New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Universal
Music Group's classical labels have taken home a total of four prizes at this year's Gramophone Classical
Music Awards 2023. Deutsche Grammophon - celebrating its 125th anniversary - won the prestigious Recording of the Year and the Orchestral award for
Fabio Luisi's recording of Nielsen's Fourth and Fifth Symphonies with the Danish
National Symphony Orchestra, while Krystian Zimerman's DG album of Szymanowski Piano Works won the Piano category. Decca won the Spatial Audio Award for the Dolby Atmos restoration of Sir Georg Solti's recording of Wagner's Die Walküre, often considered one of the greatest studio recordings ever made.
In its centenary year, Gramophone magazine revealed the winners of its annual awards at a starry event in London last night (4 October 2023). Widely regarded as the Oscars of classical music, the Awards celebrate exceptional recordings, artists and labels of the past year.
Recording of Year, the most coveted accolade of the night, went to
Fabio Luisi and the Danish
National Symphony Orchestra's recording of Nielsen's Symphonies Nos 4 & 5 on Deutsche Grammophon. The Danish
National Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster Soo-Jin Hong and Principal Clarinet Johnny Sabatier Teyssier collected the Award at the ceremony and said: "we are very proud and honoured… our Orchestra is so thrilled… and they're going to be having a big party tomorrow!" The recording also won the Orchestral Award, with Gramophone stating that "Nielsen has surely never sounded better on record".
The Spatial Audio Award was given to the Dolby Atmos restoration of Sir Georg Solti's recording of Wagner's Die Walküre, expertly restored for the 21st century by Dominic Fyfe and Philip Siney. The conductor's daughter,
Gabrielle Solti, was there to collect the award. Accepting the prize, she spoke about how her father would have been proud: "I'm sure he is looking down on us... He would be so thrilled to see the new talent that's out there and how the recording industry is still so vibrant."
Krystian Zimerman's long-awaited recording of piano works by Szymanowski won the Piano category and he was present at the ceremony to collect the award.
James Jolly, Gramophone's Editor-in-Chief and host for the evening, said: "In Gramophone's centenary year, it's reassuring that none of the dynamism and sense of adventure that persuaded Compton Mackenzie to launch the magazine has been lost. Great artists, great music and loads of imagination are once again on display. The 2023 vintage is a fine barometer of everything that's inspiring about the classical music world, and specifically the classical record industry."
The full list of winners can be found in Gramophone's Awards issue, published 5 October.
Audiences around the world will be able to view highlights and performances from the ceremony on medici.tv, Gramophone and Classic FM's websites from Sunday, 8 October at 7pm (BST), sponsored by IMG Artists. The Gramophone Awards issue is on sale from 5 October.
