Classical:NEXT Expo Announces 2022 Innovation Award Longlist

The Classical:NEXT expo has released the longlist for its 2022 Innovation Award — a prize that recognizes musicians who are working to help present music in new ways, thus reaching larger audiences.

In 2022, the organization says that the focus has been on collaboration and the networks that have allowed musicians to continue to create meaningful work over the course of the pandemic.

"Recently, topics such as social inclusion, climate change and diversity have been in the spotlight and organizations are exploring new collaborations in order to bring these to the forefront," Classical:NEXT said of the nominations. "These efforts are opening up classical music to new themes, locations and people, expanding the borders of the genre."

The longlisted nominees, who were selected by a panel of fifteen music journalists, are as follows:

• Big hART for 'The Acoustic Life of Sheds' (Australia)
  Nominated by Harriet Cunningham
• CRM Musical Sculptures (Italy)
  Nominated by Gianluigi Mattietti
• Death of Classical (United States)
  Nominated by Brian Wise
• Debussy NOW! (Hungary)
  Nominated by Máté Csabai
• Edinburgh International Festival/ Leith Academy residency (UK)
  Nominated by David Kettle
• Festival Artes Vertentes - International Arts Festival of Tiradentes (Brazil)
  Nominated by João Luiz Sampaio
• Heartbeat Opera (United States)
  Nominated by Brian Wise
• Jazz & Classical Encounters at Spier (South Africa)
  Nominated by Matthijs van Dijk
• Musical Storytelling (Lithuania)
  Nominated by Rasa Murauskaitė
• Nevis Ensemble (UK)
  Nominated by David Kettle
• Ngarra Burria (Australia)
  Nominated by Harriet Cunningham
• Opera Calcetin (Chile)
  Nominated by Romina de la Sotta
• Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín (Colombia)
  Nominated by Mauricio Pena
• Patronato y Sociedad de Amigos de la OFUNAM (Mexico)
  Nominated by René Solís Brun
• Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble (Poland)
  Nominated by Monika Pasiecznik
• Symphony ("La Caixa" Foundation) (Spain)
  Nominated by Lorena Jiménez Alonso
• The Choral Hub (UK)
  Nominated by Steve Long
• The Kanneh-Mason Family (UK)
  Nominated by Jessica Duchen
• Tutti a Santa Cecilia (Italy)
  Nominated by Gianluigi Mattietti
• Vilnius New and Experimental Music Series KONTAKTAS (Lithuania)
  Nominated by Rasa Murauskaitė

The winners will be determined by popular vote from members of the Classical:NEXT community.