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BBC Music Magazine announced its annual awards at a gala evening, with the winners chosen by public vote. The Czech Philharmonic took home the Orchestral Award for its recording of Má vlast by Bedřich Smetana, conducted by its Chief Conductor and Music Director, Semyon Bychkov.
Thank you for your votes.
“The Ma Vlast recording project is a document of a particular moment, a labor of love. We would not have been able to do it without the immortal value of Smetana’s creation. It is an iconic work in the Czech musical legacy. It is also a vital part of the Czech Philharmonic’s DNA. To me, this Award signifies not only recognition of our interpretation but, above all, recognition of the universality of Má vlast. We are deeply grateful to all those who voted for this recording.”
— Semyon Bychkov
The BBC Music Magazine Awards are prestigious honours presented annually by the British magazine BBC Music Magazine across 11 categories. Celebrating outstanding recordings in the field of classical music, they are considered a major event within the industry. The first edition took place in 2006.
This year, David Mareček, CEO of the Czech Philharmonic, received the award from Stewart Copeland on behalf of the orchestra. He was joined on stage by Silvia Pietrosanti, Director of Marketing and Sales at Pentatone.
The recording of Má vlast was released last March to mark the 200th anniversary of Bedřich Smetana's birth and the Year of Czech Music 2024. In November 2024, the readers of Gramophone magazine voted the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra of the Year.
“This recording of Smetana's six-part portrait of his beloved Bohemia was the culminating album of a year that celebrated the bicentenary of the composer's birth. Byčkov and the Czech Philharmonic put their hearts into it.”
— BBC Music Magazine
