This year has seen a spectacular array of diverse musical releases across a wide range of labels from big beasts like Decca, Sony and Warner Classics to the giant-killers like Hyperion, Ondine and our own ABC Classics. Starting with literally hundreds of long-listed recordings, Limelight’s regular panel of critics has been busy weighing up the best, and they’ve narrowed it down to 25 shortlisted works in five categories – orchestral, chamber, instrumental, vocal and choral, and opera.

Competition as usual will be fierce, with familiar artists such as Angela Hewitt and the Berlin Philharmonic battling it out with newcomers like cellist Li-Wei Qin and harpsichord virtuoso Mahan Esfahani. Will Romantic favourites like Schubert and Sibelius reign triumphant, or will Brett Dean’s Bliss or the world premiere recording of Veli-Matti Puumala’s Anna Liisa sweep the field?

A period of intense listening is already underway before voting concludes to choose the winners in each category before the final countdown begins to pick the ultimate winner. Find out all the results in our January 2016 issue (out before Christmas), including exclusive interviews with the winners!

Orchestral

Adams
Absolute Jest
San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
San Francisco Symphony SFS0063

Elgar · Britten · Walton