The Brilliant Classics release "Sergio Fiorentino - The Legacy” is the winner of the ICMA 2026 in the category “Historical Recordings”.

The Sergio Fiorentino Edition is the most comprehensiv ever ecorded tribute to the Italian pianist Sergio Fiorentino. The set has been curated by collector Ernst Lumpe who also contributes an introduction and essay alongside texts by Christoph Schlüren and Ottavia Maria Maceratini. It was Lumpe who drew the pianist out of retirement in the 1990s, resulting in an “Indian Summer” of recordings made in Berlin up until shortly before Fiorentino’s death in 1998. These are reissued here together with much less familiar solo and concerto recordings from the 1950s and 60s (“The Early Recordings”), as well as separate sections devoted to Fiorentino’s distinctive, free-spirited mastery of Chopin and Liszt.

Statement of the ICMA jury: "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli called him “the only other pianist” (apart from himself, of course): the artistry of Sergio Fiorentino, whose brilliant career was cut short by the aftermath of a plane crash, shines in all its glory thanks to this rich Brilliant box set, the most comprehensive ever dedicated to the Neapolitan pianist. Curated by Ernst Lumpe, the man who convinced him to resume performing, it is an essential contribution to the rediscovery of a true aristocrat of the keyboard, worthy of comparison with the greatest pianists of the 20th century."

The winners will receive their trophies at the annual awards ceremony, which will take place at the Keilberth Hall in Bamberg on 18 March 2026. The evening will also feature a gala concert with several of the winners performing alongside the Bamberger Symphoniker, conducted by Jakub Hrůša. You can find more information here.

We are very happy about this recognition and proud of the award!