Just over a week left to vote for the finest classical albums released over the past year in the 2015 BBC Music Magazine Awards. Among the nominees in the Vocal category is mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, for her stunning Erato album of bel canto rarities Stella di Napoli. "Creamy, sumptuous, almost flawless - every adjective may be a cliché, but how else to describe singing of this quality?" wrote the magazine's critic in a 5-star review.

Stella di Napoli was also nominated for a GRAMMY, along with two nominations for DiDonato in the 2015 International Opera Awards to be announced 26 April: Best Opera Recital Album and Singer of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and their Russian maestro Vasily Petrenko receive a nomination for the BBC Music Magazine Awards in the Orchestral category for their outstanding recording of Rachmaninov's Symphony No.1 on Warner Classics. "Petrenko's fluid interpretation perfectly encapsulates the romantic yearning and exoticism of the second idea in the first movement," read the magazine's five-star review. "The RLPO confirms its position as one of Europe's finest orchestras with playing of great warmth and stunning virtuosity."

The shortlist represents the very best of 2014 selected from more than 1,300 recordings reviewed by BBC Music Magazine, the world's best-selling classical music monthly.

The BBC Music Magazine Awards are the only classical music awards in which the main categories are voted for by the public. The 10th edition is now open to voting. The winners from this distinguished list will be announced at a ceremony on 7th April 2015 at King’s Place, London.

Click here for a full list of nominess and to cast your votes before 28 February!

The BBC Music Magazine has unveiled the finalists for this year's BBC Music Magazine Awards. Among the nominees in the Vocal category is mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, for her stunning Erato album of bel canto rarities Stella di Napoli. "Creamy, sumptuous, almost flawless - every adjective may be a cliché, but how else to describe singing of this quality?" wrote the magazine's critic in a 5-star review.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and their Russian maestro Petrenko have made the Orchestral nominations with their outstanding recording of Rachmaninov's Symphony No.1 for Warner Classics. "Petrenko's fluid interpretation perfectly encapsulates the romantic yearning and exoticism of the second idea in the first movement," read the magazine's five-star review. "The RLPO confirms its position as one of Europe's finest orchestras with playing of great warmth and stunning virtuosity."

The shortlist represents the very best of 2014 selected from more than 1,300 recordings reviewed by BBC Music Magazine, the world's best-selling classical music monthly.

The BBC Music Magazine Awards are the only classical music awards in which the main categories are voted for by the public. The 10th edition is now open to voting. The winners from this distinguished list will be announced at a ceremony on 7th April 2015 at King’s Place, London.

Click here for a full list of nominess and to cast your votes!

The composer himself was sacrificed on the altar of public opinion after the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony, which has won deserved if belated recognition as fully characteristic of his free-flowing, yearning lyrical style.

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You can also watch an interactive video sampler here.

A new, on-going agreement will see the charismatic Russian maestro stay at the helm of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the UK’s oldest professional symphony orchestra for the foreseeable future, with a minimum three-year notice period.

This new contract will make Vasily the Orchestra’s longest serving conductor since Sir Charles Groves, who took up the position exactly 50 years ago and was principal conductor from 1963 – 1977.

“It is a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to stay in Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Philharmonic family", says Petrenko. "I am looking forward very much to continuing my relationship with our great Orchestra, and also with our wonderful audiences whose commitment to our music-making, along with our many partners, we are always grateful for. I really believe, as do our musicians and all our colleagues, that while we have such brilliant support, there is still so much that we can achieve together.”