NEWS

20
TU
OCTOBER 2026


Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony Receive German Record Critics Award Once Again

© Marian Lenhard

The Bamberg Symphony and its Chief Conductor Jakub Hrůša have been awarded the prestigious German Record Critics’ Annual Award (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) for their complete recording of all six symphonies by Bohuslav Martinů, released by Deutsche Grammophon. The award is presented by an independent association of 160 music critics and journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The latest distinction comes just one week after the Bamberg Symphony was named Orchestra of the Year 2026 at the prestigious Gramophone Awards.

The Annual Awards Jury of the German Record Critics’ Award selected ten winning recordings from a field of 119 nominated titles spanning a wide range of musical genres. Alongside Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony, this year’s laureates include pianist Claire Huangci, tenor Cyrille Dubois, harpsichordist Jean Rondeau, the ensemble Capella Sollertia, and Catalan singer Rosalía.

This is not the first time Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony have received the German Record Critics’ Annual Award. In 2021, they were honoured for their recording of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.

In its citation, the jury praised not only the exceptional artistic qualities of the Martinů cycle but also the orchestra’s deep historical connection to Czech musical culture:

“For Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony, this complete recording was clearly a labour of love, and that commitment resonates throughout each of these unique compositions. It is about musical heritage, about returning to one’s roots.”

The jury also noted that the Bamberg Symphony, founded in 1946 by musicians displaced from the former German Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague, maintains a particularly close historical relationship with the richly layered musical language of Bohuslav Martinů.

“Hrůša allows the orchestra’s colours to shine in all their brilliance, demonstrating an exceptionally assured sense of rhythm and harmonic sophistication. The meticulous attention to detail makes the entire cycle a remarkable artistic achievement, above all for Martinů himself, whose symphonies confirm his place among the most charismatic musical masters of the twentieth century,” the jury stated.

The complete recording of Bohuslav Martinů’s symphonies had already received widespread acclaim from the international music press. Presto Music selected it as its Recording of the Week, praising Hrůša’s attention to detail, the refined balance of the sound, and the orchestra’s outstanding playing. According to the reviewer, Deutsche Grammophon “could scarcely have wished for a finer interpretation” for the first appearance of Martinů’s symphonies in the label’s catalogue.

The Classic Review described the set as a “new benchmark recording” of these works, highlighting the energy, vitality and refinement of the orchestral performance. The British newspaper The Guardian awarded the recording five stars, praising Hrůša’s flair for drama, his profound understanding of the composer’s music, and the recording’s first-rate sound quality.

Bohuslav Martinů: The Symphonies (Deutsche Grammophon)
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/martin-the-symphonies-jakub-hrsa-14082

German Record Critics’ Award – Annual Awards 2026
https://www.schallplattenkritik.de/news/2026-10-15/die-jahrespreise-2026

International Reviews