Gramophone’s Orchestra of the Year Award is the only one offered as a public vote. Our editorial team has produced a short list of ten ensembles which have particularly impressed for their work on record over the past 12 months and, with Apple Music, has created ten playlists featuring each of the orchestras’ work (as well as an 11th which includes all ten ensembles and which is updated regularly).

In this, the first of three weekly podcasts, Gramophone’s Contributing Editor, the critic and broadcaster Rob Cowan, joins Gramophone’s James Jolly to talk about the nominated ensembles. This week their focus is on the two US groups, the San Francisco Symphony and Boston Symphony Orchestra, alongside the London Symphony Orchestra.

To listen to these three playlists (as well as the other eight) and to vote, just visit the Apple Music page on Gramophone's website, where you can also start your free three-month trial to Apple Music.