New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Reed MIDEM) midem 2012 is continuing a 30-year tradition by making classical music a central part of the event, which runs from 28-31 January in Cannes.
On Monday 30 January, in collaboration with world-renowned UK artist and project management agency Harrison Parrott, midem is organising a gala evening dedicated to classical music, which will be held in the Theatre Croisette du Palais Stephanie, situated in the JW Marriott Cannes Hotel. The evening will be hosted by trumpet soloist Alison Balsom who will give an exclusive performance at the event along with 2 other rising stars. "We are very pleased to be working with midem," said Jasper Parrott, Chairman and Joint Managing
Director of Harrison Parrott. "It means we can put classical music where it deserves to be - at the top of music lovers' agendas with great music and artists of the future," he added.
Once again, this year's midem will offer a major programme of conferences, concerts, networking opportunities and mentoring sessions for participants.
IMZ (International
Music + Media Centre), the global association for all those involved in any aspect of audio-visual music and dance (broadcasters; performing arts companies and venues; programme producers and distributors; record and DVD labels…), will organise, in cooperation with midem, a welcome/networking cocktail for classical music professionals on Saturday 28 January. In addition, IMZ will host the
Avant PremiereScreenings presenting their most recent TV and DVD programmes from Saturday 28 until Tuesday 31 January.
Also, dedicated mentoring sessions for the classical music community will be organised on January 31, in the central Direct2Fan zone situated in the Riviera hall, in collaboration with the French organisation bureauexport.
The midem academywill be offering daily training courses in partnership with the renowned Berklee College of Music. Led by industry professionals and teachers, the courses will focus on the Direct2Fan strategy to best optimise audience engagement as well as career development strategies and new business models. This training programme is aimed at both independent artists and players from the music industry - all musical genres together - as well as technology developers and brands, who can ask questions via round table and mentoring sessions organised in the Direct2Fan zone.
Two artist 'ambassadors' will actively participate in this new Direct2Fan zone: American cellist Zoe Keatingand producer-composer-singer and Spanish guitarist Javier Limon. They will present their approach to the music business via individual meetings with midem attendees. Zoe Keating, who offers a technological approach to the cello and who has worked with artists including
Tears for Fears and DJ Shadow, said of her upcoming participation in midem, "I made a niche music career by getting out a machete and cutting a little path for myself. But I'd have gotten nowhere without help and inspiration from others along the way. We're nothing without our connections to each other. I'm a solo artist, so while I spend most of my creative time alone, I like to meet people and find out what's happening. I really want artists to know that it is possible to make a sustainable music career without selling your soul, and that's why I'll be at midem."
Highlights of the programme include a conference on the development of artistic careers organised by the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL) on Sunday 29 January.
