Michael Houstoun, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Victoria in 2011, received the Best Classical Album award for his record Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas.
The 14-disc boxed set album was recorded in Victoria’s Adam Concert Room over the course of Houstoun’s 2013 ReCycle concert series, presented by Chamber Music New Zealand. ReCycle featured the internationally-renowned pianist performing the complete Beethoven piano sonatas in more than 50 recitals across New Zealand, including four complete cycles of all 32 sonatas in Auckland, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch.
The album was produced by Kenneth Young from Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) at Victoria, and engineered by Steve Garden from Rattle Records.
Euan Murdoch, the director of NZSM, says the award recognises Houstoun’s monumental achievement. “The whole project to record the Beethoven sonatas was a massive undertaking, and one that the NZSM has been immensely proud to be associated with. Michael is a living legend.”