Chandos Records, the leading British independent label, has been acquired by Klaus Heymann, the founder of Naxos. Chandos – which was Gramophone’s Label of the Year in 2022 and whose recording of Britten’s haunting opera Peter Grimes won Gramophone’s prestigious Recording of the Year in 2021 – was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens and is now led by Brian’s son Ralph. It has for many years had a long-standing distribution and marketing relationship with Naxos Music Group, which will now handle the label’s worldwide physical and digital distribution. Ralph Couzens, Chandos’s Managing Director, will continue to run company, whose recording schedule will continue uninterrupted.

Chandos’s impressive roster of artists includes the conductors Alpesh Chauhan, Sir Andrew Davis, Edward Gardner, Neeme Järvi and John Wilson; pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Louis Lortie and Federico Colli; violinists Francesca Dego, Jennifer Pike, Tasmin Little and Elena Urioste; cellist Laura van der Heijden; trumpeter Matilda Lloyd; chamber ensembles including the Doric String Quartet, Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Neave Trio and Brodsky Quartet; as well as Dame Sarah Connolly, the Early Opera Company, Sinfonia of London, and an extensive catalogue from the late Richard Hickox.

Ralph Couzens writes: ‘It is hard to remember a more vibrant time for Chandos Records. We are lucky to work with a group of artists whose dedication, enthusiasm, skill and imagination result in music making of the highest order. Translating this artistry to the recorded medium with our dedicated team of in-house engineers and producers is not only a privilege – it really is the backbone of Chandos Records. The continuation of these relationships, the Chandos brand and all it stands for is so important to me, continuing what my father started 45 years ago. I’m thrilled that the Chandos artist roster, A&R policy, engineering and production process will remain unchanged, protecting the future of the Chandos brand for years to come.’

Klaus Heymann writes: ‘I was delighted to have this opportunity to expand and deepen the long-standing distribution and marketing relationship between Chandos Records and the Naxos Music Group. I decided to acquire Chandos personally to give Ralph the certainty that the label will remain independent long-term. I will do my best to keep the company among the leading classical labels in the world.’