Chamber Award 2023

Welcome to the 2023 BBC Music Magazine Awards

This year’s nominated recordings for the Chamber Award are listed below and you can vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article. Want to hear an excerpt of each recording before voting? Then click on the player...

The nominations for the Chamber Award

Where is Home

Works by JS Bach, Platti, Ka Bohaleng, Abel Selaocoe

Abel Selaocoe (cello, vocals) et al
Warner Classics 9029622432

Reviewed November 2022

Cellist/vocalist Abel Selaocoe might be the star of the show in this debut album recording, but his passion for collaboration shone brightly in performances with fellow cellist Yo-Yo Ma, theorbist Elizabeth Kenny and a host of talented musical friends from groups like Chesaba and Manchester Collective.

Brahms

String Sextets
Tabea Zimmermann (violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello); Belcea Quartet

Alpha Classics ALPHA792

Reviewed May 2022

Brahms’s lavish masterpieces were given the five-star treatment (quite literally), thanks to the luxury casting here of Tabea Zimmermann, Jean-Guihen Queyras and the Belcea Quartet. Everything about this recording is of the highest quality, from the warm-hearted performances to the excellent sound quality. You couldn’t ask for more.

Night Passages

Works by Bach, Scarlatti, Handel, Rameau, Rodgers, Corea et al

Martin Fröst (clarinet), Sébastien Dubé (bass), Roland Pöntinen (piano)
Sony Classical 19439917402

Reviewed June 2022

Clarinettist Martin Fröst was really allowed to spread his wings with this very satisfying programme. The programme, entirely curated by Fröst, exhibits all of his skill (not only as performer, but composer and arranger) and the versatility of the clarinet itself. As our June issue review said, this was ‘a thrilling display of virtuosity’.