The news of this award surprised and delighted me. It is the corollary of a journey that began twenty years ago; the extraordinary adventure of a group of young artists who came together in an ensemble, animated by the desire to get to the bottom of a marvellous and much-loved repertoire, that of Italian 18th century vocal music, through radical study and research. The only focal point is to bring out not only the beauty, but also the profound ability of this music to speak to the contemporary world. We would not have got this far without the Fondazione Collegio Ghislieri, which has strongly supported this project, first and foremost through Professor Andrea Belvedere. In his more than forty years as Rector, he has shaped the Ghislieri of the Future, and the Centro di Musica Antica Ghislieri, of which he is still President, is one of his most significant achievements, the result of five decades of hard, constant, patient work.

In an extremely difficult historical moment, in a country where the music scene has tended to shrink, in perpetual suffering, the Ghislieri is entering a new phase. After the Abbiati Prize in 2019, the award for „best choral record“ at the ICMA 2021 makes us look to the future with renewed enthusiasm. The Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri have many concerts and recordings to perform between now and 2024, as well as many of my commitments as conductor. My personal activity, through encounters with different and extraordinary orchestras, choirs and artists, allows me to compare notes, increase my experience and mature my sensitivity. These experiences I then bring back home, to Ghislieri, putting them at the service of my wonderful musicians, so that I can grow even more with them. Therefore, I sincerely thank the ICMA jury and, with it, all those who believed in me and in the Ghislieri artistic project. A deep gratitude, which turns into energy and desire to go forward.

Giulio Prandi