Why does music have such a powerful grip on us? Lately, I've been reflecting on an explanation by Sofia Gubaidulina. The Russian composer, who passed away in March at the age of 93, described music as "the material that directly connects the finite with the infinite. Sonic art is the means by which man can be stopped in his rapid fall." Our favorite 2025 classical albums and experiences speak to her wisdom: they've both rooted us in the present and offered glimpses of a vast beyond. — Zev Kane
Join host Mark Pinto for Sunday Classical from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4 to hear music from each of our favorite 2025 albums.
Album: Orchestra del Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Fabrizio Maria Carminati, Lisette Oropesa, Ștefan Pop, Mattia Olivieri, Riccardo Zanellato, Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
It must be intimidating to record an iconic role when the titans of opera already have legendary recordings in the catalogue. Yet Lisette Oropesa’s Lucia di Lammermoor is an incredible achievement. Her naturally dark timbre adds mystery to the opening aria and a stunning Act III “mad scene.” With a deep understanding of bel canto style, Oropesa offers a unique interpretation that holds its own against the greats of the past.
Experience: Curtis Opera Theater, Candide, Forrest Theater, April 11
Leonard Bernstein's Candide, with its challenging libretto, is notoriously hard to stage — but Emma Griffin’s vibrant direction for Curtis Opera Theatre made it seem effortless. She drew confident, assured performances from the cast, while conductor David Charles Abell brought every moment to life, especially the incredibly moving Make Our Garden Grow, in which the orchestra joined the singers on stage to sing the tear-inducing finale.
Album: Esther Abrami, Women
In Women, Esther Abrami celebrates 800 years of music by female composers, from the medieval era to today. The world‑premiere recording of Ina Boyle’s 1935 Violin Concerto (dedicated to the memory of her mother) inspired me to explore her work further, and I’ll perform the U.S. premiere of several of her chamber pieces this spring. Featuring works by Chiquinha Gonzaga, Pauline Viardot, Hildegard von Bingen, as well as a contemporary pop reinterpretation, Women is a genre‑spanning, inspiring celebration of overlooked voices in classical music.
Experience: National Oratorio Competition Finals Concert, Knowles Memorial Chapel, Feb. 13; Martin Hayes Quartet, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, Nov. 22
Two unforgettable concerts defined my year. In Winter Park, FL, February’s Finals Concert of the inaugural National Oratorio Competition I co-founded brought a long-held dream to life, showcasing American singers and creating a new pathway towards a career in oratorio. Equally moving was the Martin Hayes Quartet performance on Nov. 22 at Philadelphia’s Episcopal Cathedral, where Hayes’ brilliance as a violinist and talent for uniting disparate musicians created an unforgettable and moving experience. Both concerts celebrated our desire for connection through music and provided a perfect bookend to the year.
Album: Collegium 1704, Václav Luks, Georg Friedrich Händel: Water & Fire - Water Music & the Music for the Royal Fireworks
Many of my favorite recordings push me to appreciate music I’ve taken for granted in unexpected ways. Conductor Václav Luks and the Czech early music ensemble Collegium 1704 inject Handel’s well-loved masterpieces with infectious verve, spunk, sentimentality, and mirth. These performances had me gleefully humming and whistling tunes I’d have otherwise dismissed as pesky earworms for months on end.
Experience: The Philadelphia Orchestra with Marin Alsop and Yunchan Lim, Marian Anderson Hall, Oct. 4
Meeting the frenzied hype that Yunchan Lim has whipped up since winning the Van Cliburn International Competition three years ago would have been a feat on its own terms. But the 21-year old Korean pianist breezily exceeded it in his crisp, incisive, and technically stupendous account of Bártok’s Third Piano Concerto. The Philadelphia Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop matched Lim’s intensity and channeled their own in its sumptuous rendering of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, an early highlight of the 2025-26 season.
Album: Víkingur Ólafsson, Opus 109
Vikingur Ólafsson’s new album carries a depth that is contrasted beautifully by the lightness of the opening piece: the E Major Prelude from Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. The album journeys through the key of E, culminating in Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109. Ólafsson has synesthesia, and associates “E” with the color green. The album cover portrays the artist wearing green, against a green backdrop. I love that I can close my eyes and imagine shades of green; there is an extra layer of beauty and nature contained within this album.
Concert: Network for New Music, Companions - Performance 2, Haverford College, Feb. 24
In February, I watched cellist Tom Kraines and pianist Charles Abramovic perform Richard Wernick’s Duo for Cello and Piano, followed by a series of companion pieces recently commissioned by several composers that included Wernick’s own son, Adam Wernick. Kraines and Abramovic’s performance was an incredible feat. They performed each work with conviction and a true understanding of the music’s core. The presence of both Richard and Adam Wernick added a very special meaning, since Richard passed in April, leaving behind an amazing legacy.
