Gramophone Awards 2008
In a star-studded award ceremony in London, Hilary Hahn was revealed as the 2008 Classic FM Gramophone Award Artist of The Year.
The runner-up was soprano Anna Netrebko , while Ivan Fischer was third. The other musicians short-listed for this much coveted award - selected by the Gramophone editorial team - were soprano Natalie Dessay, conductor Gustavo Dudamel , baritone Gerald Finley, tenor Rolando Villazon and pianists Paul Lewis, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Murray Perahia.
Countries which are included in the Artist Of The Year public vote, conducted by Classic FM and Gramophone Magazine, include the USA, France, Germany, Korea, China, Denmark, Italy, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden and Russia.
To mark 30 years of recognising excellence at the Gramophone Awards, a brand new award - The Gold Disc, chosen from the past 30 Records of the Year - was created. A jury of Gramophone critics whittled the full list down to 10, which were then put to a public vote amongst Times readers and it was Stephen Hough 's recording of Saint-Saens' complete works for piano and orchestra that topped the poll.
The 2008 Gramophone Award winners
Artist of the Year: Hilary Hahn
Young Artist of the Year: Maxim Rysanov
The Gold Disc - Saint-Saens: Stephen Hough
Lifetime Achievement: Andre Previn
Special Achievement: Sir Peter Moore
Classic FM Award for Audience Innovation: Tasmin Little
Label of the Year: Hyperion
The full list of Gramophone Award-winning discs:
Record of the Year
Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Vol 4
Paul Lewis (Harmonia Mundi)
Baroque instrumental
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos
European Brandenburg Ensemble/Trevor Pinnock (Avie)
Baroque vocal
Monteverdi - Orfeo
La Venexiana/Claudio Cavina (Glossa)
Chamber
Brahms. Schumann - Piano Quintets
Leif Ove Andsnes/Artemis Quartet (Virgin Classics)
Choral
Haydn - The Creation
Gabrieli Consort and Players/Paul McCreesh
Contemporary
Harvey - Body Mandala
Aru Komsi (sop); BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ilan Volkov (NMC)
DVD
Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera/Antonio Pappano; dir David McVicar (Opus Arte)
Early Music
Ludford - Missa Benedicta
Choir of New College, Oxford/Edward Higginbottom (K617)
Historic archive
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No 5. Dona nobis pacem
London Philharmonic et al/Ralph Vaughan Williams (Somm)
Historic reissue
Sibelius - Songs
Kim Borg (bass); Erik Werba (pf) (DG)
Opera
Janacek - The Excursions of Mr Broucek
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Jiri Belohlavek (DG)
Orchestral
Myaskovsky - Symphonies
USSR State & Russian Federation Symphony Orchestras/Evgeny Svetlanov (Warner Classics)
Recital
Maria
Cecilia Bartoli (mez), Orchestra La Scintilla/Adam Fischer (Decca)
Solo vocal
Songs by Samuel Barber
Gerald Finley (bar); Julius Drake (pf) (Hyperion)
Editor’s Choice Award
Mr Abel's Fine Airs - Carl Friedrich Abel
Susanne Heinrich (Hyperion)
