Hyperion Records catalogue available to stream for the first time

British classical label Hyperion Records has today made part of its catalogue available on streaming platforms. For the first time in the label’s 43-year history, 200 albums will be available for streaming from today.

The upload is part of a new drive to make the label’s full catalogue of over 2,000 albums available to stream by spring 2024. The albums released today reflect the label’s story across the past four decades, with key recordings from Hyperion artists including Mahan Esfahani, Angela Hewitt, Sir Stephen Hough and Steven Isserlis. Subsequent upload ‘chapters’ will follow every fortnight from 15 September.

The news comes four months after the label was acquired by Universal Music Group (UMG). Dickon Stainer, UMG’s president of global classics and jazz said: ‘Hyperion Records has one of the greatest classical catalogues in the world. By opening up its musical treasures to an ever-expanding streaming audience, we hope that many more people will have the opportunity to discover this iconic and legendary label… We’re extremely excited that new fans will emerge for this exceptional music.’

Today’s upload ‘chapter’ has also been designed to reflect Hyperion’s reputation for embracing a broad range of repertoire, as well as its ‘vision, courage and long-term approach to artists and repertoire’. While adopting this new digital format, the label will continue to supply its high-quality album notes and cover artwork.

When asked how UMG plans to maintain Hyperion’s legacy following the acquisition, Stainer said: ‘We are committed to continuing the work of Hyperion and preserving the special place it occupies in the hearts of artists and music lovers as it joins UMG’s portfolio of world-renowned classical labels’.

Three of Hyperion’s newest releases from the Takács Quartet, Trinity College Choir Cambridge and The Orlando Consort are also available for streaming from today. In future, all new Hyperion titles will be simultaneously available for streaming, physical purchase and download.

Simon Perry, managing director of Hyperion and son of label founder Ted Perry, said: ‘These first 200 albums tell our story, and we look forward to presenting all our work from the past four decades to a new global streaming audience artist-by-artist, series-by-series. Each had their challenges and now they come together to tell a narrative, hopefully a powerful one, of what can happen when you make space for musicians to thrive: it’s why Hyperion has worked.’