Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Danny Elfman is known to millions for his scores for over 100 movies, including many collaborations with the director Tim Burton, not to mention his inimitable title music for The Simpsons. This summer he released a new album on Sony Classical containing his Violin Concerto and Piano Quartet. The concerto, written for and played by Sandy Cameron, joined by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by John Mauceri, was the subject of a conversation Gramophone's James Jolly had with Elfman. But they started by talking about the emergence of the specialist film composer in the past 50 or so years.

In this third, and final, Orchestra of the Year Award podcast, James Jolly is joined once again by Rob Cowan to talk about the last quartet of orchestras competing for this prestigious award: Les Siècles, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. To listen to the contenders for the Orchestra of the Year Award, presented with Apple Music, go to our Awards page, sign up for a free three-month Apple Music trial subscription, listen to the playlists and cast your vote. The winner will be revealed at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards on October 16.

Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year Award is the only one offered as a public vote. Our editorial team has produced a short list of ten ensembles which have particularly impressed for their work on record over the past 12 months and, with Apple Music, has created ten playlists featuring each of the orchestras' work (as well as an 11th which includes all ten ensembles and which is updated regularly). In this, the second of three podcasts dedicted to the Award, Gramophone's Contributing Editor, the critic and broadcaster Rob Cowan, joins Gramophone's James Jolly to talk about the nominated ensembles. This week their focus is on three major European ensembles, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. To listen to these three playlists (as well as the other eight) and to vote, just visit the Apple Music page on Gramophone's website, where you can also start your free three-month trial to Apple Music.

Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year Award is the only one offered as a public vote. Our editorial team has produced a short list of ten ensembles which have particularly impressed for their work on record over the past 12 months and, with Apple Music, has created ten playlists featuring each of the orchestras' work (as well as an 11th which includes all ten ensembles and which is updated regularly). In this, the first of three weekly podcasts, Gramophone's Contributing Editor, the critic and broadcaster Rob Cowan, joins Gramophone's James Jolly to talk about the nominated ensembles. This week their focus is on the two US groups, the San Francisco Symphony and Boston Symphony Orchestra, alongside the London Symphony Orchestra. To listen to these three playlists (as well as the other eight) and to vote, just visit the Apple Music page on Gramophone's website, where you can also start your free three-month trial to Apple Music.

The tenor Nicky Spence, with Julius Drake at the piano, has just released a new recording of Janáček's 'The diary of one who disappeared' on Hyperion - Gramophone's Recording of the Month in its August issue. Almost simultaneously, Resonus has released on CD for the first time, Mark Anthony Turnage's cycle 'A Constant Obsession'. The Scottish singer talks to James Jolly about these fascinating projects.

Isata Kanneh-Mason has chosen to explore the music of Clara Schumann - whose bicentenary is marked this year - for her debut disc on Decca. Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford met with her, to talk about the life of one of the 19th century's most acclaimed virtuosos, and her often neglected music.

Edward Gardner has just released another instalment in his City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Mendelssohn cycle, a collection of overtures, and a new Brahms symphony cycle with the Bergen Philharmonic starts this autumn – both for the Chandos label. Editor-in-Chief James Jolly caught up with him to talk about recording complete series of works, how he approaches such well-know repertoire as the Brahms symphonies, and how he seeks a different sound for each composer.

For his new Signum Classics album, Hugo Ticciati and his ensemble O/Modernt have explored the ground, or chaconne, down the years. James Jolly caught up with him when O/Modernt were in London recently to talk about the album.

Sir John Tavener's The Protecting Veil was premiered at the BBC Proms 30 years ago. To coincide with the anniversary, a new recording has been issued by Signum Classics which finds Matthew Barley directing Sinfonietta Riga from the cello - James Jolly meets him.

The latest recording from King's College Cambridge explores the music of Herbert Howells, featuring choral music (including An English Mass), organ works, and a newly completed Cello Concerto. Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford met with Music Director Stephen Cleobury to talk about the album - and, as Cleobury prepares to retire from the position this summer, to look back over 37 years of extraordinary music-making.