Album: Sinfonia of London, John Wilson, Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 & Symphonic Dances
John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London know how to bring music to a brilliant shine. They have done so with Korngold, Ravel and composers from the Golden Age of Hollywood. They do so again with these recordings of Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony and Symphonic Dances. The performances are rich and thrillingly agile, like bathing in color and sound.
Experience: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Marian Anderson Hall, May 24
Let joy be unconfined! I have been chasing a live performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by The Philadelphia Orchestra for years — I had a ticket to one that was cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020. Finally, in May, I seized my chance and was rewarded with not only the soaring melodies of the Ninth, but also the exuberance and warmth of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement. A perfect evening.
Album: Dover Quartet, Woodland Songs
Hearing this music by two contemporary Native American composers was a real “ear-opener” for me. Kudos to the Curtis Institute’s world-renowned Dover Quartet for their committed and spirited performances of these compelling works by Pura Fé and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and for connecting the dots to Dvořák’s great “American” Quartet, which draws from some of the same pentatonic scales and tremolo effects heard in these pieces and in other Native American music.
Experience: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Miller Theater, May 15
Herb Alpert has been a musical hero of mine since childhood. His catchy, upbeat instrumentals have provided the soundtrack to my life, and have always been there to give me that needed uplift. I was born a bit too late to have appreciated Herb in his heyday, but when I heard he was coming to Philly with a reconstituted Tijuana Brass, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this still-energetic 90-year-old trumpeter. Hearing him play his hits live to a sold-out audience was beyond thrilling for both me and my Mom, whose TJB LP collection opened the door to a lifetime of enjoyment.
Album: Chris Thile, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
A dozen years have passed since Chris Thile released Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1. His Vol. 2 was every bit worth the wait, even just to have his take on the Chaconne. I first listened to this accompanied by some great fall foliage, and while that’s excellent scenery for this, Thile does an excellent job creating his own. The mandolin is a fitting instrument for these works, which Thile recorded in a range of spaces, some of them outdoors; he uses atmospheric sound and even some cool studio effects in additive ways, never letting them get in the way of the music.
Experience: Delaware Valley Opera Company, The Medium, Powel House, Oct. 24th
What do you do when you’re a small opera company and you need to put together a performance that punches way above its budget class? You use the space — in fact, the Delaware Valley Opera Company (under some highly skilled and forward-thinking new management) used both the space and the time for this performance which extended far beyond the opening and closing bars of Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera. It was a chilly night in late October, perfect for a spooky show in a supposedly haunted house, and the company made full use of the house from the moment you walked in.
Album: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has maintained a close connection to the French repertoire since its inception. The tradition of their sound and their concert space, Boston Symphony Hall, lends itself towards a lean and clear style. Recently they took this tradition to a slightly later generation of French composers with their recording of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony. The result was a virtuosic demonstration of what that ensemble has to offer, and they played it with one of the superstars of piano, Yuja Wang.
Experience: La Scala Opera, Il nome della rosa, Teatro alla Scala, April 30
On a trip to Milan, Italy, I had an opportunity to meet up with an old friend who is the principal horn player of the La Scala Opera Orchestra. He generously gave me a private tour of the entire facilities there, and I got to see a brand-new opera they were performing that night: Il nome della rosa, adapted from the Umberto Eco novel by Francesco Filidei. Experiencing firsthand the deep history and influence that this institution has had for multiple centuries was highly emotional and formative. The performance itself was also amazing.
Album: Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon, J.S. Bach: Mass in B Minor
Bach’s B-minor Mass is a monument of the choral literature. To perform it is to climb a musical Mount Everest, and when beautifully rendered (which is rare), it is simply exhilarating to hear. Pichon’s pacing is spot-on, and Pygmalion’s singers and players have their period style down perfectly. But it’s the verve and sheer joy of their music making that kept me listening. Once I heard their Sanctus, I simply had to hear the whole mass.
Experience: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Tristan und Isolde, Marian Anderson Hall, June 1
Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s leadership of The Metropolitan Opera allows him to draw on some special relationships, to the benefit of our local band. Bringing Nina Stemme and Stuart Skelton to Philadelphia for June’s concert performance of the roles they have made their own, and sung together repeatedly, was one coup. Offering Stemme’s final appearances as Isolde made it an immersive and unforgettable afternoon. Four hours actually flew by.