The Seattle Symphony was named the Orchestra of the Year at the 2018 Gramophone Classical Music Awards in London on Thursday.
The symphony was one of eight international ensembles nominated for the award “recognizing the artistic excellence of an ensemble.” This was the first year for the award.
Gramophone magazine’s editors and critics selected the eight finalists from recording made between June 2017 through May 2018. The winner of the award was chosen by a public vote.
The Seattle Symphony received 47 percent of the vote and was the only nominee outside of Europe.
“The Seattle Symphony has a long and highly distinguished tradition of making recordings, and that tradition has continued under the musical directorship of Ludovic Morlot and his successor Thomas Dausgaard,” said James Jolly, editor in chief for Gramophone.
The other ensembles nominated were the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Il Pomo d’Oro, Les Siècles, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
