The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been announced as the third most voted for the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2021.
The SSO was the only Asian orchestra to be nominated for the category alongside nine other nominees from around the world. In a Facebook post celebrating their feat, the SSO said: "Our place in the top three, among the ten nominated orchestras, is entirely due to YOUR support."
This year's top honours was given to the Minnesota Orchestra, who gained the most votes from the public. Past year winners for Orchestra of the Year included the Seattle Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
View this post on Instagram
In a press release, SSO chief conductor Maestro Hans Graf shared: “Music has a universal power to lift spirits and this recognition is an encouragement for the SSO, as we continue our work in a time greatly affected by the pandemic. We thank our supporters for voting for us, and will remain committed to continue touching lives through our music."
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who voted for us. We are very honoured to be placed alongside the world’s leading orchestras which have large home audience bases and a long tradition of recordings. This is a remarkable milestone in the orchestra’s 42-year journey, and would not have been possible without the support of the people of Singapore and the orchestra’s international fans."
"Our heartfelt congratulations to 2021 Orchestra of the Year Minnesota Orchestra and our long-time friend Maestro Osmo Vänskä,” said Chng Hak-Peng, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Symphony Group."
The Gramophone Classical Music Awards is an annual award show presented by Gramophone, often viewed as the equivalent to the GRAMMY Awards for the classical music genre. This year's show was an online ceremony that was streamed from the VOCES8 Centre in London.
Catch the full online ceremony here:
