Join host Stefania Passamonte for the 5th edition of Future Classic Women Awards, a celebration of extraordinary female talent in classical music. This episode showcases the finalists across two categories: Opera and Crossover, and Instrumentalists. From opera singer Nadine Benjamin’s breathtaking rendition of Strauss to West End superstar Jennifer Tierney’s powerful performance of “Someone Like You,” each finalist brings their unique artistry and innovation to the classical stage.
The episode features an impressive lineup including Luciana Di Bella’s creative reimagining of Puccini’s “Butterfly,” soprano crossover artist Lola Ganzaroli performing “Meet Me in Time” in duo, and Joanna Forrest and Olga Thomas with their special coronation tribute “His Noble Crown.” In the Instrumentalist category, listeners will discover Grammy-nominated talents like Anna Williams with the Neve Trio performing Ravel, Svetlana Smolina’s virtuosic interpretation of Balakirev’s “Islamey,” and Aiza Ijiri’s stunning piano transcription of Prokofiev’s “Young Juliet.”
To vote for your favorite finalist, listeners are encouraged to explore the full interviews on the Women’s Radio Station website and SoundCloud, then share, like, and comment while tagging their picks. The winners will be announced in September following the summer holidays, so don’t miss this opportunity to support these amazing female classical artists.
Main Topics
The 5th edition of Future Classic Women Awards features 10 finalists across Opera/Crossover and Instrumentalist categories
Opera and Crossover finalists include Nadine Benjamin, Luciana Di Bella, Lola Ganzaroli with Natasha Barbieri, Joanna Forrest with Olga Thomas, and Jennifer Tierney
Instrumentalist finalists showcase classical virtuosity including Grammy-nominated performances and works by Ravel, Mussorgsky, Balakirev, and Prokofiev
Multiple finalists have prestigious accolades including Grammy nominations and West End credentials
Audience participation determines winners through interviews, social media engagement, and tagging on Women's Radio Station platforms
Results will be announced in September with voting encouraged through website, SoundCloud, and social media
The awards celebrate innovative interpretations, from reimagined classic arias to Grammy-winning albums
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards, the 5th edition, with me Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station,...▼
Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards, the 5th edition, with me Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. On this wonderful morning of summer 2023 here in London, we're gonna start listening to the very first finalist of Future Classic Women Awards, our opera singer Nadine Benjamin. Here performing Beim Schlafengehen by Strauss for his last song, recorded live with the London City Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Payne. And this was our very first finalist in the opera category, Nadine Benjamin with Strauss' Beim Schlafengehen from The Last Four Songs. The second finalist of Future Classical Women Awards, I'm very excited to announce Luciana Di Bella. She's here with a special song that she made with her own words on on Butterfly, that is the muted choir from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The lyrics and voice were written by Luciana Di Bella, and the piano arrangement was made by Massimiliano Pace from her upcoming album Lullaby. Butterfly, I'm on dice. Don't you cry, I'm by your side. The sun, the sun, it lives in us. Stay in our heart. Hold me tight. Lift your heart. Nightmares are Fading away. And, oh, James are going to stay. Waterfly, the sun rays renew. Let your body radiate so you can fly high and bright. Every day of your life. Butterfly, butterfly. Mind the gap. Mind the gap. And this was our second, second opera finalist of Future Classical Women Awards, Luciana Di Bella, with her own version of Puccini's Chorus from Madame Butterfly that she called Butterfly. Now, the next finalist of Future Classic Women Awards is a return. Wonderful friends, a fantastic soprano crossover, Lola Ganzaroli. She's here with another finalist from previous edition of Future Classic Women Awards, Natasha Barbieri, and we're gonna listen to her in duo performing Meeting in Time. Time's flown, years gone since I have seen your face. Yet you and I met so many times, but only in my dreams. You're here in my dreams. I And I've seen you. Hear me, hold me. Wherever you are, I will always find you. For we are bound for eternity. We are here. In my dreams I feel and I see you. You come to me. I'm here with You make the time stand still. Is this a dream? Stay, take my hand and walk along this way with me. There is no past, no future, only now, Dave says to me. This moment, you and I are one, and my heart is reaching out to tell you how long since you've been gone. I cry, cry from joy. Come, I am always here for you, my love. In my heart, my soul, we've never been apart. In my dreams, You are here. In my dreams I feel and I see you. In my dreams, there you are. In my dreams I feel and see you. You are my light. You are my strength. You're in the deepest part of my soul. I love you. This was Lola Ganzaroli performing Meet Me in Time in duo with Natasha Barbieri. The 4th finalist for the Opera and Crossover category is Olga Thomas with the Joanna Forrest. They came, obviously, to Classic Women Awards with a very special new single released on 4th of May for the coronation of our new king, King Charles III, and the song is called His Noble Crown. A gracious sovereign on us conferred, a fearless Rex, yet a defender, proclaimed with exultation, "Joseph!" Rex Dei gratia Britannia, Arum