Since 2014, the Estonian Music Council, together with the Estonian Association of Phonogram Producers, has recognised outstanding classical music albums by presenting the “Classical Album of the Year” award at the Estonian Music Awards gala.
The Estonian Music Awards is an annual gala organised by the Estonian Association of Phonogram Producers since 1998 to recognise Estonian musicians and musical works.
“Classical Album of the Year” includes genre categories such as solo or chamber music, orchestral or stage music, choral music, and Estonian compositions. The nominees for the “Classical Album of the Year” category are the albums that have received the highest number of votes in each classical genre category.
In the “Classical Album of the Year” genre category Solo or Chamber Music Album of the Year, albums in the solo or chamber music genre released by an Estonian performer or ensemble are eligible to compete.
In the “Classical Album of the Year” genre category Orchestral or Stage Music Album of the Year, albums in the orchestral or stage music genre released by an Estonian orchestra, performer, or choir are eligible to compete.
In the “Classical Album of the Year” genre category Choral Music Album of the Year, albums in the choral music genre released by an Estonian choir are eligible to compete.
In the “Classical Album of the Year” genre category Estonian Composition Album of the Year, albums featuring Estonian compositions released by an Estonian performer, ensemble, choir, or orchestra are eligible to compete.
The list of candidates for the genre categories is compiled based on proposals submitted by members of the Estonian Music Council. Based on these candidates, the jury makes its decision by vote and identifies the albums that receive the highest number of votes in each of the four categories. From among these, the jury then selects the recipient of the “Classical Album of the Year” award.
The winner of the “Classical Album of the Year” is announced at the Estonian Music Awards gala.
Detailed information about the event is available on the website. http://www.muusikaauhinnad.eu
Classical Album of the Year
Jüri Reinvere – Ship of Fools
Performers: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi, soloists Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen
Label: Alpha Classics
Choral Music Album of the Year
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 13; Arvo Pärt – De profundis
Performers: Estonian National Male Choir, artistic director Mikk Üleoja; BBC Philharmonic, conductor John Storgårds; soloist Albert Dohmen
Label: Chandos Records
Estonian Music Awards 2025 – Classical Album of the Year
Classical Album of the Year
Jüri Reinvere – Ship of Fools
Performers: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi, soloists Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen
Label: Alpha Classics
Choral Music Album of the Year
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 13; Arvo Pärt – De profundis
Performers: Estonian National Male Choir, artistic director Mikk Üleoja; BBC Philharmonic, conductor John Storgårds; soloist Albert Dohmen
Label: Chandos Records
Solo or Chamber Music Album of the Year
Aare-Paul Lattik – Tallinn Cathedral Organ
Performer: Aare-Paul Lattik
Label: APSoon Recordings
Composition Album of the Year
Jüri Reinvere – Ship of Fools
Performers: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi, soloists Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen
Label: Alpha Classics
Symphonic or Stage Music Album of the Year
Jüri Reinvere – Ship of Fools
Performers: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi, soloists Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen
Label: Alpha Classics
Estonian Music Awards 2024 – Classical Album of the Year
Classical Album of the Year
Heino Eller – Complete Piano Music, Volume Nine
Performer: Sten Lassmann
Label: Toccata Classics
Composition Album of the Year
Tõnu Kõrvits – The Sound of Wings
Performers: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conductor Risto Joost
Label: Ondine
Choral Music Album of the Year
Music by Henrik Ødegaard
Performers: Vox Clamantis, conductor Jaan-Eik Tulve
Label: ECM Records
Solo or Chamber Music Album of the Year
Heino Eller – Complete Piano Music, Volume Nine
Performer: Sten Lassmann
Label: Toccata Classics
Symphonic or Stage Music Album of the Year
“KRATT” – Tubin; Bacewicz; Lutosławski
Performers: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi
Label: Alpha Classics
Estonian Music Awards 2023 – Classical Album of the Year
Estonian Premieres
Performer: Estonian Festival Orchestra, conductor Paavo Järvi
Label: Alpha Classics
On the album Estonian Premieres by the Estonian Festival Orchestra and conductor Paavo Järvi, six works by five renowned Estonian composers are performed by the Estonian Festival Orchestra. According to Paavo Järvi, the album demonstrates how rich and multi-layered the music created in Estonia is.
The album features recordings of Tõnu Kõrvits’s Kuuvalgusele (2020), Ülo Krigul’s Chordae (2013) and The Bow (2021), Helena Tulve’s L’ombre derrière toi (2011), Tauno Aints’s Overture Estonia (2014), and Lepo Sumera’s Olympic Music I (1980).
The album was produced in cooperation with the international record label Outhere Music (under the Alpha Classics imprint), with whom Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra also recorded their first two albums.
Estonian Music Awards 2022 – Classical Album of the Year
“Strings Attached – The Voice of Kannel”
Performer: Anna-Liisa Eller
Label: harmonia mundi, 2021
Estonian Music Awards 2021 – Classical Album of the Year
“Erkki-Sven Tüür – Lost Prayers
Performers: Harry Traksmann, Leho Karin, Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, Florian Donderer, Tanja Tetzlaff, Signum Quartett
Estonian Music Awards 2020 – Classical Album of the Year
Estonian Music Awards 2019 – Classical Album of the Year
Erkki-Sven Tüür. Illuminatio. Whistles and Whispers from Uluru. Symphony No. 8
Music by Erkki-Sven Tüür
Performers: Lawrence Power (viola), Genevieve Lacey (recorder), Tapiola Sinfonietta, conductor Olari Elts
Label: Ondine, 2018
Estonian Music Awards 2018 – Classical Album of the Year
Tõnu Kõrvits – Moorland Elegies
Performers: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conductor Risto Joost
Label: Ondine, 2017
Estonian Music Awards 2017 – Classical Album of the Year
Arvo Pärt – The Deer’s Cry. Vox Clamantis
Performers: Vox Clamantis; artistic director and conductor Jaan-Eik Tulve; Mari Poll (violin), Johanna Vahermägi (viola), Heikko Remmel and Taavo Remmel (double basses), Robert Staak (lute), Toomas Vavilov (clarinet), Susanne Doll (organ)
Music: Arvo Pärt
Label: ECM, 2016
Estonian Music Awards 2016 – Classical Album of the Year
MIHKEL POLL (piano), solo album
Music by: George Enescu, Béla Bartók, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits
Label: DUX Recording Producers, 2015
Estonian Music Awards 2015 – Classical Album of the Year
Galina Grigorjeva – In paradisum
Performers: Estonian National Male Choir, conductor Mikk Üleoja
Soloists: Allar Kaasik, Aleksandr Mihhailov, Margus Vellmann, Aleksander Arder, Valter Soosalu
Label: RAM, 2014
Estonian Music Awards 2014 – Classical Album of the Year
Vivit! – Choral Music by Max Reger and Rudolf Tobias
Performers: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conductor Daniel Reuss; Ene Salumäe (organ), Siim Selis (piano)
Label: Ondine, 2013
