Prominent pianist Ratimir Martinović, founder and director of the KotorArt International Festival, is the first face of the new global music platform Azure Sky, based in Hong Kong.
Martinović has performed at more than 700 concerts and with more than 60 orchestras around the world. He is also a professor at the University of Novi Sad and a frequent member of the jury of piano competitions on different continents.
"The traditional image of the classical and jazz music fan as a white, middle-aged man browsing the local record store is outdated. Today's audience is younger, genre-agnostic, culturally diverse and gender-equal, and they deserve a label that reflects their tastes," says Azure Sky founder, Astrid Angvik.
“Azure Sky brings together music industry veterans with established and emerging artists, driven by a bold vision. The publishing house believes in elevating classical music through innovative technology and creative approaches. Committed to 'blue sky' thinking, we aim to produce stunning recordings that showcase the beauty, richness and diversity of classical music, while respecting the tradition and heritage of the past 400 years," added Angvik.
The journey of this musical platform begins with the album "Back to Bach", which was released yesterday and contains the Goldberg Variations performed by the Montenegrin pianist Ratimir Martinović, who for next year announces a new look at this capital work of musical literature, with a significantly different arrangement.
"On the other hand, the label will release on November 1 the complete Bach chorales, arranged for piano and recorded by the French Spotify sensation Nicolas Horvath, in a fresh, intimate environment. This revolutionary project presents 371 chorales, offering a structured year-long journey through Bach's masterful harmonies and spiritual depth," announced Azure Sky.
"Furthermore, in January 2025, the famous Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan will present Bach's choral preludes with transcriptions of favorite works. Azure Sky has more exciting projects in the pipeline, including 'Magical Moon', which will feature monthly releases of celestial-themed works in performance Karla Peterson and an album of piano works by the Danish composer Larsa A. Bisgaarda. The first single in the lunar-themed series, 'Max's Lunar Lullaby', was written by the award-winning guitarist Marek Pasieczny for Petersson," the statement added.
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