omnium trals, caesare. Long may they reign, our king and queen anointed, by Providence appointed, never grow restless. Tales tell of Jacob's long wars before the time when that Folksong, I say, for all of us. Let great quiet sing, crown the Queen of Peace. Let church bells ring for all the world. Let church bells ring for death. So these were our, um, fourth finalist for opera and crossover, that is Joanna Forrest and Olga Thomas in the instrumentalist composing category, with the song His Noble Crown, dedicated to King Charles III. And the last finalist of Future Classic Women Awards in the crossover category is a West End superstar, Jennifer Tierney. She's here performing for us Someone Like You from Jekyll, Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. I peer through windows, what shall Life go by, dream of tomorrow, and wonder why the past is holding me, keeping life at bay. I wonder, lost in yesterday, wanting to fly. But scared to try. But if someone like you found someone like me, then suddenly nothing would ever be the same. My heart would take wing and I'd feel so alive if someone like you found me. So many secrets I've longed to share. All I have needed is someone there to help me see a world I've never seen before. A love to open every door, to set me free so I can So if someone like you found someone like me, then suddenly nothing would ever be the same. There'd be a new way to live, a new life to love. If someone like you found me. Oh, if someone like you found someone like me, then suddenly nothing would ever be the same. My heart would take wing and I'd feel so Life. If someone like you loved me, love So with Jennifer Tierney, we're concluding the section of the opera and crossover finalists of Future Classical Music Awards 2023. Edition with the song Someone Like You from Jackie Lane Hyde. Now remember, to decide the winner for each category, you need to listen to their interview on the finalist playlist on Women's Radio Station website and SoundCloud, and share, like, and comment on your favorite finalist, finalist tagging the Women's Radio Station and Future Classic Women Awards and me, Stefania Passamonte. Now we're ready to listen to the very exciting finalists of the instrumentalist category. We're gonna start with Anna William. She's here with the Naive Trio. She was— and the track from their nominated album for the 65th Grammy Awards, Musical Remembrances. And the track we've chosen for you today is Ravel Trio in A minor The finale. Anime. And this was Anna Williams with her Neve Trio from the 65th Grammy Awards Best Classical Chamber Music Album nominated Musical Remembrances performing the Ravel Trio in E minor, the finale, Anime. Now the second finalist for the Instrumentalist category, I'm happy to reveal, is Eulalie Charland. Eulalie Charland came on Future Classic Women Awards with a very special group, Synchrony, that is a women representative orchestra performing Mussorgsky on the Southern Chorn of the Crimea. So the second finalist for the instrumentalist category was Olelie Charland with the Synchrony Group Orchestra performing Mussorgsky, On the Southern Shore of the Crimea, live recording. Now the third and very exciting finalist of Future Classical Women Awards is Danik Santev Lasse. She's here with their— she— with their Mythology album, who won the Grammys for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. And we're gonna listen to the track Sirens Cinematic. Oh! Oh! So this was Siren or Sirens cinematic, um, from, um, Mythologies, the Grammy-winning album, um, by Jane Xante Vlasse, our third nominee finalist of Future Classic Women Awards. The next performer is gonna be Svetlana Smolina. She's here with a recording, phenomenal recording of Balakirev's Islamey. The fourth finalist of Future Classical Women Awards 2023 is Svetlana Smolina, that we just listened to performing Balakirev's Es La Mei. And the last but not least wonderful finalist of Future Classical Women Awards is the phenomenal Aiza Ijiri. We're gonna listen to her performing Young Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75 by Prokofiev. This is a ballet suite that has been transcribed by Prokofiev himself for solo piano. So this is a virtuosistic, super fantastic performance by Aiza Ijiri. And this was Aiza Ijiri with Young Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75 by Prokofiev, our last but not least finalist of Future Classics Women Awards 2023. Again, to decide the winner for each category, please listen to their interviews on the finalist playlist of Women's Radio Station website. And SoundCloud, and share, like, and comment on your favorite finalist, tagging the Women's Radio Stations Future Classic Women Awards and me, the presenter, Stefania Passamonte. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our 6th edition of Future Classic Women Awards, please email presenters@womenstradiostation.com or tweet us @WomenRadioStn. The results, as you know, will come soon after the holidays in September, so we're looking forward to discover the winner of the 5th edition of Future Classical Women Awards. Remember, share, listen, tag, comment, do as much as you can for the favorite finalists in the classical and opera and for the instrumentalist categories. A big thanks to all our guests, all the nominees of this 5th edition of Future Classical Women Awards. They've all been phenomenal. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. And if you do like to listen to any other episode of Future Classic Women Awards during the year— there is so many, they're also exciting— please head to my presenter page, Stefania Passamonte, Future Classic Women Awards on womensradiostation.com. Thank you for listening.
