Has there ever been a year during which new albums were as vital to our survival as they were in 2020? CBC Music picks Canada best classical albums of the year, from solo piano to opera and everything in between.

With concert halls shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the arrival of new music – along with quarantine videos and live streams – was the closest we got this year to the thrill of live performance. And while records will never replace the concert experience, we’re grateful to Canada’s classical musicians for the profusion of new music they continue to release for our enjoyment.