18th November 2016

Awards, Discs of the Year 2016 - our top 100

by Chris O'Reilly

Discs of the Year 2016 - our top 100 After the success of last year's Presto Classical Discs of the Year, welcome to the shortlist for 2016's Discs! After many hours of discussion, we've finally settled on a long-list of 100 finalists.

You can browse through all the finalists below, and our top 10 winners will be announced on 2nd December.

Our 100 Finalists

Barbara Hannigan (soprano), Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Andris Nelsons

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Danish String Quartet

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jamie Barton (mezzo), Brian Zeger (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

I Fagiolini

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Martha Argerich (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC

Silesian Quartet

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Rachel Podger (violin), Brecon Baroque

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Dunedin Consort, John Butt

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Murray Perahia (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Freiburger Barockorchester

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Freiburger Barockorchester

Available Formats: CD + DVD Video, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Werner Güra (Evangelist), Johannes Weisser (bass arias/Christus); Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs

Available Formats: 2 SACDs + DVD Video, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers; Norman Del Mar

Available Formats: 4 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Jerusalem Quartet

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Concentus Musicus Wien & Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sir Simon Rattle

Available Formats: 5 CDs + 2 Blu-ray Videos + Blu-ray Audio, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Matthias Goerne (baritone), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Synergy Vocals, Josep Pons

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Till Fellner (piano), Belcea Quartet

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Joshua Bell (violin), Steven Isserlis (cello), Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Paul Lewis (piano); Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Matthias Goerne (baritone), Christoph Eschenbach (piano)

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Janine Jansen (violin), London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Vilde Frang (violin), Frankfurt Radio Symphony, James Gaffigan

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

James Rutherford (baritone), BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Kriss Russman

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Seong-Jin Cho (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

BBC Philharmonic, John Wilson

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

James Ehnes (violin), Andrew Armstrong (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Stephen Hough (piano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Steven Isserlis (cello), Philharmonia Orchestra, Paavo Järvi

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Marc-André Hamelin (piano), Takács Quartet

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

John Wilson & his Orchestra

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Elizabeth Watts (Josephine), Toby Spence (Ralph), John Mark Ainsley (Sir Joseph Porter); Scottish Opera, Richard Egarr

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jonas Kaufmann (Andrea Chénier), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Maddalena de Coigny), Željko Lučić (Carlo Gérard); Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano

Available Format: DVD Video

Helga Davis, Kate Moran, Antoine Silverman; The Philip Glass Ensemble, Michael Riesman

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos

Helga Davis, Kate Moran, Antoine Silverman; The Philip Glass Ensemble, Michael Riesman

Available Format: 2 Blu-rays

Christopher Purves (Saul), Iestyn Davies (David), Lucy Crowe (Merab), Sophie Bevan (Michal), Paul Appleby (Jonathan; Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Ivor Bolton

Available Format: DVD Video

Christopher Purves (Saul), Iestyn Davies (David), Lucy Crowe (Merab), Sophie Bevan (Michal), Paul Appleby (Jonathan; Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Ivor Bolton

Available Format: Blu-ray

Erin Wall (soprano), Elizabeth DeShong (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor), John Relyea (bass-baritone); Toronto Symphony Orchestra & Mendelssohn Choir, Sir Andrew Davis

Available Formats: 2 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The London Haydn Quartet

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Järvi

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC

Ermonela Jaho (Zazà), Stephen Gaertner (Cascart), Riccardo Massi (Milio), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Maurizio Benini

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

The Syred Consort & Orchestra of St Paul’s, Ben Palmer

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Brindley Sherratt (bass), Hebrides Ensemble, Synergy Vocals

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anne Schwanewilms (soprano), Olga Borodina (mezzo), Münchner Philharmoniker & Munich Philharmonic Choir, Valery Gergiev

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Simona Saturová (Ariane), Zoltán Nagy (Theseus), Baurzhan Anderzhanov (Minotaurus); Essener Philharmoniker, Tomáš Netopil

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Jonas Kaufmann (Turiddu/Canio), Liudmyla Monastyrska (Santuzza), Maria Agresta (Nedda); Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann

Available Format: 2 DVD Videos

Leila Josefowicz (violin), Anssi Karttunen (cello), Oliver Knussen, Riccardo Chailly, Rumon Gamba

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC

Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Eliot Gardiner

Available Formats: SACD + Blu-ray Audio, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Magdalena Kožená (mezzo), La Cetra, Andrea Marcon

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Isabelle Faust (violin), Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alina Ibragimova (violin) & Cédric Tiberghien (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Tenebrae, Nigel Short

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Hans-Jörg Mammel (tenor); Gli incogniti, Amandine Beyer

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Franco Fagioli (Farnaspe), Romina Basso (Emirena), Yuriy Mynenko (Adriano); Capella Cracoviensis, Jan Tomasz Adamus

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Viktor Lutsyuk (Semyon Kotko), Gennadi Bezzubenkov (Tkachenko), Tatiana Pavlovskaya (Sofya); Mariinsky, Valery Gergiev

Available Format: DVD Video + Blu-ray

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Boris Giltburg (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Bertrand Chamayou (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

LSO Percussion Ensemble, Neil Percy

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ensemble Signal, Brad Lubman

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Elīna Garanča (mezzo), Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, Roberto Abbado

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Franco Fagioli (countertenor), Armonia Atenea, George Petrou

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Kazuki Yamada

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Noriko Ogawa (piano)

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Edward Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Available Formats: 2 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Roderick Williams (baritone), Iain Burnside (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Quatuor Ebène, Matthias Goerne (baritone) & Laurene Durantel (double-bass)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), Isabelle Faust (violin), Alexander Melnikov (fortepiano); Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ekaterina Sergeeva (mezzo) & Alexander Timchenko (tenor); London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Valery Gergiev

Available Formats: 2 SACDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anna Prohaska (soprano), Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Ian Bostridge (tenor), Antonio Pappano (piano), Elizabeth Kenny (lute)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alisa Weilerstein (cello), Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Pablo Heras-Casado

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Garrick Ohlsson (piano)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Grigory Sokolov (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Xiayin Wang (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Peter Oundjian

Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Lisa Batiashvili (violin), Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Alexandre Tharaud (piano), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Vedernikov

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Daniil Trifonov (piano)

Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Anna Netrebko (soprano), Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano

Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Jean Rondeau (harpsichord)

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Matthias Goerne (Wotan), Petra Lang (Brünnhilde), Stuart Skelton (Siegmund), Heidi Melton (Sieglinde); Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden

Available Formats: 4 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Matthias Goerne (Wotan), Petra Lang (Brünnhilde), Stuart Skelton (Siegmund), Heidi Melton (Sieglinde); Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden

Available Format: Blu-ray Audio

Emily Van Evera (soprano), Charles Daniels (tenor); Taverner Choir & Players, Andrew Parrott

Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC

Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive

Chris grew up in London and studied cello from the age of 5. He never did enough practice to get really good at it, but caught a passion for Classical music which would stick with him forever. He has wide ranging musical tastes, still plays Chamber music and particularly loves Mahler.

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Awards, Discs of the Year 2016 - our top 100

Our 100 Finalists

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