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)

The 2016 Grammy Winners, Classical Music Division

The winners of the Classical Music Grammy Awards for 2016, assuming they haven't been announced by Steve Harvey, are:

74. Best Orchestral Performance

Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10 – Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) Deutsche Grammophon











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75. Best Opera Recording

Ravel: L'Enfant et les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade – Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus) Decca










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76. Best Choral Performance

 Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil – Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale) Chandos










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77. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance


Filament – Eighth Blackbird; Cedille Records












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78. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre des Songes – Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Track from Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'; Seattle Symphony Media

(Hadelich appeared as soloist with the Harrisburg Symphony on three separate occasions. Read more about this award-winner and hear the recording of the Dutilleux, here.)







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79. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Joyce & Tony - Live From Wigmore Hall – Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist [sic]; Erato












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80. Best Classical Compendium

Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment; Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Naxos











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81. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances – Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra) Track from Paulus: Far In The Heavens; Reference Recordings











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72. Best Engineered Album, Classical

Ask Your Mama - Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum & Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) Avie Records










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73. Producer Of The Year, Classical

Judith Sherman – Ask Your Mama (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra); Fields: Double Cluster; Space Sciences (Jan Kučera, Gloria Chuang & Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra); Liaisons - Re-Imagining Sondheim From The Piano (Anthony de Mare); Montage - Great Film Composers & The Piano (Gloria Cheng); Multitude, Solitude (Momenta Quartet); Of Color Braided All Desire - Music Of Eric Moe (Christine Brandes, Brentano String Quartet, Dominic Donato, Jessica Meyer, Karen Ouzounian, Manhattan String Quartet & Talujon); Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (Ursula Oppens); Sirota: Parting The Veil - Works For Violin & Piano (David Friend, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Laurie Carney & Soyeon Kate Lee); Turina: Chamber Music For Strings & Piano (Lincoln Trio)

Congratulations to all those nominated this year for their Grammy Awards and especially to those who won their category.

- Dick Strawser

The Classical Grammy Nominees, 2016

The list of nominees for the GRAMMY AWARDS for 2016 has been released. Even reports in major newspapers that say “see the complete list of nominess” don't bother to mention the classical categories, so here are – drum roll, please – the Classical Music Grammy Nominees.

The winners will be announced on President's Day, February 15th, 2016, on CBS-TV.

Please note the selection of links and choice of photographs for this post are purely arbitrary.

74. Best Orchestral Performance
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 – Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) Reference Recordings

Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double' – Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Seattle Symphony Media

Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10 – Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) Deutsche Grammophon

Spirit Of The American Range – Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony) Pentatone

Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony 'Humen 1839' – Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) Naxos (see YouTube video here)

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75. Best Opera Recording
Janáček: Jenůfa – Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin) Arthaus

Monteverdi: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria – Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque) Linn Records

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe) Deutsche Grammophon

Ravel: L'Enfant et les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade – Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus) Decca

Steffani: Niobe, Regina di Tebe – Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra) Erato

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76. Best Choral Performance
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis – Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann & Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks) BR Klassik

Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610 – Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan & Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen) Coro

Pablo Neruda - The Poet Sings – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville & Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow & Stephen Redfield; Conspirare) Harmonia Mundi

Paulus: Far in the Heavens – Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller & Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices) Reference Recordings

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil – Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale) Chandos

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77. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Brahms: The Piano Trios – Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt; Ondine

Filament – Eighth Blackbird; Cedille Records

Flaherty: Airdancing for Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics – Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee, Track from Woman At The New Piano; Reference Recordings

Render – Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth; New Amsterdam Records

Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2 – Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin; Hyperion

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78. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre des Songes – Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Track from Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'; Seattle Symphony Media

Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos – Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern) Onyx Classics

Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7 – Kristian Bezuidenhout; Harmonia Mundi

Rachmaninov Variations – Daniil Trifonov (Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Philadelphia Orchestra) Deutsche Grammophon

Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! – Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal) Cedille Records


Daniil Trifonov, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra: Excerpt from recording session with Rachmaninoff "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"

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79. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata – Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist [sic]; Harmonia Mundi

Joyce & Tony - Live From Wigmore Hall – Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist [sic]; Erato

Nessun Dorma - The Puccini Album – Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi & Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia) Sony Classical

Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali – Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony) Naxos

St. Petersburg – Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti) Decca

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80. Best Classical Compendium
As Dreams Fall Apart - The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955) – New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer; Cedille Records

Ask Your Mama – George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer; Avie Records

Handel: L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, 1740 [includes three concerti grossi, hence a "compendium" album rather than choral or operatic] – Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer; Signum Classics

Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment; Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Naxos

Woman at the New Piano – Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers; Reference Recordings

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81. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Barry: The Importance of Being Earnest – Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group) NMC Recordings

Norman: Play – Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project) Track from Norman: Play; BMOP/Sound

Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances – Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra) Track from Paulus: Far In The Heavens; Reference Recordings

Tower: Stroke – Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony); Track from Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance; Naxos

Wolfe: Anthracite Fields – Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street & Bang On A Can All-Stars); Cantaloupe Music [Anthracite Fields won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2015]

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72. Best Engineered Album, Classical

Ask Your Mama - Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum & Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) Avie Records

Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double' – Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Alexander Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony) Seattle Symphony Media

Monteverdi: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria – Robert Friedrich, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque) Linn Records

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil – Beyong Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale) Chandos

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' – Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) Reference Recordings

73. Producer Of The Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh – Hill: Symphony No. 4; Concertino Nos. 1 & 2; Divertimento (Peter Bay, Anton Nel & Austin Symphony Orchestra); Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale); Sacred Songs Of Life & Love (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale); Spirit Of The American Range (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony); Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)

Manfred Eicher – Franz Schubert (András Schiff); Galina Ustvolskaya (Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Markus Hinterhäuser & Reto Bieri); Moore: Dances & Canons (Saskia Lankhoorn); Rihm: Et Lux (Paul Van Nevel, Minguet Quartet & Huelgas Ensemble); Visions Fugitives (Anna Gourari)

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin – Dances For Piano & Orchestra (Joel Fan, Christophe Chagnard & Northwest Sinfonietta); Tempo Do Brasil (Marc Regnier); Woman At The New Piano (Nadia Shpachenko)

Dan Merceruio – Chapí: String Quartets 1 & 2 (Cuarteto Latinoamericano); From Whence We Came (Ensemble Galilei); Gregson: Touch (Peter Gregson); In The Light Of Air - ICE Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir (International Contemporary Ensemble); Schumann (Ying Quartet); Scrapyard Exotica (Del Sol String Quartet); Stravinsky: Petrushka (Richard Scerbo & Inscape Chamber Orchestra); What Artemisia Heard (El Mundo); ZOFO Plays Terry Riley (ZOFO)

Judith Sherman – Ask Your Mama (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra); Fields: Double Cluster; Space Sciences (Jan Kučera, Gloria Chuang & Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra); Liaisons - Re-Imagining Sondheim From The Piano (Anthony de Mare); Montage - Great Film Composers & The Piano (Gloria Cheng); Multitude, Solitude (Momenta Quartet); Of Color Braided All Desire - Music Of Eric Moe (Christine Brandes, Brentano String Quartet, Dominic Donato, Jessica Meyer, Karen Ouzounian, Manhattan String Quartet & Talujon); Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (Ursula Oppens); Sirota: Parting The Veil - Works For Violin & Piano (David Friend, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Laurie Carney & Soyeon Kate Lee); Turina: Chamber Music For Strings & Piano (Lincoln Trio)

The Classical Grammy Winners for 2015

It's "Music's Big Night," the night they announce the winners of this year's Grammy Awards. And while some people might be surprised to find there are classical music nominees and winners - they're usually allotted the same prestige as the technical awards for things like the Tonys and the Oscars, not-ready-for-prime-time - here are this year's winners in the Classical Division, announced earlier this afternoon:

72. Best Engineered Album, Classical 

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Symphony No. 4; The Lark Ascending – Michael Bishop, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Robert Spano, Norman Mackenzie, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus) Label: ASO Media

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74. Best Orchestral Performance

John Adams: City Noir - David Robertson, conductor (St. Louis Symphony) Label: Nonesuch

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75. Best Opera Recording

Marc-Antonie Charpentier: La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers – Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble) Label: CPO

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76. Best Choral Performance

The Sacred Spirit of Russia – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare) Label: Harmonia Mundi

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77. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

In 27 Pieces - The Hilary Hahn Encores – Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe; Label: Deutsche Grammophon

(3 of the 27 Encores: by Avner Dorfman, Tina Davidson, and Mason Bates)

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78. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Play – Jason Vieaux; Label: Azica Records

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79. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Douce France – Anne Sofie Von Otter; Bengt Forsberg, accompanist (Carl Bagge, Margareta Bengston, Mats Bergström, Per Ekdahl, Bengan Janson, Olle Linder & Antoine Tamestit); Label: Naïve

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80. Best Classical Compendium

Harry Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances – Harry Partch; John Schneider, producer; Label: Bridge Records, Inc.

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81. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

John Luther Adams: Become Ocean – John Luther Adams, composer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony); Label: Cantaloupe Music


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Congratulations to the winners - and congratulations as well to all those nominated in their respective fields. You can read the complete list of nominations, here, in this earlier post.

Thanks to Grammy.com for making this list available.


- Dick Strawser

The Classical Grammy Nominations for 2015

It's that time of year when I get to say "Yes, Virginia, there ARE Classical Music nominees among the Grammy Awards!" So I thought I'd take a break from posting my classical-music-appreciation comedy-thriller The Lost Chord to announce the nominees for the 57th annual GRAMMY Awards in the Classical Music Division which were announced earlier today. The winners will be revealed on February 8th, 2015 during the broadcast on CBS (though, I suspect, you won't find much about the Classical winners on the broadcast).

72. Best Engineered Album, Classical

John Adams: City Noir – Richard King, engineer; Wolfgang Schiefermair, mastering engineer (David Robertson & St. Louis Symphony) Label: Nonesuch
- - - - - - -
John Luther Adams: Become Ocean – Dmitriy Lipay & Nathaniel Reichman, engineers; Nathaniel Reichman, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony) Label: Cantaloupe Music

- - - - - - -
Henri Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout Un Monde Lointain; The Shadows Of Time – Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony) Label: Seattle Symphony Media
- - - - - - -
Riccardo Muti Conducts Mason Bates & Anna Clyne – David Frost & Christopher Willis, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra); Label: CSO Resound
- - - - - - -
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Symphony No. 4; The Lark Ascending – Michael Bishop, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Robert Spano, Norman Mackenzie, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus) Label: ASO Media

* * *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

74. Best Orchestral Performance

John Adams: City Noir - David Robertson, conductor (St. Louis Symphony) Label: Nonesuch
- - - - - - -
Henri Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout Un Monde Lointain; The Shadows Of Time – Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Label: Seattle Symphony Media
- - - - - - -
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 8; Leoš Janáček: Symphonic Suite from Jenůfa – Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) Label: Reference Recordings
- - - - - - -
Robert Schumann: The Four Symphonies – Simon Rattle, conductor (Berlin Philharmonic) Label: Berlin Philharmonic Recordings

- - - - - - -
Jean Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7; Tapiola – Robert Spano, conductor (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) Label: ASO Media

* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

75. Best Opera Recording

Marc-Antonie Charpentier: La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers – Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble) Label: CPO
- - - - - - -
Darius Milhaud: L'Orestie d'Eschyle – Kenneth Kiesler, conductor; Dan Kempson, Jennifer Lane, Tamara Mumford & Brenda Rae; Tim Handley, producer (University Of Michigan Percussion Ensemble & University Of Michigan Symphony Orchestra; University Of Michigan Chamber Choir, University Of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University Of Michigan University Choir & UMS Choral Union) Label: Naxos
- - - - - - -
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie – William Christie, conductor; Sarah Connolly, Stéphane Degout, Christiane Karg, Ed Lyon & Katherine Watson; Sébastien Chonion, producer (Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment; The Glyndebourne Chorus) Label: Opus Arte
- - - - - - -
Arnold Schönberg: Moses und Aron – Sylvain Cambreling, conductor; Andreas Conrad, Franz Grundheber; Reinhard Oechsler, producer (SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg; EuropaChorAkademie) Label: Hänssler Classic

- - - - - - -
Richard Strauss: Elektra – Christian Thielemann, conductor; Evelyn Herlitzius, Waltraud Meier, René Pape & Anne Schwanewilms; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Staatskapelle Dresden; Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden) Label: Deutsche Grammophon

* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

76. Best Choral Performance

Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion – René Jacobs, conductor (Werner Güra & Johannes Weisser; Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin; Rias Kammerchor & Staats-Und Domchor Berlin) Label: Harmonia Mundi

- - - - - - -
Torbjørn Dyrud: Out Of Darkness – Vivianne Sydnes, conductor (Erlend Aagaard Nilsen & Geir Morten Øien; Sarah Head & Lars Sitter; Nidaros Cathedral Choir) Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)
- - - - - - -
Gustav Holst: First Choral Symphony; The Mystic Trumpeter – Andrew Davis, conductor; Stephen Jackson, chorus master (Susan Gritton; BBC Symphony Orchestra; BBC Symphony Chorus) Label: Chandos Records
- - - - - - -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem – John Butt, conductor (Matthew Brook, Rowan Hellier, Thomas Hobbs & Joanne Lunn; Dunedin Consort) Label: Linn Records
- - - - - - -
The Sacred Spirit of Russia – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare) Label: Harmonia Mundi

* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

77. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Dreams & Prayers – David Krakauer & A Far Cry; Label: Crier Records
- - - - - - -
In 27 Pieces - The Hilary Hahn Encores – Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe; Label: Deutsche Grammophon

(3 of the 27 Encores: by Avner Dorfman, Tina Davidson, and Mason Bates)
- - - - - - -
Bohuslav Martinů: The Three Cello Sonatas – Steven Isserlis & Olli Mustonen; Label: BIS
- - - - - - -
Harry Partch: Castor & Pollux – Harry Partch (Track from: Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances) Label: Bridge Records, Inc.
- - - - - - -
Sing Thee Nowell – New York Polyphony; Label: BIS

* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

78. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

All The Things You Are – Leon Fleisher; Label: Bridge Records, Inc.
- - - - - - -
The Carnegie Recital – Daniil Trifonov; Label: Deutsche Grammophon
- - - - - - -
Henri Dutilleux: Tout un monde lointain – Xavier Phillips; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Track from: Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout Un Monde Lointain; The Shadows Of Time; Label: Seattle Symphony Media
- - - - - - -
Play – Jason Vieaux; Label: Azica Records
- - - - - - -
Toccatas – Jory Vinikour; Label: Sono Luminus


* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

79. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Douce France – Anne Sofie Von Otter; Bengt Forsberg, accompanist (Carl Bagge, Margareta Bengston, Mats Bergström, Per Ekdahl, Bengan Janson, Olle Linder & Antoine Tamestit); Label: Naïve
- - - - - - -
Nicola Porpora: Arias for Farinelli – Philippe Jaroussky; Andrea Marcon, conductor (Cecilia Bartoli; Venice Baroque Orchestra); Label: Erato
- - - - - - -
Franz Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin – Florian Boesch; Malcolm Martineau; Label: Onyx
- - - - - - -
Stella Di Napoli – Joyce DiDonato; Riccardo Minasi, conductor (Chœur de L'Opéra National De Lyon; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon); Label: Erato/Warner Classics

- - - - - - -
Virtuoso Rossini Arias – Lawrence Brownlee; Constantine Orbelian, conductor (Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra); Label: Delos
* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

