Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2018: the full report
Gramophone
Friday, September 14, 2018
All of the winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards
At the end of an evening of captivating music-making and heartfelt speeches, it was a remarkable recording of Berlioz's Les Troyens which carried off the biggest prize of all – Gramophone's Recording of the Year.
This year's ceremony – presented in association with Estonia 100, BPI, medici.tv and Qobuz – was hosted by Editor-in-Chief James Jolly at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, and was broadcast worldwide by medici.tv.
The orchestra for the ceremony was the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kristjan Järvi. And it was a special evening for the Järvi family, as Neeme Järvi (the father of Kristjan and Paavo, all three conductors) was presented with Gramophone's Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winner of our inaugural Orchestra of the Year Award, the only Gramophone Award voted for by the public, was the Seattle Symphony which is thriving under the music directorship of Ludovic Morlot.
This year's Artist of the Year Award went to Rachel Podger, whose recent recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and her 'Grandissima Gravita' album, both for Channel Classics, won high praise in Gramophone's pages this year. Lindsay Kemp described 'Grandissima Gravita' as 'a listening experience of unbridled pleasure. An exceptional album.'
The Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen, who signed a recording contract with Decca Classics earlier this year, was presented with the Young Artist of the Year Award and closed the evening with a moving performance of Richard Strauss's 'Morgen', accompanied by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and this year's Lifetime Achievement Award-winner, Neeme Järvi.
It was a double celebration for Harmonia Mundi, who won the Orchestral Award for Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé (Les Siècles and François-Xavier Roth) and were also named Gramophone's Label of the Year.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Lifetime Achievement Award
(Sponsored by Presto Classical)
Neeme Järvi
Orchestra of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Apple Music)
Seattle Symphony
Artist of the Year Award
Rachel Podger
Young Artist of the Year Award
Lise Davidsen
Label of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Classical Next)
Harmonia Mundi
Recording of the Year & Opera Award
(Sponsors: Qobuz (Recording of the Year Award); E. Gutzwiller & Cie, Banquiers (Opera Award))
Berlioz Les Troyens: Sols incl DiDonato, Spyres, Lemieux; Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra / John Nelson (Erato) Explore the recording
Chamber Award
(Sponsored by Kings Place)
Dvořák Quintets: Boris Giltburg; Pavel Nikl; Pavel Haas Quartet (Supraphon) Explore the recording
Choral Award
Pärt Magnificat. Nunc dimittis Schnittke Psalms of Repentance: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir / Kaspars Putniņš (BIS) Explore the recording
Concerto Award
Bartók Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2: Christian Tetzlaff; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Hannu Lintu (Ondine) Explore the recording
Contemporary Award
(Sponsored by PPL & PRS for Music)
Dusapin String Quartets Nos 6 & 7: Arditti Quartet; Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France / Pascal Rophé (Aeon) Explore the recording
Early Music Award
‘Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks, Vol 5’: Blue Heron / Scott Metcalfe (Blue Heron) Explore the recording
Instrumental Award
Brahms Piano Pieces, Opp 76, 117 & 118: Arcadi Volodos (Sony Classical) Explore the recording
Orchestral Award
(Sponsored by IDAGIO)
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé: Ensemble Aedes; Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth (Harmonia Mundi) Explore the recording
Recital Award
‘Agitata’: Delphine Galou; Accademia Bizantina / Ottavio Dantone (Alpha Classics) Explore the recording
Solo Vocal Award
(Sponsored by Mrs Joan Jones)
‘Secrets’: Marianne Crebassa; Fazıl Say (Erato) Explore the recording
