The Classical Grammy Winners, Class of 2020

The winners of this year's Grammy Awards were announced yesterday, Sunday, January 26th, 2020, and while little attention, as usual, is paid to the Classical Music division, I thought I'd post the list of nominees in each category for any Classical Music fan who happens to stop by: the winners are highlighted in red. 

For those of us in Harrisburg, PA, my home town, there's special news in these awards because the winner of "Best Contemporary Classical Composition" was Jennifer Higdon's Harp Concerto -- recorded for the Naxos label with Yolanda Kondanassis for whom the work was composed, and the Rochester Philharmonic conducted by Ward Stare. It received its second performance shortly after its premiere in Rochester with Ms. Kondonassis and the Harrisburg Symphony conducted by Stuart Malina in May, 2018.

Jennifer Higdon's "Harp Concerto" with Yolanda Kondonassis and the Rochester Philharmonic on the stage of Eastman Theater

And while Third Coast Percussion, appearing earlier this month with Market Square Concerts at Harrisburg's Whitaker Center did not, unfortunately, win their second Grammy for the album featured in their program here, Perpetulum, nominated in the category "Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance," the award did go to the recording of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Caroline Shaw' "Orange" by the Attaca Quartet. Her "Plan & Elevation: the Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks" was performed by the Dover Quartet at Temple Ohev Sholom in February, 2017.

Congratulations to all the winning performers and composers, as well as to all those who'd been nominated!

75. Best Orchestral Performance - Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.
BRUCKNER: SYMPHONY NO. 9 – Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
COPLAND: BILLY THE KID; GROHG – Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
NORMAN: SUSTAIN – WINNER – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
TRANSATLANTIC – Louis Langrée, conductor (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
WEINBERG: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 21 – Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, conductor (City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Kremerata Baltica)

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76. Best Opera Recording - Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.
BENJAMIN: LESSONS IN LOVE & VIOLENCE – George Benjamin, conductor; Stéphane Degout, Barbara Hannigan, Peter Hoare & Gyula Orendt; Raphaël Mouterde & James Whitbourn, producers (Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House)
BERG: WOZZECK – Marc Albrecht, conductor; Christopher Maltman & Eva-Maria Westbroek; François Roussillon, producer (Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra; Chorus Of Dutch National Opera)
CHARPENTIER: LES ARTS FLORISSANTS; LES PLAISIRS DE VERSAILLES – Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Jesse Blumberg, Teresa Wakim & Virginia Warnken; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble)
PICKER: FANTASTIC MR. FOX – WINNER – Gil Rose, conductor; John Brancy, Andrew Craig Brown, Gabriel Preisser, Krista River & Edwin Vega; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Boston Children's Chorus)
WAGNER: LOHENGRIN – Christian Thielemann, conductor; Piotr Beczała, Anja Harteros, Tomasz Konieczny, Waltraud Meier & Georg Zeppenfeld; Eckhard Glauche, producer (Festspielorchester Bayreuth; Festspielchor Bayreuth)

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77. Best Choral Performance - Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.
BOYLE: VOYAGES – Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
DURUFLÉ: COMPLETE CHORAL WORKS – WINNER – Robert Simpson, conductor (Ken Cowan; Houston Chamber Choir)
THE HOPE OF LOVING – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)
SANDER: THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM – Peter Jermihov, conductor (Evan Bravos, Vadim Gan, Kevin Keys, Glenn Miller & Daniel Shirley; PaTRAM Institute Singers)
SMITH, K.: THE ARC IN THE SKY – Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

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78. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance – For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.
CERRONE: THE PIECES THAT FALL TO EARTH – Christopher Rountree & Wild Up
FREEDOM & FAITH – PUBLIQuartet
PERPETULUM – Third Coast Percussion
RACHMANINOFF - HERMITAGE PIANO TRIO – Hermitage Piano Trio
SHAW: ORANGE – WINNER – Attacca Quartet 

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79. Best Classical Instrumental Solo – Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.
THE BERLIN RECITAL – Yuja Wang
HIGDON: HARP CONCERTO – Yolanda Kondonassis; Ward Stare, conductor (The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)
MARSALIS: VIOLIN CONCERTO; FIDDLE DANCE SUITE – WINNER – Nicola Benedetti; Cristian Măcelaru, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)
THE ORCHESTRAL ORGAN – Jan Kraybill
TORKE: SKY, CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN – Tessa Lark; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

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80. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album – Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with 51% or more playing time of new material.
THE EDGE OF SILENCE - WORKS FOR VOICE BY GYÖRGY KURTÁG – Susan Narucki (Donald Berman, Curtis Macomber, Kathryn Schulmeister & Nicholas Tolle)
HIMMELSMUSIK – Philippe Jaroussky & Céline Scheen; Christina Pluhar, conductor; L’Arpeggiata, ensemble (Jesús Rodil & Dingle Yandell)
SCHUMANN: LIEDERKREIS OP. 24, KERNER-LIEDER OP. 35 – Matthias Goerne; Leif Ove Andsnes, accompanist [sic]
SONGPLAY – WINNER – Joyce DiDonato; Chuck Israels, Jimmy Madison, Charlie Porter & Craig Terry, accompanists (Steve Barnett & Lautaro Greco)
A TE, O CARA
Stephen Costello; Constantine Orbelian, conductor (Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra)

