The Guardian has just dropped its yearly ranking of the best classical recordings, a classical music version of Spotify Wrapped but with reviews and even more prestige.
The newspaper’s classical reviewer Andrew Clements said that compared to previous years, 2025 marked a major shift in the industry—flashy studio operas are out. In, however, are complex ensemble works and spirited solo performances that pack a punch. And although no NYC ensemble is mentioned in the top, four highlighted performers are gracing the city’s stages in 2026.
The top two winners
Taking the crown at number one is the Berlin Philharmonic’s take on Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht led by Kirill Petrenko. This was a key part of a larger 2025 Schoenberg edition celebrating the Austrian composer’s 150th birthday. Although many music lovers find the modernist composer’s music challenging to connect to due to its metanarrative style, the Berlin Philharmonic managed to beautifully interpret five works of the maestro, including “a magnificent performance of the oratorio fragment Die Jakobsleiter“.
Close behind in second place, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra performed Mahler’s Symphony no. 7 with “sheer brilliance”. One of the Austro-Bohemian composer’s most difficult pieces to love, this five-movement work progresses from darkness towards light, and according to Clements, the BRSO’s take was “shiveringly vivid Mahler”. That’s got to mean something!
More praised classical albums
Clements also praised Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s selection of 81 pieces by Kurtág, The Hermes Experiment’s Tree album, Pierre Boulez’s interpretation of Wendeber’s Éclat/Multiples with Collegium Novum Zürich, and even Sinfonia of London’s take on Symphony no. 1, Cello Concerto, etc. by William Wolton made the cut (#7). Other exceptional performances given five stars:
- Tamara Stefanovich (piano) for Organised Delirium: Piano Sonatas by Boulez, Shostakovich, Bartók and Eisler
- Víkingur Ólafsson (piano) – Opus 109
- Domingo Hindoyan (conductor) and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – Iberia
- Yunchan Lim (piano) – Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 3
Who’s coming to NYC in 2026?
From the top three, Pierre-Laurent Aimard is scheduled to perform Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II on April 15 at Kaufmann Concert Hall. Other confirmed artists set to play in NYC next year are Víkingur Ólafsson (Piano) on March 24, Yunchan Lim (Piano) on April 24, and Tamara Stefanovich (Piano) on May 13—all performing at the Carnegie Hall.
Other anticipated classical concerts include Candlelight tributes to Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven coming to the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The historic church will be transformed into a glittering stage where timeless compositions are recreated by string quartets, all while the musicians are surrounded by a sea of candles.