Gramophone Editor’s Choice 2025: Highlighting the Year’s Best Classical Album Releases So Far

London, UK – As the classical music world reaches its midpoint of 2025, Gramophone magazine, a venerable authority in recording criticism, has unveiled its Editor’s Choice selections for June 2025. Published on June 16, 2025, the highly anticipated list spotlights a diverse array of albums deemed outstanding among releases so far this year, offering insights into the current landscape of classical recording.

These selections represent the critical consensus of Gramophone’s editorial team, highlighting performances and recordings that demonstrate exceptional artistry, technical prowess, and interpretative depth across various periods and genres.

Featured Editor’s Choice Albums for June 2025

Among the distinguished albums earning the coveted Editor’s Choice recognition is violinist Bojan Čičić’s recording of “Biber Sonatae violino solo (1681)” with The Illyria Consort. Released on the Delphian label, this album was specifically noted by Gramophone for its insightful exploration of the colour and imagination inherent in Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s remarkable sonatas. The recording is praised for bringing these 17th-century works to vivid life.

Another significant inclusion is the recording by prodigious pianist Yunchan Lim. His interpretation of Sergei Rachmaninov’s demanding Piano Concerto No 3, performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Marin Alsop, has captured critical attention. This recording, released by Decca, is a notable addition to the concerto discography of one of classical music’s most popular works.

The June 2025 selections also feature orchestral performances. Christian Tetzlaff joins the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon, for a recording that includes Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No 5. Released on the Ondine label, this album showcases the Finnish orchestra and conductor in repertoire central to their heritage, paired with the distinctive voice of Tetzlaff.

From the romantic era, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Domingo Hindoyan, earned an Editor’s Choice for their recording featuring Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s poignant Symphony No 6. This album, released by Onyx, adds to the extensive catalogue of Tchaikovsky symphonies, promising a fresh perspective from the Liverpool-based ensemble and their conductor.

The realm of piano performance is further represented by the duo of Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy. Their collaboration on a piano duet album featuring Igor Stravinsky’s revolutionary The Rite of Spring and Maurice Ravel’s enchanting Ma Mère l’Oye has also been recognised. Released on Harmonia Mundi, this recording presents familiar orchestral masterpieces in intimate, virtuosic arrangements for two pianos.

Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice article also references the ongoing project by pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet to record the complete solo piano works of Maurice Ravel. While not explicitly named as a June 2025 Editor’s Choice release in the summary provided, its mention signifies its importance within the broader context of significant classical recordings being discussed by the magazine’s editors this year.

Significance of the Selections

Gramophone’s mid-year Editor’s Choice list provides a valuable snapshot of the recording industry’s output and the critical response to it. These selections often serve as indicators for potential year-end awards and are influential among classical music enthusiasts and collectors.

The featured albums span different periods, genres, and artists, from early music explorations by Čičić and The Illyria Consort to core romantic repertoire from Lim, Tetzlaff, and the respective orchestras, and unique duet performances by Kolesnikov and Tsoy. This diversity underscores the vibrant health and continuous innovation within the classical recording world.

As 2025 progresses, more significant recordings are expected to be released, but Gramophone’s June selections offer a compelling guide to some of the standout achievements in the classical music recording landscape so far.