The Classical Grammy Winners for 2014

The winners of the Grammy Awards in the Classical Music division were announced this evening. (For the complete list of nominees, please check this earlier post.)

For Best Orchestral Performance:

Jean Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4
Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra) on BIS Records

This was especially nice to see, given their recent history after a 14-month lock-out which included Osmo Vänskä resigning because the management could not settle it before the necessary rehearsal schedule before a Carnegie Hall concert and recording date. You can read about it in the morning paper, here, and at the musicians' own blog, here. Fortunately, no one from the board or orchestra management was on hand to pick up the award which will now be delivered by mail. I'm curious who it will be addressed to. This was the second recording in a projected series leaving the remaining three symphonies in jeopardy. (Here is the earlier recording of the 2nd & 5th Symphonies at iTunes.) A very sad state of affairs, so there is an extra kick of Schaddenfreude in announcing this particular win.

for Best Opera Recording:

Thomas Adès: The Tempest – Thomas Adès conducting, Simon Keenlyside &c, Metropolitan Opera on DG

for Best Choral Performance:

Arvo Pärt: Adam's Lament – Tonu Kaljuste conducting the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis on ECM New Series

for Best Chamber Music or Small Ensemble Performance:

Roomful of Teeth – Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth on New Amsterdam Records

for Best Instrumental Solo:

John Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto for Percussionist & String Orchestra – Evelyn Glennie, with David Alan Miller conducting the Albany Symphony on Naxos

For Best Classical Vocal Solo:

Winter Morning Walks with Dawn Upshaw, various conductors and ensembles on Artist Share

for Best Classical Compendium (listing only the conductors):

Paul Hindemith: Violin Concerto, Symphonic Metamorphoses and Konzertmusik – Christoph Eschenbach conducting on Ondine

for Best Contemporary Classical Composition:

Maria Schneider: Winter Morning Walks – with Dawn Upshaw & the Australian Chamber Orchestra on ArtistShare

Congratulations, for what little it's worth, to the winners of this year's Classical Grammy Awards!

P.S. Here's a thought-provoking article from Anne Midgette of the Washington Post, "The Classical Grammys (Remember Them?)"