More than 4,000 classical music lovers voted in the 2011 Limelight Awards to let us know which recitals, operas, recordings and music personalities impressed them the most this year (1 September 2010 – 1 September 2011). The winners in 12 categories were announced on December 15, in a ceremony hosted by Guy Noble at the Sydney Opera House.

This year’s awards celebrate the debut of an all-star Australian orchestra; a Russian conductor we have welcomed as our own; a composer who overcame tragedy to create a masterpiece… We proudly present the Limelight Award winners – the performers who brought the house down in 2011.

Music Personality of the Year 

Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor

Also nominated:

Cheryl Barker, soprano
Brett Dean, composer/violist
Paul Dyer, conductor/harpsichordist
Elena Kats-Chernin, composer

Best orchestral concert 

Australian World Orchestra/Simone Young
Wagner: Tannhäuser Prelude and Venusberg Music
Sculthorpe: Earth Cry
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6

Also nominated:

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Jakub Hrusa
Orff: Carmina Burana
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 1 (Simon Trpceski)

Sydney Symphony/Vasily Petrenko
Shostakovich: Symphony No 7 Leningrad
Brahms: Double Concerto (Alban Gerhardt, Karen Gomyo)

West Australian Symphony Orchestra/Vladimir Verbitsky
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 4
Glinka: Valse Fantaisie
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 23 (Ingrid Fliter)

YouTube Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas
Grand Finale

Best chamber music concert

Synergy Xenakis Pleiades (City Recital Hall)

Also nominated:

Academy of Ancient Music/Richard Egarr
The Brandenburg Concertos (Perth International Arts...