Metacritic/EOY Aggregate: 2025 New Music: Classical/New Age

Notes

For information on what lists are consulted, and what the various abbreviations and notes mean, click here.

For reissues and compilations, click here.

Sub-Lists

Some breakdowns by genre:

Ranking

  1. Abel Selaocoe: Hymns of Bantu (Warner Classics) {4}: AD:*, G:*, Mj:*; am:* -- A:80/4
  2. Kronos Quartet and the Hard Rain Collective: Hard Rain (Red Hot Org) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  3. Kronos Quartet: Mary Kouyoumdjian: Witness () {3}: PM:*+; am:* -- A:90/2
  4. Benjamin Appl: Lines of Life (Alpha) {2}: G::*; am:* -- A:85/2
  5. Nicolas Baldeyrou: Mozart: Complete Works for Clarinet Vol. 1 (Alpha) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  6. Ian Bostridge/Saskia Giorgini: Twilight Schumann Songs (PentaTone) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  7. Bertrand Chamayou: Ravel: Fragments (Erato) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  8. Lise Davidsen/Gerald Finley/Edward Gardner: Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer (Decca) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:85/2
  9. The Nash Ensemble: Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; Sonatas Pour Divers Instruments; String Quartet (Hyperion) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:85/2
  10. Alice Sara Ott: John Field: Complete Nocturnes (Deutsche Grammophon) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:90/2
  11. Martin Owen/BBC Philharmonic/Rumon Gamba: Ruth Gipps: Orchestral Works Volume 3 (Chandos) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  12. Quatuor Diotima: Boulez: Livre Pour Quatuor (PentaTone) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  13. Nicky Spence/Julius Drake/Piatti Quartet: Faure: La Bonne Chanson & Other Songs (Hyperion) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  14. Takács Quartet/Marc-Andre Hamelin: Dvorák & Price: Piano Quintets (Hyperion) {2}: G:*; am:* -- A:85/2
  15. Samson Tsoy: Inmost Heart: Bach, Brahms, Busoni, Reger (Linn) {2}: O:*; am:* -- A:85/2
  16. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Epitaph (08-22) {2}: A:70/4
  17. Benjamin Apl & James Baillieu: For Dieter: The Past and the Future (Alpha) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  18. Axios Men's Ensemble/Pro Coro Canada/Michael Zaugg: Benedict Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem (Cappella Romana) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  19. BBC Concert Orchestra/John Andrews: Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works (Resonus) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  20. BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena/James Ehnes: Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole; Saint-Saéns: Violen Concerto No. 3; Sarasate: Concert Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen (Chandos) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  21. Beddy Rays: Do What Ya Wanna (self-released) {1}: A:75/2
  22. Julian Bliss/Taavi Oramo/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Lindberg & Aho Clarinet Concertos (Signum) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  23. Calidore String Quartet: Beethoven: The Early Quartets (Signum) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  24. Gaechinger Cantorey & Hans-Christoph Rademann: Johann Sebastian Bach: THe First Cantata Year Vol. 6 (Hänssler) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  25. Renaud Capuçon: Sibelius/Barber: Violin Concertos (Erato) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  26. Alessandro Carbonare/Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner: Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto/Helios/Symphony No. 5 (Chandos) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  27. Gloria Cheng: Root Progressions () {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  28. Dmytro Choni: Pilgrimage (Naïve) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  29. Seong-Jin Cho: Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works (Deutsche Grammophon) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  30. Dame Sarah Connolly/Joseph Middleton: The World Feels Dusty (Chandos) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  31. Jeremy Crosmer/Mahan Esfahani/Mitsuru Kubo/Jackson Symphony Orchestra/Matthew Aubin: Fernande Decruck: Concertante Works Volume 2 (Claves) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  32. Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov: Mahler Symphony No. 3 (PentaTone) {1}: am:* -- A:70/2
