Welcome to the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
The nominated recordings for the 2025 Orchestral Award are listed below.
The nominees for the 2025 Orchestral Award
Fauré • Schoenberg
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande; Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande
Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Paavo Järvi
Alpha Classics ALPHA1058
No sooner had this recording of Schoenberg’s symphonic poem been released than it became the new benchmark. It was no surprise that it, along with the Fauré, was made ‘Orchestral Choice’ when it was then reviewed, our review citing the performance’s ‘sheer conviction and intensity’.
Smetana
Má vlast
Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov
Pentatone PTC 518 7203
This take on Smetana’s six-part portrait of his beloved Bohemia was a highlight release during the composer’s bicentennial year. Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic poured their hearts into the performance, which our review (‘Orchestral Choice’ for that issue) confirmed as ranking among the very best available.
Augusta Read Thomas
Terpsichore’s Box of Dreams
Grossman Ensemble/Tim Weiss
Nimbus NI6445
Reviewed June 2024
‘Beautifully performed and recorded, the whole selection has the feeling of a musical treasure trove, resplendent in its sense of vitality, beauty and imaginative possibility.’ So said our June review, the ‘Recording of the Month’ that issue. These fresh works from the brilliantly talented American composer positively burst with imagination.
Vote for the winner of this year's Orchestral Award
Voting runs from Thursday 23 January to Friday 28 February. You can vote for your favourite from our three Orchestral 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.
