Mezzo-soprano Lena Belkina’s first album garnered high praise: “She sings Desdemona’s ‘Willow Song’ from Rossini’s Otello with lyrical intensity… Nacqui all’affanno e al pianto” from La Cenerentola is sharp-witted and brilliant”, opined Das Opernglas, while WAZ (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung) wrote: “The coloratura is splendidly placed whether she’s mobilizing Tudor fury (in Anna Bolena), questioning her heart in the Barber of Seville or letting the soul of ‘Tanti affetti’ (La donna del lago) overflow with elegant beauty.”

Released in celebration of the great Russian pianist’s 80th birthday (06 July) this set of the French Suites continues Ashkenazy’s extraordinary journey through the major keyboard works of JS Bach.

Recorded to commemorate 100 years since the Armenian genocide, Ararat sees French ensemble Canticum Novum perform a varied selection of early music from Armenia and France, including religious and secular Armenian songs and the Tierce Estampie Royale from the 13th- and 14th-century Manuscrit du Roi.

Kevin Jansson (born August 2000) is emerging as one of the finest musicians of his generation in Ireland. A student of Mary Beattie at the CIT Cork School of Music he has been the winner of numerous awards at competitions in both Cork and Dublin taking five first prizes in different categories at Ireland’s most prestigious classical music festival Feis Ceoil in 2015.

„Singing My Dreams“ is the personal story of a little girl from Mansfield who fell in love with the MGM musicals; a teenager who sang in the piazzas of Puglia; a student who studied her craft at Tring Park and The Royal Northern College of Music; a rising star who has sung with -and is lauded by- luminaries including Andrea Bocelli, Elaine Paige, David Foster and José Carreras.

Today regarded as one of the most innovative and active Baroque ensembles on the international scene, Cappella Mediterranea has already made several distinguished recordings for the Ricercar label. Leonardo García Alarcón will of course continue his richly diverse collaboration with Ricercar (notably with the Choeur de Chambre de Namur and the Millennium Orchestra), but he will also release several projects on Alpha Classics, starting with an original programme of music by one of his favourite composers, Monteverdi.