Gramophone Magazine has announced the shortlist for their annual classical music awards. Two celebrated Canadian opera singers have received nominations, the late lyric soprano Erin Wall for her portrayal of Ellen Orford in Chandos‘s recording of Britten’s Peter Grimes and soprano Florie Valiquette for her Rinaldo in Aparté‘s recording of Salieri’s Armida.
Erin Wall (Arabella) in the Canadian Opera Company’s Arabella, 2017. Photo: Michael Cooper
Launched in 1977, Gramophone Classical Music Awards are the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. This year 72 albums made the prestigious shortlist, and from this list one album will be chosen as the winner in each of the 11 recording categories. A single album from this finalized selection will be named the ‘Recording of the Year’ on Oct 5.
Florie Valiquette (Barbarina) in Theatre des Champs Elysees’ Le nozze di Figaro, 2019. Photo: Vincent Pontet
Gramophone Magazine has created a playlist featuring highlights from each of the 10 nominated orchestras, which you can listen to on Apple Music here.
Wall has received the nomination posthumously, having passed away in October 2020 after a battle with metastatic breast cancer.
View the entire list of albums that made the shortlist here.
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Angela Bell is Opera Canada’s Digital Media Specialist. She has held digital and PR roles with various businesses including the Walt Disney Company, Sullivan Entertainment and Toronto International Film Festival.