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81. Best Classical Compendium - Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 51% playing time of the album, if other than the artist.
AMERICAN ORIGINALS 1918 – John Morris Russell, conductor; Elaine Martone, producer
LESHNOFF: SYMPHONY NO. 4 'HEICHALOS'; GUITAR CONCERTO; STARBURST – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
MELTZER: SONGS AND STRUCTURES – Paul Appleby & Natalia Katyukova; Silas Brown & Harold Meltzer, producers
THE POETRY OF PLACES – WINNER – Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers
SAARIAHO: TRUE FIRE; TRANS; CIEL D'HIVER – Hannu Lintu, conductor; Laura Heikinheimo, producer

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Ward Stare, Jennifer Higdon, Yolanda Kondonassis

82. Best Contemporary Classical Composition – A Composer's Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.
BERMEL: MIGRATION SERIES FOR JAZZ ENSEMBLE & ORCHESTRA – Derek Bermel, composer (Derek Bermel, Ted Nash, David Alan Miller, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra & Albany Symphony Orchestra)
HIGDON: HARP CONCERTO – WINNER – Jennifer Higdon, composer (Yolanda Kondonassis, Ward Stare & The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)
MARSALIS: VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR – Wynton Marsalis, composer (Nicola Benedetti, Cristian Măcelaru & Philadelphia Orchestra
NORMAN: SUSTAIN – Andrew Norman, composer (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
SHAW: ORANGE – Caroline Shaw, composer (Attacca Quartet)
WOLFE: FIRE IN MY MOUTH – Julia Wolfe, composer (Jaap Van Zweden, Francisco J. Núñez, Donald Nally, The Crossing, Young People's Chorus Of NY City & New York Philharmonic)

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73. Best Engineered Album, Classical An Engineer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)
AEQUA - ANNA THORVALDSDÓTTIR – Daniel Shores, engineer; Daniel Shores, mastering engineer (International Contemporary Ensemble)
BRUCKNER: SYMPHONY NO. 9 – Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
RACHMANINOFF - HERMITAGE PIANO TRIO – Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Hermitage Piano Trio)
RILEY: SUN RINGS – WINNER – Leslie Ann Jones, engineer; John Kilgore, Judith Sherman & David Harrington, engineers/mixers; Robert C. Ludwig, mastering engineer (Kronos Quartet)
WOLFE: FIRE IN MY MOUTH – Bob Hanlon & Lawrence Rock, engineers; Ian Good & Lawrence Rock, mastering engineers (Jaap Van Zweden, Francisco J. Núñez, Donald Nally, The Crossing, Young People's Chorus Of NY City & New York Philharmonic)

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74. Producer Of The Year, ClassicalA Producer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)
BLANTON ALSPAUGH – WINNER
• Artifacts - The Music Of Michael McGlynn (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale)
• Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique; Fantaisie Sur La Tempête De Shakespeare (Andrew Davis & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
• Copland: Billy The Kid; Grohg (Leonard Slatkin & Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
• Duruflé: Complete Choral Works (Robert Simpson & Houston Chamber Choir)
• Glass: Symphony No. 5 (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street, Trinity Youth Chorus, Downtown Voices & Novus NY)
• Sander: The Divine Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom (Peter Jermihov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)
• Smith, K.: Canticle (Craig Hella Johnson & Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble)
• Visions Take Flight (Mei-Ann Chen & ROCO)

JAMES GINSBURG
• Project W - Works By Diverse Women Composers (Mei-Ann Chen & Chicago Sinfonietta)
• Silenced Voices (Black Oak Ensemble)
• 20th Century Harpsichord Concertos (Jory Vinikour, Scott Speck & Chicago Philharmonic)
• Twentieth Century Oboe Sonatas (Alex Klein & Phillip Bush)
• Winged Creatures & Other Works For Flute, Clarinet, And Orchestra (Anthony McGill, Demarre McGill, Allen Tinkham & Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra)

MARINA A. LEDIN, VICTOR LEDIN
• Bates: Children Of Adam; Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem (Steven Smith, Erin R. Freeman, Richmond Symphony & Chorus)
• The Orchestral Organ (Jan Kraybill)
• The Poetry Of Places (Nadia Shpachenko)
• Rachmaninoff - Hermitage Piano Trio (Hermitage Piano Trio)

MORTEN LINDBERG
• Himmelborgen (Elisabeth Holte, Kåre Nordstoga & Uranienborg Vokalensemble)
• Kleiberg: Do You Believe In Heather? (Various Artists)
• Ljos (Fauna Vokalkvintett)
• LUX (Anita Brevik, Trondheimsolistene & Nidarosdomens Jentekor)
• Trachea (Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl & Schola Cantorum)
• Veneliti (Håkon Daniel Nystedt & Oslo Kammerkor)

DIRK SOBOTKA
• Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)