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Today, EMI Classics continues the century-long tradition of recording the greatest musicians of our time. Plácido Domingo, Nigel Kennedy, Leif Ove Andsnes, Simon Rattle, Maxim Vengerov, Ian Bostridge, Sarah Chang, the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Antonio Pappano, Angela Gheorghiu and Martha Argerich are just a few of the performers whose recordings of works from Purcell to Saariaho represent not only wide-ranging repertoire but distinctive performance styles and interpretations.

Throughout its history EMI has nurtured the careers of gifted young musicians, two examples being Enrico Caruso, an up-and-coming opera star when he recorded his first disc in 1902, and Yehudi Menuhin, who made his first recording for His Master's Voice at the age of 16, with none other than Edward Elgar conducting his violin concerto. Today the Debut label provides a platform enabling young artists to be heard internationally. Successful recordings in the Debut series have led to exclusive contracts with the main label for artists such as the Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, renowned for her phenomenal improvisational skills, composer/conductor/pianist Thomas Adès, singer Jonathan Lemalu, trumpet player Alison Balsom, pianists Simon Trpceski and Jonathan Biss, and the Belcea Quartet.

EMI Classics' commitment to contemporary music is reflected in exclusive contracts with composers from eclectic backgrounds. Among them are Thomas Adès, whose chamber, orchestral and operatic recordings feature performances of the composer as pianist and conductor; the former Beatle, Paul McCartney, whose EMI albums include Liverpool Oratorio, Standing Stone, Working Classical, A Garland for Linda and Ecce Cor Meum, a work in four movements scored for choir and orchestra, released in September 2006; and the Welsh born Karl Jenkins, represented by The Armed Man, Adiemus, Requiem and his brand new Stabat Mater. EMI also continues to record new works from a wide selection of today's contemporary composers, as shown in the recent release of four 'Asteroids' by Turnage, Saariaho, Dean and Pintscher - commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker and recorded by the orchestra with their Chief Conductor, Simon Rattle.

The archives of EMI Classics hold many of the greatest performances of the 20th century. The mid-priced Great Recordings of the Century (GROC) feature many of these performances in state-of-the-art restorations, with distinctive packaging and newly updated tri-lingual booklets. Numbering over 150 releases at last count, GROC offers recordings by Maria Callas, Herbert von Karajan, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Yehudi Menuhin, Dinu Lipatti, Enrico Caruso, Pablo Casals, Sir Thomas Beecham, Victoria de los Angeles and Jacqueline du Pré, among many others. On the video front, the Classic Archive series offers treasurable live performances on DVD, by artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Otto Klemperer, Victoria de los Angeles, Teresa Berganza, David Oistrakh and Nathan Milstein.