17 décember 2024
The Centre Européen de Musique is extremely honoured to announce that its founding president, Jorge Chaminé, a renowned operatic baritone and fervent defender of European culture, has been honoured at the 21st edition of the European Initiative Prize. The ceremony, organised by the Maison de l'Europe in Paris and the European Press Club, is being held on 17 December 2024 at the Maison de l'Europe in Paris.
This prestigious award recognises Jorge Chaminé's unwavering commitment to spreading the values and cultural richness of Europe through music. At the head of the Centre Européen de Musique, he has promoted Europe's musical heritage, while supporting innovative and inclusive initiatives that encourage dialogue between cultures.
Since its creation in 2004, the European Initiative Prize has celebrated personalities, media and organisations (Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission - 2021 - Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission - 2017 - or Enrico Letta, former President of the Italian Council of Ministers - 2017), who contribute to promoting Europe and its ideals. The jury for this 2024 edition wanted to highlight the impact of culture in the construction of European unity, saluting the work of Jorge Chaminé alongside three other prestigious winners: Edgar Morin, Fabio Gambaro and Laurent Gaudé.
''Receiving the 2024 European Initiative Award is a huge honour and recognition of the fight we are waging to make music a common good at the heart of European society. As Schiller wrote, music is a means of uplifting humanity, and it embodies Europe's cultural identity. This prize also celebrates the Centre Européen de Musique's commitment to preserving and transmitting our common heritage, through emblematic actions such as the restoration of the Villa Viardot in Bougival, the rescue, alongside Teresa Berganza and Placido Domingo, of Georges Bizet's house and its inclusion in the regional heritage of Ile-de-France, the pan-Europeanisation of the CEM, notably through the creation of the Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians, the establishment of branches of the European Music Centre in Portugal, Spain and soon in Italy, and the co-founding with Europa Nostra and the European Union of the European Heritage Hub, of which the CEM is the only member representing music. Faced with the challenges of our time, music, with its unique ability to link and transcend borders, must be a response, a driving force for building a harmonious future. More than ever, we must join forces to make its motto resound: Let's empower music’, says Jorge Chaminé.
Jorge Chaminé, a baritone of Portuguese and Spanish descent born in Porto on 30 April 1956, is an international figure in classical music. Applauded on the most prestigious stages, from Moscow to New York, Reykjavik to Rio de Janeiro, he has won audiences over with his masterful interpretations of the great operas by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini, while exploring a variety of repertoires from the baroque to the contemporary.
In addition to his artistic career, Jorge Chaminé is also an experienced teacher, regularly giving masterclasses in Europe, Canada, Brazil and the United States. His commitment to peace and social justice has left its mark on his career. As an ambassador for the Music in ME (Music in Middle East) foundation, he has carried out numerous projects in sensitive areas, notably in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. In 2011, he was named the first Musician for Peace by the organisation Music for Peace. Since the early 2000s, he has been working to safeguard Europe's cultural heritage in Bougival. His efforts have led to the rescue of Georges Bizet's house (2018) and the restoration of the Villa Viardot (2023).
Recognised for his cultural and humanitarian impact, he was promoted to Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018 by the French Minister of Culture, and in 2019 received the Médaille Grand Vermeil from the City of Paris. Jorge Chaminé is also an Ambassador for Peace and Justice for the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 NOW Agenda.
In 2013, he founded the Centre Européen de Musique (CEM), an innovative pan-European organisation combining the arts, sciences and humanities to celebrate music as a universal language and a lever for societal transformation. A member of the Board of Europa Nostra and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, in 2023 he was awarded the European Helena Vaz da Silva Prize for raising public awareness of cultural heritage.
Artist, teacher and humanist, Jorge Chaminé embodies the conviction that music can change the world.
17 décember 2024
The Centre Européen de Musique is extremely honoured to announce that its founding president, Jorge Chaminé, a renowned operatic baritone and fervent defender of European culture, has been honoured at the 21st edition of the European Initiative Prize. The ceremony, organised by the Maison de l'Europe in Paris and the European Press Club, is being held on 17 December 2024 at the Maison de l'Europe in Paris.
This prestigious award recognises Jorge Chaminé's unwavering commitment to spreading the values and cultural richness of Europe through music. At the head of the Centre Européen de Musique, he has promoted Europe's musical heritage, while supporting innovative and inclusive initiatives that encourage dialogue between cultures.
Since its creation in 2004, the European Initiative Prize has celebrated personalities, media and organisations (Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission - 2021 - Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission - 2017 - or Enrico Letta, former President of the Italian Council of Ministers - 2017), who contribute to promoting Europe and its ideals. The jury for this 2024 edition wanted to highlight the impact of culture in the construction of European unity, saluting the work of Jorge Chaminé alongside three other prestigious winners: Edgar Morin, Fabio Gambaro and Laurent Gaudé.
''Receiving the 2024 European Initiative Award is a huge honour and recognition of the fight we are waging to make music a common good at the heart of European society. As Schiller wrote, music is a means of uplifting humanity, and it embodies Europe's cultural identity. This prize also celebrates the Centre Européen de Musique's commitment to preserving and transmitting our common heritage, through emblematic actions such as the restoration of the Villa Viardot in Bougival, the rescue, alongside Teresa Berganza and Placido Domingo, of Georges Bizet's house and its inclusion in the regional heritage of Ile-de-France, the pan-Europeanisation of the CEM, notably through the creation of the Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians, the establishment of branches of the European Music Centre in Portugal, Spain and soon in Italy, and the co-founding with Europa Nostra and the European Union of the European Heritage Hub, of which the CEM is the only member representing music. Faced with the challenges of our time, music, with its unique ability to link and transcend borders, must be a response, a driving force for building a harmonious future. More than ever, we must join forces to make its motto resound: Let's empower music’, says Jorge Chaminé.
Jorge Chaminé, a baritone of Portuguese and Spanish descent born in Porto on 30 April 1956, is an international figure in classical music. Applauded on the most prestigious stages, from Moscow to New York, Reykjavik to Rio de Janeiro, he has won audiences over with his masterful interpretations of the great operas by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini, while exploring a variety of repertoires from the baroque to the contemporary.
In addition to his artistic career, Jorge Chaminé is also an experienced teacher, regularly giving masterclasses in Europe, Canada, Brazil and the United States. His commitment to peace and social justice has left its mark on his career. As an ambassador for the Music in ME (Music in Middle East) foundation, he has carried out numerous projects in sensitive areas, notably in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. In 2011, he was named the first Musician for Peace by the organisation Music for Peace. Since the early 2000s, he has been working to safeguard Europe's cultural heritage in Bougival. His efforts have led to the rescue of Georges Bizet's house (2018) and the restoration of the Villa Viardot (2023).
Recognised for his cultural and humanitarian impact, he was promoted to Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018 by the French Minister of Culture, and in 2019 received the Médaille Grand Vermeil from the City of Paris. Jorge Chaminé is also an Ambassador for Peace and Justice for the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 NOW Agenda.
In 2013, he founded the Centre Européen de Musique (CEM), an innovative pan-European organisation combining the arts, sciences and humanities to celebrate music as a universal language and a lever for societal transformation. A member of the Board of Europa Nostra and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, in 2023 he was awarded the European Helena Vaz da Silva Prize for raising public awareness of cultural heritage.
Artist, teacher and humanist, Jorge Chaminé embodies the conviction that music can change the world.
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