A Veil in the album entitled The In Between. Ackerman's band is Chapter 14 with Tanner Sparks who was formerly bassist for Destroy the Runner.
Costanza Savarese & Andrea Oliva (Italy), Globe, chamber music, features flutist Andrea Olivia and guitarist Costanza Savares who are considered major elements within their instrumental fields and generation. They certainly reached their goal by marrying flue and guitar to create new expressions, colors and emotions from masterpieces spanning three centuries.
Daria Scarano, Works by Franz Liszt, album, holds a doctorate degree in piano performance from the University of Maryland. Silver Medalist of the Emil Gilels International Piano Competition, Scarano performs regularly in solo and chamber music recitals and orchestras in the United States, France Switzerland, Italy and Russia.
Karen Walwyn, Reflections on 9/11 for Solo Piano, instrumentalist, is an hour-long suite in seven movements that expresses the composer's reactions to the horrific events of that day. She performs with dazzling piano virtuosity bringing to life the enormity of the physical and mental anguish, shared togetherness and resurrection of hope. She on faculty at Howard University.
Vicente Avella, All the Days of My Life, instrumental performance solo, is an album of original arrangements of wedding classics that embraces both traditional and contemporary sensibilities. Stunningly performed, fresh, beautifully arranged and magical. Born in Venezuela, Avella has also scored numerous films and orchestrated major television productions.
Bronze Medal Winners - Finalists
Alfred Howard, The Midnight Pine, band, teams up with 22-year-old singer Shelbi Bennett to play sad, quiet country-folk tunes. Onstage they're joined by guitarist Sean Martin, and they recently put out an album, Awake Now. Howard provides lyrics and percussion.
Angela Luna, Breeze, music video, is heartfelt and touching. Singer/songwriter Angela Luna teams up with director Sarah Elgart to express the power of love between a parent and child. Shot in the mountains of Topanga, California, it features guitar work by Noah Needleman.
Arek Religa, Chicago Guitar Knight, instrumentalist; and Warrior, composer, is fast moving and eclectic instrumental guitar rock. Born in in Poland, he is a technically gifted and melodically skilled guitarist who received a Hollywood Music Award for Best New Age Artist.
Chad Ackerman, Tombs, music video, is a rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer, director, actor, producer, illustrator, vegan, and artist. Ackerman's debut as a singer/songwriter was under the name A Veil in the album entitled The In Between.
Chai-Lun Yueh, Chinese Classical Art Songs, male vocalist, baritone soloist, educator, musical director, Grammy award nominee, is a professor at Trinity College, Hartford, and Wesleyan University, Middletown. Yueh has performed in Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
Costanza Savarese (Italy), Constance, instrumental performance solo, is a classical guitarist with outstanding interpretative and technical skills. Her live performances are frequently broadcast by Rai-Italian National Radio/Television, RSI-Italian Switzerland Radio and Vatican Radio.
Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, Fantasie #1: Night without Sleep, composer, was composed as a response to sleepless nights. It beautifully conveys many varied moods; from flights of fancy to intense anxiety, frustration, and even anger. It ends with a peaceful drifting toward dreams.
Ilan Rosenberg (Canada), FLY: Anti Bullying PSA, music video, is an inspirational production about a girl who is bullied because she is different. Created by martial arts professional, Rosenberg to raise awareness about bullying; sung by his daughter Ilora with lyrics by Niko Sofianos.
Kristian Sensini (Italy), Hyde's Secret Nightmare, original score, is a noted composer for film specializing in thriller, drama, fantasy and documentary. He is a pianist and flutist who collaborates with National School of Cinema in Rome, Italy.
Michael Tushaus, Territory 8, original score for a sci-fi feature film, features a leitmotif utilized by such films as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Each instrument is like a cog in a machine leaving the listener uneasy most of the time and creating a dire urgency in the film.
Paul Verhoeven (France), 66 Noels Provenaux, special purpose recordings, is a labor of love to save the historic Christmas carols of Provence, France. Carefully researched from church archives in Avignon, France, set to organ, this album of 66 melodies saves this cultural treasure.
Quincy C. Hilliard, Kojiki, composer; creates compositions that have been performed throughout the world. He is a recipient of the distinguished American Society of Composers honors. Dr. Hilliard is the Heymann Endowed Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana.
Robert S. Martin III, Nothing Real, music video, speaks directly to what it feels like, on the inside, for returning soldiers to go through post-traumatic stress. Martin joined forces with the rock band CoMMoVe to raise awareness of this condition and reach out to those affected.
Vicente Avella, All the Days of My Life, album and album cover/art/graphics, of original arrangements of wedding classics that embraces both traditional and contemporary sensibilities. Stunningly performed, fresh, beautifully arranged and magical.
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