Naxos of America to Begin Distribution of the Chandos Catalog in April

Nashville, TN (Billboard Publicity Wire) January 30, 2008 -- On April 1, 2008, Naxos of America, the #1 independent classical music distributor in the U.S., will begin distribution of the prestigious UK-based Chandos label.

Chandos, which celebrates its 28th anniversary this year, is one of the finest independent classical labels in the world, celebrated for its world-class artists, unusual repertoire, and superb sound and engineering. It has pioneered the idea of the 'series'; its catalog features an impressive roster of British composers and artists, as well as a masterful film music series and the critically-acclaimed "Opera in English" series. Chandos is also dedicated to the SACD format, in which it has released over 40 discs.

"We are very excited to take on distribution for Chandos in North America. Chandos is one of the most respected classical music labels in the world and we consider them a very important addition to the Naxos family of distributed labels. We look forward to a long and productive working relationship," said Jim Selby, Naxos' CEO. Chandos' Managing Director Ralph Couzens commented, "I am delighted that we have agreed a deal with NoA for physical distribution in the US. The move ties in very well with distribution of our digital catalog which NoA is also handling for us. This is a new era for Chandos and we look forward with anticipation to a successful and mutually beneficial relationship."

Since its founding in 1979, Chandos has championed rare and neglected repertoire, filling in many gaps in record catalogues and exposing audiences to the music of British composers, including Alwyn, Bax, Dyson, Moeran, and Rubbra. Today, Chandos' richly diverse catalogue contains over 1500 titles and includes recordings of music, ancient and modern, by composers from around the globe. Chandos issues at least five new recordings a month--together with re-issues of back catalogue material--rivalling major classical companies.

This year, Chandos earned six Grammy® nominations as well as numerous citations in Gramophone, including "Editor's Choice." Chandos' impressive artist roster includes American opera singers Christine Brewer, Jennifer Larmore, and Bruce Ford, as well as esteemed conductors Richard Hickox, Neeme Järvi and Gianandrea Noseda. In addition, the following artists are associated with, or exclusive to, the label: Matthias Bamert, Rumon Gamba, Sir Charles Mackerras, David Parry, Kathryn Stott, Louis Lortie, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Howard Shelley, Simon Standage, Lydia Mordkovitch, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Vernon Handley, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the City of London Sinfonia, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Choir and Symphony Orchestra, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Bach Choir, The Purcell Quartet, I Fagiolini and Collegium Musicum 90.

Chandos has received numerous awards from Gramophone: 2001 Record of the Year for Richard Hickox's recording of the original version of Vaughan Williams' A London Symphony; Best Choral Recording of 2003 for a rediscovered Mass by Hummel; Best Orchestral Recording of 2004 for a set of Bax's Symphonies; and Editor's Choice of 2006 for Stanford: Songs of the Sea/Songs of the Fleet. The Chandos recording of Britten's Peter Grimes, conducted by Richard Hickox, received an American Grammy® Award.

In October, Naxos of America began worldwide digital distribution of Chandos on iTunes. The Chandos catalog became available on major digital music retailers, including eMusic.com and Amazonmp3.com, on January 1, 2008.

Naxos of America

Naxos, the world's leading classical music label, has redefined how classical music is presented and marketed, offering recordings adored by connoisseurs and the curious since 1987. The innovative strategy of recording exciting new repertoire with exceptional talent has enabled the label to develop one of the largest and fastest growing catalogues of unduplicated repertoire available anywhere--more than 5,500 active titles--with state-of-the-art sound and the consumer-friendly price of $8.99 per CD. The Naxos recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons has sold more than one million copies, one of only 25 classical titles to reach that total. Such series as American Classics and Film Music Classics, to name but two of Naxos's numerous collections, are brisk sellers.

Consistently praised by critics and listeners alike, Naxos was named the Gramophone/Classic FM Label of the Year in 2005. In 2006, Naxos's recording of William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and Experience earned three Grammy® Awards. This year Naxos recording artists picked up 11 Grammy® nominations, including Best Classical Album, Best Orchestral Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition for its recording of Joan Tower's Made in America. The label's albums have won over numerous "Editor's Choice" distinctions from the British music magazine Gramophone and are consistently on American music critics' annual "best of" lists.

Naxos is regarded as an industry leader in the field of digital music, a position earned through such groundbreaking services as the Naxos Music Library (http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com), which offers streaming service to 1,000 institutional subscribers worldwide, and Naxos Web Radio (http://www.NaxosRadio.com). Visitors to Naxos.com can register to hear all Naxos CDs online in FM quality (20K) or can register to hear samples of all tracks for free. Naxos has also pioneered direct-to-consumer online distribution with Classicsonline (http://www.classicsonline.com), a dedicated classical music download site, and, here in the U.S., NaxosDirect (http://www.naxosdirect.com), an online classical music boutique with Naxos' 5,500 titles and DVDs and CDs from the other labels. Since 2005, Naxos of America's Raymond Bisha has hosted the Naxos Classical Music Spotlight podcast series.

Naxos of America, #1 Independent Classical Music Distributor in the U.S., is the exclusive American distributor for Naxos, Marco Polo, Medici Masters, Naïve, ATMA Classique, CPO, Dacapo, Canary Classics, CBC Records, Christopher Nupen Films, First Edition, PentaTone, Artek, Andante, Profil, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthaus DVD, BBC/Opus Arte DVD, TDK DVD, EuroArts DVD, Juxtapositions DVD, Storyville Films, Naxos World, Naxos AudioBooks and Amadis record labels (and beginning April 1, Chandos).

Naxos of America has two offices: a central headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee and a publicity office in New York City. Naxos of America is owned by the North American Classical Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Naxos Global Distribution.

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