Astrid Angvik Launches Azure Sky Records 

Formerly associated with the NAXOS Group, Angvik has founded a new record label in Hong Kong

The Norwegian music industry executive Astrid Angvik has recently launched the Azure Sky Records label, a global music platform based in Hong Kong. 

Angvik previously served as a director at the NAXOS Group from 2016 to 2021 and has worked in global strategy, operations, and marketing.

Dedicated to “transforming classical and jazz music for modern audiences,” Azure Sky Records aims "to produce captivating new recordings,” reads its Instagram page. 

Launching with a “Bach to Bach” series theme, the label’s first album release is the Montenegrin virtuoso pianist Ratimir Martinović’s recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which is out now and featured on Apple Music’s exclusive “New in Classical.”

Additionally, Martinović will release a reimagined version and new arrangement of the Goldberg Variations in the following year. Martinović is also the founder and director of the KotorArt International Festival.

On November 1, 2024, the label will begin releasing Bach’s complete Chorales arranged for piano. Recorded by the French pianist Nicolas Horvath, this project will present 371 daily chorales.

In January 2025, the Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan will release Bach’s Choral Preludes alongside transcriptions of many of his other well-loved works.

Azure Sky’s upcoming projects also include “Magical Moon,” which will feature monthly releases of celestial-themed pieces performed by Carl Petersson and an album of piano works by Danish composer Lars A. Bisgaard. The first single from the Moon-themed series will be Max’s Lunar Lullaby by award-winning guitarist Marek Pasieczny. 

Additionally, pianist Stanford Cheung has recorded an album featuring works from contemporary Japanese composers, including Ryuichi Sakamoto.

“The traditional image of the classical and jazz music fan as a white, middle-aged man browsing the local record store is outdated,” Angvik commented in Vijesti News. “Today’s audience is younger, genre-agnostic, culturally diverse and gender-equal, and they deserve a label that reflects their tastes.

“Azure Sky brings together music industry veterans with established and emerging artists, driven by a bold vision,” she added. “The publishing house believes in elevating classical music through innovative technology and creative approaches. Committed to ‘blue sky’ thinking, we aim to produce stunning recordings that showcase the beauty, richness and diversity of classical music, while respecting the tradition and heritage of the past 400 years.”