Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2023 Announces Shortlist

Gramophone magazine has revealed top three recordings in 11 categories for its classical music awards

 

Launched in 1977, the Gramophone Classical Music Awards is held every year to recognize the work of exceptional solo artists, ensembles, and record labels that have contributed significantly to the classical recording industry. 

This year, 33 recordings are in the running to win their category as well as the coveted “Recording of the Year” award.

Nominated orchestras include the Berlin Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Nominated artists include VC Artist Timothy Ridout, Rachel Podger, Antoine Tamestit, Danish Quartet, Quatuor Ebène, and the Gringolts Quartet.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 4, 2023, in London.

More awards to be presented on the night will include Artist of the Year, Young Artist of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Label of the Year, Concept Album, Spatial Audio, and Orchestra of the Year, which is the only award decided by a public vote. 

Highlights of the ceremony will be streamed on Gramophone’s website from October 8, 2023, at 7 PM BST.

“Another wonderful year of recordings shows that despite the hiatus caused by the pandemic, creativity and superb artistry has continued to thrive,” said Gramophone’s editor-in-chief, James Jolly. “This year, music of the 20th century is particularly well represented, with repertoire both familiar and less so making for some incredibly rich categories. We look forward to revealing the results of our summer’s listening at the ceremony on October 4.”

 

The 2023 shortlisted recordings are:

 

CHAMBER (sponsored by Wigmore Hall)

• Bach. Beethoven. Mendelssohn ‘Prism IV’ 

   Danish Quartet (ECM New Series)

• Mozart String Quintets, K515 & K516 

   Quatuor Ebène; Antoine Tamestit (Erato)

• Schoenberg String Quartets Nos 1 & 3, Opp 7 & 30 

   Gringolts Quartet (BIS)

 

CHORAL

• Cage Choral Works 

   Latvian Radio Choir; Sigvards Klava (Ondine)

• Monteverdi Madrigals Book 7 

   Concerto Italiano; Rinaldo Alessandrini (Naïve)

• Ravel Cantates pour Le Prix de Rome 

   Soloists; Choeur et Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire; Pascal Rophé (BIS)

 

CONCERTO (sponsored by Musicians’ Union)

• Elgar Viola Concerto Bloch Suite For Viola and Orchestra 

   Timothy Ridout; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Martyn Brabbins (Harmonia Mundi)

• Kalabis. Krása. Martinů Harpsichord Concertos 

   Mahan Esfahani; Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra; Alexander Liebreich (Hyperion)

• Ravel Piano Concertos 

   Cédric Tiberghien; Les Siècles; François-Xavier Roth (Harmonia Mundi)

 

CONTEMPORARY (sponsored by PPL & PRS for Music)

• Causton La Terra Impareggiabile 

   Marcus Farnsworth; Huw Watkins; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Sakari Oramo (NMC)

• Dillon Emblemata 

   Red Note Ensemble; Geoffrey Paterson (Delphian)

• Wennäkoski Sigla. Flounce. Sedecim 

   Sivan Magan; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Nicholas Collon (Ondine)

 

EARLY MUSIC

• Byrd Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets of 1611 

   The Sixteen (Coro)

• Daser Polyphonic Masses 

   Huelgas Ensemble; Paul Van Nevel (DHM)

• Gesualdo Madrigali, Books 5 & 6 

   Les Arts Florissants; Paul Agnew (Harmonia Mundi)

 

INSTRUMENTAL

• Bach The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 7 

   Benjamin Alard (Harmonia Mundi)

• Bartók. Ligeti. Veress. Eötvös. 

   Nurit Stark (BIS)

• ‘Tutta Sola’

    Rachel Podger (Channel Classics)

 

OPERA (sponsored by Mascarade Opera)

• Meyerbeer Robert Le Diable 

   Soloists; Chœur de l'Opera National de Bordeaux; Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine / 

  Marc Minkowski (Bru Zane)

• Puccini Turandot 

   Soloists; Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; Sir Antonio Pappano 

  (Warner Classics)

• Tippett The Midsummer Marriage 

   Soloists; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; Edward Gardner (LPO)

 

ORCHESTRAL (sponsored by Lark Music Insurance)

• Langgaard Symphony No 1. Cliffside Pastorals 

   Berliner Philharmoniker; Sakari Oramo (Dacapo)

• Nielsen Symphonies Nos 4 & 5 

   Danish National Symphony Orchestra; Fabio Luisi (Deutsche Grammophon)

• ‘Music for Strings’ Delius. Elgar. Howells. Vaughan Williams 

    Sinfonia of London; John Wilson (Chandos)

 

PIANO (sponsored by Yamaha)

• Bolcom The Complete Rags 

   Marc-André Hamelin (Hyperion)

• Dvořák Tone Pictures, Op 85 

   Leif Ove Andsnes (Sony Classical)

• Szymanowski Piano Works 

   Krystian Zimerman (Deutsche Grammophon)

 

SONG (sponsored by Anderson Financial)

• Duparc Complete Songs 

   Sarah Connolly; Nicky Spence; Huw Montague Rendall; William Thomas; Malcolm Martineau   

  (Signum)

• Fauré Complete Songs 

   Cyrille Dubois; Tristan Raës (Aparté)

• Schubert Schwanengesang 

   Andrè Schuen; Daniel Heide (Deutsche Grammophon)

 

VOICE & ENSEMBLE (sponsored by medici.tv)

• ‘Contra-Tenor’

    Michael Spyres; Il Pomo d'Oro; Francesco Corti (Erato)

• ‘French Bel Canto Arias’ 

    Lisette Oropesa; Sächsischer Staatsopernchor; Dresdner Philharmonie; Corrado Rovaris (Pentatone)

• ‘Rivales’

    Véronique Gens; Sandrine Piau; Le Concert de la Loge; Julien Chauvin (Alpha)

 

For more details on each shortlisted recording, click here.