  33. Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Jader Bignamini: Wynton Marsalis: Blues Symphony (PentaTone) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  34. Tara Erraught/Ruth Rosique/Julien Dran/Chamber Choir Ireland/National Symphony of Ireland/Jean-Luc Tingaud: Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande - Suite; Prométhée (Excerpts); Shylock; Songs (Naxos) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  35. Mahan Esfahani: Bach: Das Wohltemperirte Clavier 1 (Hyperion) {1}: G:* -- A:100/1
  36. Amanda Forsythe/Christian Immler/Carlotta Colombo/Jesse Blumberg/Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble/Paul O'Dette/Stephen Stubbs/Robert Mealy: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: La Serva Padrona/Livietta E Tracollo (CPO) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  37. Rhiannon Giddens/Karen Slack/Paul Sanchez/Will Liverman/Reginald Mobley/Julian Velasco: Shawn E Okpebholo: Songs in Flight (Cedille) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  38. Samuel Hasselhorn/Ammiel Bushakevitz: Franz Schubert: Licht und Schatten (Harmonia Mundi) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  39. Ashley Jackson: Take Me to the Water (Decca) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  40. Jameszoo: Music for 17 Musicians (Brainfeeder) {1}: PM:* -- A:80/1
  41. Gaétan Jarry/Ensemble Marguerite Louise/David Tricou/Romain Champion/Nicolas Brooymans: Charpentier: Missa Assumpta Est Maria (Château de Versailles Spectacles) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  42. Patricia Kopatchinskaja/Thomas Kaufmann/Camerata Bern: Exile (Alpha) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  43. Yunchan Lim/Martin Alsop/Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 (Decca) {1}: G:* -- A:100/1
  44. London Choral Sinfonia/Michael Waldron: Malcolm Arnold (Orchid Classics) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  45. Charlie Lovell-Jones/Sinfonia of London/John Wilson: Walton: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Suite from "Troilus and Cressida"; Portsmouth Point (Chandos) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  46. Marmen Quartet: Ligeti & Bartók: String Quartets (BIS) {1}: am:* -- A:100/1
  47. Malcolm Martineau: The Complete Songs of Ravel (Signum) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  48. Members of the Piatti Quartet/Simon Callaghan/Ashok Klouda: Chamber Music of William Busch (Lyrita) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  49. Peter Moore/Tredegar Band/Ian Porthouse: Shift (Chandos) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  50. Neonato/Christine Busch: Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonaten fÜr Klavier und Violene op. 12 Nr. 3, Op. 30 Nr. 3, Op. 96 (SWR) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  51. Seth Parker Woods/Katinka Kleijn/Cory Smythe/Claire Chase: Ubique (Sono Luminus) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  52. Parlando/Ian Niederhoffer/Aubree Oliverson: Censored Anthems (Delos) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  53. Alain Planès: Satie (Harmonia Mundi) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  54. Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon: J.S. Bach: Mass in B Minor (Harmonia Mundi) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  55. Beatrice Rana/Amsterdam Sinfonietta: Bach: Keyboard Concertos (Parlophone/Warner Classics) {1}: am:* -- A:100/1
  56. Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha/Aron Goldin: Masabane Cecilia (Rubicon) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  57. Chen Reiss/Varduhi Abrahamyan/Daniel Behle/Tareq Nazmi/Audi Jugendchorakademie/Le Cercle de l\'Harmonie/Jérémie Rhorer: Beethoven: Missa Solemnis (Alpha) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  58. Fatma Said: Lieder (Warner Classics) {1}: am:* -- A:100/1
  59. Isabel Schickenetanz: Seelentrost () {1}: am:* -- A:100/1
  60. Schola Antiqua of Chicago & Michael Alan Anderson: Liber ymnorum (Naxos) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  61. Robert Sellier/Vanessa Waldhart/Yulia Sokolik/Romelia Lichtenstein/Michael Zehe/Oper Halle Chorus/Händelfestspielorchester Halle/Michael Hofstetter: Handel: Brockes Passion (Naxos) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  62. Spunicunifait: Mozart: 6 String Quintets on Historical Instruments (Alpha) {1}: G:* -- A:80/1
  63. Tamara Stefanovich: Organised Delirium (PentaTone) {1}: G:* -- A:100/1
  64. Masaaki Suzuki: Plays Bach Organ Works, Vol. 6 (BIS) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  65. Third Coast Percussion: Glass: Aguas da Amazonia () {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  66. Orion Weiss: Arc III (First Hand) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  67. John Zorn & JACK Quartet: The Complete String Quartets (Tzadik) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1