Violinists Hilary Hahn and Isabelle Faust triumph at the 2024 Gramophone Awards

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The Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2024 were announced in London on 2 October in an awards ceremony celebrating recordings, artists and labels of the past year.

US violinist Hilary Hahn received one of the top prizes of Recording of the Year for her album of Ysaÿe’s solo violin sonatas on Deutsche Grammophon. The album was also the winner of the Instrumental category.

Hahn accepted the award in-person, stating, ’I’ve had a summer of recovering from a nerve injury and knowing that people can hear the music when you’re not on stage is so meaningful. Recordings allow people to be heard as musicians, as composers, as performers even when we’re not in the same room.

’That connection with the audience becomes very personal as the people listening are choosing to listen and they’re inviting that music into their lives.’

Violinist Isabelle Faust was triumphant in two categories – firstly in the Chamber category (sponsored by Wigmore Hall), winning for her album of Schumann’s Piano Quintet and Quartet with Anne Katharina Schreiber, Antoine Tamestit, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexander Melnikov, and again in the Concerto category for her recording of Britten’s Violin Concerto with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

20-year-old South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim was named Young Artist of the Year, following his victory at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition two years ago and his recordings that have followed.

Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented on the night by actor Simon Callow, celebrating his transformative career in his 80th year – leading orchestras in London and San Francisco along with composing, education and outreach and a huge commitment to recording.

Soprano Carolyn Sampson was recognised as Artist of the Year, celebrating her 100th recording. Pianist Bertrand Chamayou won the Concept Album Award, while Orchestra of the Year – the only prize to be decided by public vote, with over 15,000 votes cast overall – was awarded to Czech Philharmonic.

The full list of winners are as follows: 

Special Awards

RECORDING OF THE YEAR

YSAŸE Solo Violin Sonatas – Hilary Hahn (Deutsche Grammophon)  

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor 

ARTIST OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Classic FM)

Carolyn Sampson soprano 

YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Classeek)

Yunchan Lim piano 

ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR

Czech Philharmonic 

LABEL OF THE YEAR

Opera Rara 

CONCEPT ALBUM

SATIE ‘Letters to Eric Satie’ - Bertrand Chamayou (Erato)

 

Category Awards

CHAMBER (sponsored by Wigmore Hall)

SCHUMANN Piano Quartet and Quintet - Isabelle Faust, Anne Katherina Schreiber, Antoine Tamestit, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov (Harmonia Mundi)  

CHORAL

ELGAR The Dream of Gerontius - Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Signum) 

CONCERTO

BRITTEN Violin Concerto - Isabelle Faust, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Jakub Hrůša (Harmonia Mundi) 

CONTEMPORARY (sponsored by PRS/PPL)

SAARIAHO Maan Varjot, Chateau de l’ame, True Fire, Offrande – Olivier Latry, Orchestre Philharmonie de Radio France (Radio France)  

EARLY MUSIC

OBRECHT Missa Maria zart – Cappella Pratensis, Stratton Bull (Challenge) 

INSTRUMENTAL

YSAŸE Solo Violin Sonatas – Hilary Hahn (Deutsche Grammophon) 

OPERA (sponsored by Mascarade Opera)

JANÁČEK Káťa Kabanová – Corinne Winters, Evelyn Herlitzius, David Butt Philip, Vienna Philharmonic, Jakub Hrůša (Unitel; DVD)  

ORCHESTRAL (sponsored by Lark Music)

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Job: A Masque for Dancing, Old King Cole & The Running Set – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze (Onyx)  

PIANO (sponsored by Shigeru Kawai)

CHOPIN Études – Yunchan Lim (Decca)  

SONG

SCHUBERT Die schöne Müllerin – Konstantin Krimmel, Daniel Heide (Alpha) 

VOICE AND ENSEMBLE

PUCCINI “The Great Puccini” – Jonathan Tetelman, PKF Prague Philharmonia, Carlo Rizzi (Deutsche Grammophon)