Royal Northern Sinfonia music director Lars Vogt shortlisted for prestigious award

The Gramophone Classical Music Awards are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year – and RNS' Vogt is among just ten nominees to have been shortlisted for their Artist of the Year award.

SHORTLISTED: Royal Northern Sinfonia music director Lars Vogt Picture: NEDA NAVAEE

While winners for the majority of the award categories are selected by a panel of critics, it is up to the public to decide who wins Artist of the Year – and voting is now open.

The highly-acclaimed nomination comes at the close of a successful classical season at Sage Gateshead, which has seen a 12 per cent increase in classical audiences.

Over the season, Vogt and RNS have performed and recorded all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos in a special live recordings project to much acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

The first of three releases was chosen as Classic FM’s album of the week, with volume two in the series due out in the autumn and the third next spring.

Flying the flag for the region, RNS and Vogt have recently returned from a tour of Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul, with more performances of the Beethoven piano concertos to come in Brazil, Uruguay and Peru.

• To cast your vote, visit gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/vote-for-the-gramophone-artist-of-the-year-2017.
• Voting runs from 16 June to 31 July, with the winner revealed at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards on 13 September.