Award for Kalevi Aho disc

The disc of string quartets by Kalevi Aho has been awarded the prestigious Deutsche Schallplattenpreis as one of the best releases in 2025. The BIS-label disc features his first three string quartets performed by the Stenhammar Quartet. Aho’s true inventiveness was given as one of the main reasons for the choice: “His colourful playfulness and clear command of form speak of a virtuosic craftsmanship and bind the performers together in a seamless entity. The result is a thoroughly intelligent and fresh token of love for the genre, and one with a Scandinavian-Nordic accent.” The awards are selected by 32 music critics and journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and cover a wide range of musical genres.