Gramophone Awards name Jean Rondeau's complete Couperin recording album of the year
Gramophone, the classical music recording magazine, has named French harpsichordist Jean Rondeau's recording of all the works of Louis Couperin its album of the year. German violinist Isabelle Faust was named artist of the year.
At the awards ceremony of the British classical music review magazine Gramophone, the top prize, album of the year, went to a project by French harpsichordist Jean Rondeau. With eighteen collaborators, he recorded all the works of the 17th-century composer Louis Couperin (1626–1661). Like the Grammys, the awards honour recordings. This time albums were eligible if the magazine reviewed them between June 2025 and May 2026.
Album of the year
The release comes from the record label Erato. It consists of ten CDs and one DVD with a film about how the album was made, and listening takes about twelve hours. Alongside Couperin's music, it includes works by his teachers and pupils. Rondeau's recording also won the Best Instrumental Album category. The musician is 35 and plays harpsichord, organ and piano.
Other winners
The magazine's critics decide the winners in every category except Orchestra of the Year, which is chosen by public vote. The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, led for ten years by Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša, won for its recording of Bohuslav Martinů's symphonies.
German violinist Isabelle Faust was named Artist of the Year. An album of music by György Ligeti featuring her performance of the Violin Concerto won the Concerto category. Russian pianist Aleksandr Malofeyev, who lives in Berlin, was named Young Artist of the Year, and English pianist Imogen Cooper, whose career spans more than sixty years, received the Lifetime Achievement award.
The Record Label of the Year is Erato, which operates under the Warner Classics group. The best contemporary music recording is the performance by Manchester's Hallé orchestra and conductor Mark Elder of works by British composer Hugh Wilkins.
