Press Room

Warner Classics & Erato releases: May 2026

Highlights include:

  • Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and Wagenaar’s Cyrano de Bergerac from Lahav Shani and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
  • The complete Warner Classics recordings of conductor Klaus Tennstedt, celebrating the centenary of his birth on June 6, 2026
  • The complete Warner Classics recordings of early music pioneer David Munrow, marking 50 years since his premature death in 1976

New titles

Temporary Coexistence of Humans
Peter Sandberg
LP / digital
Release date: May 1

In his debut recording for Warner Classics, Swedish pianist-composer Peter Sandberg presents thirteen original pieces, each conceived as a portrait of one of the many distinct forms of connection that we as humans experience in our everyday lives. He explains that this project “explores the beauty and chaos of human connection, how every collision, whether subtle or life-altering, weaves us into an intricate web of consequence.” Sandberg developed this project in his own studio in Uppsala. His previous work has featured in seasons three and four of the global phenomenon Netflix series Stranger Things, as well as commercials for brands including Volvo, Tesla, and Vox, amassing over 500 million streams across digital platforms to date.

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 and Wagenaar: Cyrano de Bergerac
Lahav Shani (conductor), Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
CD / digital
Release date: May 29 

Lahav Shani and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra record Dvořák’s much-loved Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” paired with a rarely heard work dating from 1905, the concert overture Cyrano de Bergerac by the Dutch composer Johan Wagenaar (1862-1941).

Catalogue

The Art of David Munrow: The Complete Warner Classics Edition
21-CD boxed set
Release date: May 15

A gifted singer and a brilliant multi-instrumentalist – with a legendary mastery of the recorder – David Munrow was a transformative force in early music. In 1967, alongside Christopher Hogwood, he founded the Early Music Consort of London, an ensemble that would redefine historical performance. When he died 50 years ago on May 15, 1976, aged only thirty-three, Munrow left behind a terrific recorded legacy, ranging from the 12th century to Baroque and Renaissance music – with occasional forays into the 20th century. This set collates Munrow’s prolific discography on Warner Classics and Nonesuch, recordings which remain a testament to his immense virtuosity, eclecticism, and pioneering spirit.

Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: The Warner Classics Edition
37-CD boxed set
Release date: May 15

Daniel Barenboim’s tenure as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra spanned from 1991-2006. His programming was famously ambitious, featuring over 30 world and U.S. premieres by composers such as Elliott Carter and Pierre Boulez, while maintaining a deep commitment to the core Austro-German repertoire of Bruckner and Wagner. Upon his departure, the CSO named him Honorary Conductor for Life. This comprehensive set includes highly praised recordings such as the live world-premiere recording of Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1, which won two Grammy Awards; his Erato recordings of the complete Brahms Symphonies and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis; and his Teldec recordings of Wagner overtures and preludes. The set also features concerto recordings with star soloists Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Maxim Vengerov.

Klaus Tennstedt: The Complete Warner Classics Edition
41-CD boxed set
Release date: May 22

Klaus Tennstedt’s studio recordings for EMI Classics, primarily with his cherished London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), cemented his reputation as one of the great conductors of the late 20th century. In honor of the centenary of Tennstedt’s birth on June 6, Warner Classics releases this new comprehensive set, including his live and studio recordings of Mahler’s Symphonies, alongside works by Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Bruckner, Richard Strauss and more. The set includes new HD remastering by Art & Son Studio of Tennstedt’s recordings of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor and Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor with Horacio Gutiérrez, and of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor with Garrick Ohlsson. The latter is released here on CD for the very first time.

Carl Maria von Weber: The Spirit of German Romanticism
18-CD boxed set
Release date: May 29

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Carl Maria von Weber’s death on June 5, Warner Classics releases an 18-CD collection of recordings of his greatest works. Highlights include Weber’s Overtures with Wolfgang Sawallisch, Symphonies with Sir Roger Norrington, and the operas Abu Hassan, Der Freischütz, and Oberon. This set also features new remasterings by Art & Son Studio, including Paul Crossley’s recording of Weber’s Piano Sonata No. 4, Consortium Classicum’s recordings of selected chamber music, and Michel Debost and Christian Ivaldi’s recordings of Weber’s Flute Sonatas in D minor and C major.

Upcoming June 2026 releases

New titles:

  • June 12 – Elias David Moncado (violin), Mirabelle Kajenjeri (piano), Heritage (Fondation Gautier Capuçon 2026)- Assets

Catalogue:

  • June 5 – Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: The Complete Teldec Recordings – Assets
  • June 5 – Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker, Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35-36, 38-41 (2 x SACD hybrid) – Assets
  • June 19 – Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker, Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7 (SACD hybrid) – Assets
  • June 26 – Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker, Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 5-6, 8-9, Rosamunde Overture (SACD hybrid) – Assets

Upcoming U.S. performances by Warner Classics & Erato artists

Associated labels

MPHIL

Strauss: Alpensinfonie, Der Bürger als Edelmann, Metamorphosen 
Rudolf Kempe (conductor), Munich Philharmonic
CD / digital
Release date: May 8

These previously unreleased live recordings from 1971 and 1973 include Richard Strauss’s monumental Alpine Symphony, the comedic-theatrical suite to Der Bürger als Edelmann(“The Bourgeois Gentleman”) and the intimate, ethereal Metamorphoses. The Munich Philharmonic plays under its principal conductor Rudolf Kempe.

EuroArts

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
Katarina Dalayman (mezzo-soprano), Kristina Mkhitaryan (soprano), Victoria Karkacheva (alto), Elena Zilio (mezzo-soprano), Iurii Samoilov (baritone), Bogdan Volkov (tenor), Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev (bass), Frederic Jost (bass), Juan Sancho (tenor), Gustavo Gimeno (conductor), Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid
Blu-ray / digital
Release date: May 8

A recording of the Teatro Real’s recent staging of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, featuring Ukrainian baritone Iurii Samoilov as Eugene Onegin, Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan as Tatiana Larina and Ukrainian tenor Bogdan Volkov as Lensky, with conductor Gustavo Gimeno leading the Teatro Real Orchestra.

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances & Pletnev: Rachmaniana
Mikhail Pletnev (conductor), Rachmaninoff International Orchestra
CD / digital
Release date: May 22

Alongside Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, this release features the world premiere recording of Mikhail Pletnev’s Rachmaniana, an eight-movement suite which was first performed in January 2026 at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Pletnev himself conducts the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra in this recording.

SFS Media

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Resurrection”
Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor), San Francisco Symphony & Chorus
Digital only
Release date: May 22 (Apple Music Classical); August 28 (all other DSPs)

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts his final recording as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony in a powerful new account of Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” The album will be released exclusively on Apple Music Classical on May 22, and will be available on all other streaming platforms in August.

Recent Warner Classics signing

Warner Classics has signed an exclusive recording contract with 19-year-old pianist Saehyun Kim, following his astounding performance and unanimously awarded First Grand Prize at the Long-Thibaud International Competition in spring 2025. The teen musician had already won First Prize, Audience Prize, and Junior Jury Prize at the 2023 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists; and First Prize at the 2022 Morningside Music Bridge International Concerto Competition. He was named a Winner with Distinction in the 2024 YoungArts Awards, and was the youngest finalist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. France’s Diapason magazine praised his “remarkably rich and deep sound” and “attention to expression” alongside “total commitment.” His debut album, set for release in September 2026, will feature Fauré and Chopin.

March news release
April news release

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