As part of our continuing collaboration with the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), we are excited to announce the recipient of the 2025 ICMA-Classeek Award: Ettore Pagano, a rising star in the world of classical music. This prestigious award recognizes young artists who have shown exceptional promise and contributed significantly to the classical music scene.

Meet Ettore Pagano: 2025 ICMA-Classeek Award Winner

Born in Rome in 2003, Ettore began his cello studies at the age of nine. A graduate of the Conservatorio S. Cecilia in Rome, he has already garnered significant international recognition, performing at prestigious venues around the world. Notably, in the 2023/24 season, Ettore made his debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, performing in Torino with a live RAI 5 broadcast, and internationally at the Opera House in Muscat.

Ettore has also earned numerous accolades, including First Prize and several Special Prizes at the XVIII Kachaturian International Competition in Armenia. He has also won top honours at various competitions such as the J. Brahms International Competition (2020), the Anna Kull Competition in Graz, Austria (2020), and the International Klaipeda Cello Competition. (2019). In addition, he was awarded the Salieri Prize at the 10th International Competition “Antonio Salieri” and the Second Prize at the New York International Artist Association competition, leading to a debut at Carnegie Hall.

Ettore continues to collaborate with renowned orchestras such as the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Graz Philharmonic, and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and has recently performed recitals in cities like Torino, Venice, and Genoa. He also plays a cello by I. Ongaro (Venezia, 1777), kindly provided by Setaro Fine Instruments.

Nominees and 2025 ICMA Young Artist Winner

This year’s nominees for the ICMA-Classeek Award included some truly exceptional talent: Alexandra Bidi (harp), Daniil Bulayev (violin), Jonatan Senik (piano), Ido Zeev (piano), Bar Zemach (horn), and Simon Zhu (violin). We are proud to recognise them for their contributions to the world of classical music.

We are equally delighted to announce that Benjamin Kruithof, the cellist from Luxembourg, has been named the 2025 ICMA Young Artist of the Year. A charismatic performer, Benjamin has made a name for himself internationally, winning the prestigious Georges Enescu International Competition, releasing his debut album with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and being selected for the ECHO Rising Stars series. As part of our partnership with ICMA, Benjamin will join the Classeek Ambassador Programme for the 2025-26 season. Learn more about the Ambassador Programme here.

Save the Date: Award Ceremony in Düsseldorf

The award ceremony for both the ICMA-Classeek Award and the ICMA Young Artist of the Year will take place on March 19th, 2025, at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf. During the ceremony, Ettore will be presented with the ICMA-Classeek Award and will perform at the Gala Concert with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, conducted by Adam Fischer. The ceremony and concert will be available to watch online—please visit the ICMA website for further details.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Ettore Pagano and Benjamin Kruithof on their remarkable achievements, and we look forward to seeing their continued success in the classical music world!