80. Best Classical Compendium

Britten to America – Jeffrey Skidmore, conductor; Colin Matthews, producer; Label: NMC Recordings
- - - - - - -
Mieczysław Weinberg – Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Daniil Grishin, Gidon Kremer & Daniil Trifonov; Manfred Eicher, producer; Label: ECM New Series
- - - - - - -
Mike Marshall & The Turtle Island Quartet – Mike Marshall & Turtle Island Quartet; Mike Marshall, producer; Label: Adventure Music
- - - - - - -
Harry Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances – Harry Partch; John Schneider, producer; Label: Bridge Records, Inc.
- - - - - - -
The Solent - Fifty Years Of Music By Ralph Vaughan Williams – Paul Daniel, conductor; Andrew Walton, producer; Label: Albion Records
* * ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** * *

81. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

John Luther Adams: Become Ocean – John Luther Adams, composer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony); Label: Cantaloupe Music
- - - - - - -
Anna Clyne: Prince of Clouds – Anna Clyne, composer (Jaime Laredo, Jennifer Koh, Vinay Parameswaran & Curtis 20/21 Ensemble) Track from: Two X Four; Label: Cedille Records
- - - - - - -
George Crumb: Voices from the Heartland – George Crumb, composer (Ann Crumb, Patrick Mason, James Freeman & Orchestra 2001) Track from: Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 16; Label: Bridge Records, Inc.
- - - - - - -
Stephen Paulus: Concerto For Two Trumpets & Band – Stephen Paulus, composer (who died this past October 19th); (Eric Berlin, Richard Kelley, James Patrick Miller & UMass Wind Ensemble); Track from: Fantastique - Premieres For Trumpet & Wind Ensemble; Label: MSR Classics

- - - - - - -
Roberto Sierra: Sinfonía No. 4 – Roberto Sierra, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony) Track from: Sierra: Sinfonía No. 4; Fandangos; Carnaval; Label: Naxos

The winners will be announced February 8th, 2015, on CBS. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: 2-8-2015 - you can find out the winners of each category at this updated post.

- Dick Strawser

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?)"

The Classical Grammy Nominations for 2014

The Grammy nominations were released tonight – and yes, Virginia, there is a division for classical music! (Who knew?!) You won't find much coverage of them in the usual press, so here are the different categories and the various nominations in the Classical Music division.

For BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE:
Atterberg – Orchestral Works (Vol. 1) – Neeme Järvi, & the Gothenburg Symphony on Chandos
Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 1 – Esa-Pekka Salonen & the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Sony
Schumann: Symphony No. 2, Manfred Overture, Genoveva Overture – Claudio Abbado & Orchestra Mozart on DG
Sibelius: Symphonies No. 1 & 4 – Osmo Vänskä & the Minnesota Orchestra on Bis (take that, Minnesota Orchestra Board of Directors)
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring - Simon RFattle & the Berlin Philharmonic on EMI

for BEST OPERA PERFORMANCE:
Adès: The Tempest – Thomas Adès conducting, Simon Keenlyside &c, Metropolitan Opera on DG
Britten: The Rape of Lucretia – Oliver Knussen conducting, Ian Bostridge &c, Aldeburgh Festival on Virgin Classics
Kleiberg: David & Bathsheba – Tonu Kaljuste conducting, soloists, Trondheim Symphony on Lindberg Lyd
Vinci: Artaserse – Diego Fasolis, conducting, soloists, chorus & Concerto Köln on Virgin Classics
Wagner: The Ring of the Nibelung – Christian Thielemann conducting, Vienna State Opera & Orchestra on DG

for BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Berlioz: Requiem – Colin Davis, conducting, Barry Banks, London Symphony & Choruses – on LSO Live
Palestrina: Volume 3 – Harry Christophers, conducting The Sixteen on Coro
Parry: Works for Chorus & Orchestra – Neeme Jarvi conducting BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales on Chandos
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
Whitbourn: Annelies – James Jordan conducting Ariana Zukerman, the Lincoln Trio and Westminster Williamson Voices on Naxos

