Welcome to the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
The nominated recordings for the 2025 Instrumental Award are listed below.
The nominees for the 2025 Instrumental Award
Chopin
Études, Opp 10 & 25
Yunchan Lim (piano)
Decca 487 0122
‘A remarkable feat that demands to be heard.’ That was how our July issue review summed up this debut studio recording by the thrillingly talented young South Korean pianist, Yunchan Lim. He made short work of these Chopin Études, serving them up with daring speeds and excitement that pushed their limits.
Marc-André Hamelin
New Piano Works
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Hyperion CDA68308
The Canadian virtuoso pianist served up this ravishing selection box of his own works, which was chosen as our ‘Recording of the Month’ in the May issue. Our review described it as an ‘endlessly fascinating selection, played with style and incredible subtlety.’
La messagère
Works by Demachy, Hersant, Marais, Sainte Colombe et al
Lucile Boulanger (bass de viole)
Alpha Classics ALPHA1070
This cherishable recording from Lucile Boulanger had the mighty task of distilling some 400 years’ worth of French viol repertoire. Boulanger did so with great panache, serving up not only a rich history of the instrument, but a sumptuous recorded survey. An ‘inspired selection and compelling interpretation’, said our review.
Vote for the winner of this year's Instrumental Award
Voting runs from Thursday 23 January to Friday 28 February. You can vote for your favourite from our three Instrumental nominees below.
The purpose of this vote is to allow users to share their opinions on the shortlisted recordings for the BBC Music Magazine Awards. While the results will be of interest to other users and the BBC Music Magazine editorial team, it is not a representative sample and only reflects the views of those who choose to participate. Full terms and conditions can be found on our Terms and Conditions page.