4th October 2023

Awards, Gramophone Awards 2023 - The Winners!

by Chris O'Reilly

I'm currently over at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London for the annual Gramophone Awards ceremony, where this year's category-winners, special awards and of course the coveted Recording of the Year prize have just been announced...

Until 13th November, we're offering discounts of up to 20% on the category finalists - and will be bringing exclusive interviews with one or two of the winners over the next week.

Recording of the Year (and Orchestral category-winner)

'These are quite marvellous – and in the case of the Fourth Symphony, incendiary – performances.'

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Nos. 1-6

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Chamber

'The Ébène are second to none in colour and vitality, and unrivalled in their lyrical tenderness. For me they become a new benchmark.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Choral

'One is unsurprised by the unconventionality but taken aback by the richness and variety of the final musical result.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Concerto

'Ridout is a strong, personable player whose deft handling of the Scherzo and heartfelt playing of the Adagio make the concerto’s central episodes exceptionally memorable.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Contemporary

'This is music that knows exactly where it is going and is happy to bring its audience along with it.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Early Music

'This larger ensemble creates a rich, well-balanced sound which at times I found attractively wistful.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Instrumental

'Quite a journey, one that’s profoundly representative of the Hungarian musical psyche in the 20th century.'

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Opera

'Gardner’s is more than warmly recommended as both reminder of and entrée to Tippett’s achievement.'

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Piano

'Zimerman has all the quick-wittedness and nimbleness called for, not to mention power and agility.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Song

'He is a stylish, cultured performer and is as fine an advocate for Fauré’s mélodies as any of the best.'

Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Voice & Ensemble

'Le Concert de la Loge provides support that is virile and tender, as appropriate...And the two singers are magnificent.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Concept album

'These characters come alive in Charlston’s flexible mezzo, surely one of the most exciting voices in the new generation of British singers.'

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Artist of the Year - Véronique Gens

The French soprano's year began with a recording of a work which 'really got under her skin': Poulenc's one-woman opera La voix humaine, which she was eventually persuaded to tackle by the late Jean-Claude Malgoire. Recordings of Desmarest's Circé, Marais's Ariane et Bacchus and Franck's Scandinavian epic Hulda followed, with Leclair's Scylla et Glaucus set for release later this month. On stage, she returned to her 'beloved' Madame Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites at the Bayerisches Staatsoper, sang the title-role in Charpentier's Médée in Paris, and made her debut as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther in Budapest.

Young Artist of the Year - Stella Chen

Since winning the Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition in 2019, the American violinist has appeared across North America, Europe and Asia as both soloist and chamber musician, and made her solo recording debut with an all-Schubert programme on Platoon in March. Gramophone described the results as 'the work of a thinking violinist who has been exploring this music for years', whilst The Strad noted 'the intelligence and instinctiveness that so palpably underpin her performance'. Plans include the Korngold concerto in Quebec and a tour with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Lifetime Achievement - Dame Felicity Lott

Another singer closely associated with Poulenc's La voix humaine, the Cheltenham-born lyric soprano made her professional debut in 1975 as Pamina, and went on to establish herself as one of the finest Mozart and Strauss interpreters of the late twentieth century. Particularly acclaimed as Arabella, the Marschallin and the Countess in Capriccio, her appearances as Offenbach's Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein and La Belle Hélène also established her as a natural comedienne. Earlier this year she appeared in the spoken role of the Duchesse de Crackentorp in La Fille du régiment in Paris.

Label of the Year

Founded by Robert von Bahr (who turned 80 in August), the Swedish label celebrated its fiftieth birthday this year, with stand-out recent releases including a collection of choral works by the late Kaija Saariaho, Beethoven and Haydn from the Chiaroscuro Quartet, orchestral works by Missy Mazzoli, and Mahler's Symphony No. 9 from the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä.

Spatial Audio

'One of the greatest studio recording productions ever made returns for the 21st century in a glorious – and loving – Dolby Atmos restoration.'

Available Formats: 4 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Orchestra of the Year - Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

The German orchestra fought off competition including the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris to win this public-voted award. In March they embarked on a series of Haydn's London Symphonies under their artistic director Paavo Järvi; watch David's video-interview with him (filmed between recording-sessions in Bremen this spring) here.

Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive

Chris grew up in London and studied cello from the age of 5. He never did enough practice to get really good at it, but caught a passion for Classical music which would stick with him forever. He has wide ranging musical tastes, still plays Chamber music and particularly loves Mahler.

All Classical special offers

Awards, Gramophone Awards 2023 - The Winners!

Recording of the Year (and Orchestral category-winner)

Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5

Carl Nielsen: The Symphonies

Chamber

Mozart: String Quintets K515 & K516

Choral

John Cage: Choral Works

Concerto

Elgar: Viola Concerto & Bloch: Suite For Viola and Orchestra

Contemporary

Lotta Wennäkoski: Sigla; Flounce; Sedecim

Early Music

Ludwig Daser: Polyphonic Masses

Instrumental

Bartók, Ligeti, Veress, Eötvös

Opera

Tippett: The Midsummer Marriage

Piano

Karol Szymanowski: Piano Works

Song

Fauré: Complete Songs

Voice & Ensemble

Rivales

Concept album

Battle Cry: She Speaks

Artist of the Year - Véronique Gens

Young Artist of the Year - Stella Chen

Lifetime Achievement - Dame Felicity Lott

Label of the Year

Spatial Audio

Wagner: Die Walküre

Orchestra of the Year - Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

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