Gramophone Awards 2015 – all the action from the 'Oscars of classical music'
17 September 2015, 19:11 | Updated: 15 December 2016, 11:50
The stars of the classical world and a night of the best music - let us take you there...
A smashing venue
A beautiful Baroque church in Westminster, the wonderful St John's Smith Square. Lovely acoustic, and a massive organ. We say top choice in venue for a night to celebrate the best of classical music.
Lovely church, and the Pavel Haas Quartet rehearsing on stage. The #GramoAwards, it's going to be just splendid. pic.twitter.com/4xwYNXqlHv
— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) September 17, 2015
Getting a bit star-struck
Legends of classical music took some time away from their canapes to talk to us.
Interviews with the stars at the #GramoAwards - @sampsoncarolyn, @paavo_jarvi, @GeraldFinley & Sir Thomas Allen... pic.twitter.com/qXJupFi2xJ
— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) September 17, 2015
An exceptional young artist
His recent recording of Moszkowski's piano concertos still makes our jaw drop, and he smashed out a concerto at Classic FM Live last year too.
Ahead of the ceremony, we asked him to play us a little something. And he casually whipped out this fiendishly difficult virtuoso showstopper – it's Godowsky's Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus:
Ahead of the ceremony, we asked him to play us a little something. And he casually whipped out this fiendishly difficult virtuoso showstopper – it's Godowsky's Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus:
Congratulations to @JosephMoogPiano, #GramoAwards Young Artist of the Year! pic.twitter.com/XvdNg6U1Ku
— Classic FM (@ClassicFM) September 17, 2015
Some stunning chamber music
The wonderful Pavel Haas Quartet performed the third movement of Smetana's First Quartet – and we caught the whole thing on camera.
Next we were treated to some vocal fireworks
From the absolute dream-team of Carolyn Sampson and Sarah Connolly. They performed an exquisite duet from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, called 'Oh lovely peace'.
Gallery: See all the pictures from the gliziest night in the classical calendar
Artist of the Year Paavo Järvi told us orchestras needed to stop "dumbing down" their concerts
And how humbled he was to receive an award voted for by the public.
We asked Sir Thomas Allen whether he ever got star-struck…
And what had changed over his illustrious career
Sarah Connolly: "It's very important to find a way to encourage children to be artistic"
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly – picking up the Choral Award for her recording of Elgar's Sea Pictures told us what she thinks needs to change in music education:
Who was Marie Fel? Carolyn Sampson tell us about the great 18th-century diva
(And to stop worrying about when you should applaud…)
And we asked Gerald Finley for advice for young singer
The brilliant (and completely charming) Canadian baritone took some time to share some pearls of wisdom:
