This month’s cover artist is Raphaël Pichon, who with his ensemble Pygmalion won a Gramophone Award last year for their glorious recording of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, and who talks to us about his new recording of Monteverdi’s Vespers.

Elsewhere in the issue, conductor John Andrews tells us about recording Ethel Smyth’s opera Der Wald, which was first performed at the New York Met in 1903, and remained the only opera by a woman to be performed there for more than a century.

We also drop in on vocal ensemble I Fagiolini as they record their latest ambitious project of Masses by Benevoli.

Two other major features this month include our annual Season Preview, which highlights concerts and events awaiting audiences from this autumn onwards, and with just one issue to go before the Gramophone Awards we unveil the shortlist for this year’s accolades.

Korean violinist Kyung-Wha Chung is our Icon, and the Collection is a special longer-length edition looking at the recorded history of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

Plus, reviews of the latest classical releases by our world-leading experts, and much more!

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