for BEST CHAMBER MUSIC or SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas – Leonidas Kavakos & Enrico Pace on Decca
Cage: The 10,000 Things – Vicki Ray, William Winant, Aron Kallay & Tom Peters on MicroFest Records
Duo – with Helene Grimaud & Sol Gabetta on DG
Roomful of Teeth – Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth on New Amsterdam Records
Time Go by Turns – New York Polyphony on Bis Records

for BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLO
Bartók, Eotvos & Ligeti – Patricia Kopatchinskaja with Peter Eotvos conducting Ensemble Modern & Frankfurt Radio Symphony on Naive
Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto for Percussionist & String Orchestra – Evelyn Glennie, with David Alan Miller conducting the Albany Symphony on Naxos
The Edge of Light – Gloria Cheng and the Calder Quartet on Harmonia Mundi
Lindberg: Piano Concerto No. 2 – with Yefim Bronfman, Alan Gilbert conducting the New York Philharmonic on DaCapo Records
Salonen: Violin Concerto; Nyx – Leila Josefowicz, with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony on DG
Schubert: Piano Sonatas D.845 & D.960 – Maria João Pires on DG

for BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL SOLO
Drama Queens with Joyce DiDonato, Alan Curtis conducting Il complesso barocco on Virgin Classics
Mission with Cecilia Bartoli, Diego Fasolis, Philippe Jaroussky and I barocchisti on Decca
Schubert: Winterreise with Christoph Pregardien and Michael Gees on Challenge
Wagner with Jonas Kauffman, Donald Runnicles conducting Chorus & Orchestra of the German Opera of Berlin on Decca
Winter Morning Walks with Dawn Upshaw, various conductors and ensembles on ArtistShare

for BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM (listing only the conductors)
Hindemith: Violin Concerto, Symphonic Metamorphoses and Konzertmusik – Christoph Eschenbach conducting on Ondine
Holmboe: Concertos – Dima Slobodeniouk conducting on DaCapo Records
Tabakova: String Paths – with Maxim Rysanov on ECM New Series

for BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Magnus Lindberg: Piano Concerto No. 2 – with Yefim Bronfman, Alan Gilbert & the New York Philharmonic on DaCapo Records
Arvo Pärt: Adam's Lament – with Tonu Kaljuste, the Latvian Radio Choir, Vox Clamantis & Sinfonietta Riga on ECM New Series
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto – with Leila Josefowicz, Esa-Pekka Salonen & the Finnish Radio Symphony on DG
Maria Schneider: Winter Morning Walks – with Dawn Upshaw & the Australian Chamber Orchestra on ArtistShare
Caroline Shaw: Partita for 8 Voices – with Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth on New Amsterdam Records

Winners will be announced on January 26th, 2014.

The 55th Annual Classical Grammy Winners

...and the Grammys go to...

Best Orchestral Performance

Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
[SFS Media]








Best Opera Recording

Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen
James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
[Deutsche Grammophon]




Best Choral Performance

Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale)
[Chandos]






Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Meanwhile
Eighth Blackbird
[Cedille Records]









Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola
Kim Kashkashian
[ECM New Series]










Best Classical Vocal Solo

Poèmes
Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)
[Decca Records]







Best Classical Compendium

Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis
Antoni Wit, conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, producers
[Naxos]






Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays
Stephen Hartke, composer (Eighth Blackbird)
Track from: Meanwhile
[Cedille Records]






Best Engineered Album:
Tom Caulfield & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer for
Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale)
[Chandos]


Producer of the Year, Classical:
Blanton Alspaugh -- Chamber Symphonies (Gregory Wolynec & Gateway Chamber Orchestra); Davis: Río De Sangre (Joseph Rescigno, Vale Rideout, Ava Pine, John Duykers, Kerry Walsh, Guido LeBron, The Florentine Opera Company & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra); Gjeilo: Northern Lights (Charles Bruffy & Phoenix Chorale); In Paradisum (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale); Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale); Music For A Time Of War (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony); Musto: The Inspector (Glen Cortese & Wolf Trap Opera Company).

