Joyce DiDonato Wins 2010 German ECHO Klassik Singer of the Year Award

After a wildly successful season that included a critically acclaimed company debut with the Los Angeles Opera in Rossini's IL Barbiere di Siviglia, after which the Los Angeles Times exclaimed that she "stole a show that was hard to steal", and her role debut as Elena in La donna del lago with the Paris Opera, which the Financial Times hailed as "simply the best singing...heard in years," mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato ends her 2009-10 season on a high note: nominated for a 2010 Gramophone "Artist of the Year" Award and winning a 2010 ECHO Klassik Award in the category of female "Singer of the Year" (tenor Jonas Kaufmann won the male equivalent). The prestigious award and nomination confirm DiDonato's status as today's "most user-friendly diva" (Opera News).

This year's ten Gramophone Award "Artist of the Year" nominees are a wide-ranging and colorful group of personalities, united in their zealous commitment to their artistry and to connecting with audiences. Radio listeners and Gramophone readers are invited to vote for the artist they feel has made the most significant impact on the classical music scene in the past twelve months.

Music lovers can cast their votes at www.gramophone.co.uk, where they can also learn more about DiDonato and the other nominees. The winner of the "Artist of the Year" category - along with those of the "Record of the Year" and 13 other highly coveted Gramophone Awards - will be announced at the Gramophone Awards ceremony in London on Friday, October 1.

The ECHO Klassik Award - the German equivalent of the American Grammy Award - is presented by the Deutsche Phonoakademie, the cultural institute of the German Music Industry Association (BVMI). According to BVMI CEO Dieter Gorny, "Since 1992 the award ceremony of the German music ECHO Awards has been one of the highlights of the music year. It is the acknowledgement of great creative work. Being nominated means already being in a group of the world's top artists. From rather modest beginnings, the German music ECHO Award has developed over the years into an honor recognized around the world."

The 17th annual ECHO Klassik Awards will be held on October 17 at the home of the Essen Philharmonic in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Joyce DiDonato adds another new role to her repertoire this August (9 & 14) when she portrays Adalgisa in a concert performance of Bellini's Norma at the Salzburg Festival. DiDonato is joined by soprano Edita Gruberova in the title role and tenor Marcello Giordani as Pollione. Friedrich Haider leads the Camerata Salzburg and the Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus.

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