Jonathan Biss on the music of Beethoven

To celebrate the recent release of Jonathan’s own Complete Beethoven Sonatas boxset, we asked him to compile a list of some recordings he finds particularly inspiring.

Natalya Romaniw makes everyone very sad

We asked Natalya Romaniw to curate a list of the song recordings she holds dearest. The resulting playlist is absolutely gorgeous, but will reduce even the cheeriest of song lovers to snivelling wrecks. Guaranteed.

Jack Liebeck's Violin Gods

The history of violin recording certainly does contain some gigantic names. We asked Jack Liebeck to send us his picks of the best, along with the recordings he has found most inspiring.

Shuffle Music, a playlist by George Lepauw

“In my listening, I try to cover lots of ground. Classical music itself is endless, and I am constantly discovering, and sometimes rediscovering its great output, a solid thousand years of extraordinary, recorded creativity. And then there is the music of so many other cultures, which I love to explore, remembering the wide breadth of human experience and expression across countries and continents.”

Bernard Hughes - Music for your inner child

To celebrate the release of Not Now, Bernard and other stories, composer Bernard Hughes has curated a lovely playlist for us, of music that is inspired by memories of childhood or perhaps that has a child-like way of looking at the world. To be enjoyed with or without children…

Michael Waldron's Christmas Playlist

We asked Michael to curate the Orchid Christmas playlist this year – and we got exactly what we were hoping for: a mixture of traditional carols, Mariah Carey, Bach and Beyoncé. (Click HERE for the new London Choral Sinfonia album.)

Stunning Soundtracks & Magnificent Masterpieces

A collection of fabulous tracks from the world of film and beyond, compiled for us by Stuart Hancock – whose new album you can see HERE

Joy, inspiration & Desolation

To celebrate their new release we asked Tesla Quartet to put together a playlist for us, of music by the composers on the disc and also some other tracks that highlight the mood and characters of the album. Check out Joy & Desolation, from Tesla Quartet with clarinettist Alexander Fiterstein HERE

My Instrument: Bjarke Mogensen

We asked Bjarke a few questions about his love of the accordion, and he offered a playlist to illustrate his answers.

Have a listen, and then you can read the blog post HERE

#nowplaying Brahms

Joseph Shiner has put together a lovely playlist for us, of tracks that inspired his lifelong love of Brahms, and led to the recording of his new album.

The Music of Jonathan Dove

Conductor Timothy Redmond suggests a playlist of works by the composer which made a particular impression on him.

Check out the new recording of Dove’s orchestral works with the BBC Philharmonic under Redmond, and with guest soloist Lawrence Zazzo, HERE

Paris

Paris….. an inspiration to generations of artists, composers, writers and all manner of creatives. Quatuor Capriccio have made us a playlist that reflects their city’s place at the heart of music.

Great Piano Concertos

To celebrate the release of her new album, Lilit Grigoryan has put together her own list of the greatest piano concertos in the performances she most admires. Check out Lilit’s album, Variations Sérieuses, here

Chris Jarvis - My Wonderland

One of our very favourite playlists of 2018 came from CBeebies legend Chris Jarvis.

It’s the most upbeat playlist you have ever listened to, and that’s a fact.

Check out the other playlists, by Jools Holland, Alan Titchmarsh, Robert Harris, Nico Muhly and Stephen Hough HERE

The Romantics

The Romantic period was a time of unbridled expression, passion, and the cross fertilisation of all art forms. Probably not by coincidence, some of the greatest music in history was created….. Here we celebrate some exceptional Romantic recordings in the Orchid catalogue.

Stewart Goodyear - a Ravel Odyssey

In 2017 Stewart Goodyear released the first album of his Ravel exploration, to great critical acclaim. (Click here for more info) Here he shares some recordings of Ravel which particularly influenced him, and the list includes some of history’s great recorded artists.

Huw Wiggin - My Music

Huw Wiggin’s album, Reflections, went to no. 2 in the UK album charts.

The album follows a very personal journey through the music Huw grew up playing, and alongside the release he curated a playlist of inspirations away from the saxophone.

Matilda Lloyd on the Art of the Album

“The concept of the album is so important. It creates a blank canvas for the creation of complete artistic design, and allows for themes and stories to be fully explored….” Here are 3 albums which Matilda likes to listen to in full. (Check out Matilda’s own debut album here) #NationalAlbumDay