Congratulations to the winners and to all those artists, composers and recordings that were nominated.

- Dick Strawser

The Classical Grammys - 2013 Nominees

It’s time for that annual event of pop music’s commercial recognition, the “Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night,” the Grammy Awards! This year’s nominees were announced tonight and waaaaay down at the bottom, you might notice there are even some nominations in the classical music categories! Since they won’t have been mentioned much on the one-hour TV special and probably won’t be given much notice in the press and on-line coverage, otherwise, here’s the list of Classical Nominees for the Grammy Awards which will be announced on Feb. 10th, 2013.

72. Best Orchestral Performance

Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
[SFS Media]

Mahler: Symphony No. 1
Iván Fischer, conductor (Budapest Festival Orchestra)
[Channel Classics]

Music For A Time Of War
Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
[PentaTone Classics]

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances
Valery Gergiev, conductor (London Symphony Orchestra)
[LSO Live]

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
[BIS]

73. Best Opera Recording

Berg: Lulu
Michael Boder, conductor; Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Julia Juon & Patricia Petibon; Johannes Müller, producer (Symphony Orchestra Of The Gran Teatre Del Liceu)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

Handel: Agrippina
René Jacobs, conductor; Marcos Fink, Sunhae Im, Bejun Mehta, Alexandrina Pendatchanska & Jennifer Rivera (Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin)
[Harmonia Mundi]

Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor; Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson & Matthew Rose; Johannes Müller, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus)
[Opus Arte]

Vivaldi: Teuzzone
Jordi Savall, conductor; Delphine Galou, Paolo Lopez, Roberta Mameli, Raffaella Milanesi & Furio Zanasi (Le Concert Des Nations)
[Naïve Classique]

Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen
James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

74. Best Choral Performance

Handel: Israel In Egypt
Julian Wachner, conductor (Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Choir Wall Street)
[Musica Omnia]

Life & Breath - Choral Works By René Clausen
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale)
[Chandos]

Ligeti: Requiem; Apparitions; San Francisco Polyphony
Peter Eötvös, conductor (Barbara Hannigan & Susan Parry; WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln; SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart & WDR Rundfunkchor Köln)
[BMC]

The Nightingale
Stephen Layton, conductor (Michala Petri; Danish National Vocal Ensemble)
[OUR Recordings]

Striggio: Mass For 40 & 60 Voices
Hervé Niquet, conductor (Le Concert Spirituel)
[Glossa]

75. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Americana
Modern Mandolin Quartet
[Sono Luminus]

Meanwhile
Eighth Blackbird
[Cedille Records]

Mind Meld
ZOFO Duet
[Sono Luminus]

Profanes et Sacrées
Boston Symphony Chamber Players
[BSO Classics]

Rupa-Khandha
Los Angeles Percussion Quartet
[Sono Luminus]

76. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Clavier
András Schiff
[ECM New Series]

The Complete Harpsichord Works Of Rameau
Jory Vinikour
[Sono Luminus]

Gál & Elgar: Cello Concertos
Claudio Cruz, conductor; Antonio Meneses (Northern Sinfonia)
[AVIE Records]

Holst: The Planets
Hansjörg Albrecht, organ
[Oehms Classics]

Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola
Kim Kashkashian
[ECM New Series]

 77. Best Classical Vocal Solo

Debussy: Clair de Lune
Natalie Dessay (Henri Chalet; Philippe Cassard, Karine Deshayes & Catherine Michel; Le Jeune Coeur De Paris)
[Virgin Classics]

Homecoming - Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato
Joyce DiDonato (Michael Stern; Kansas City Symphony)
[Kansas City Symphony]

Paris Days, Berlin Nights
Ute Lemper (Stefan Malzew & Vogler Quartet)
[Steinway & Sons]

Poèmes
Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)
[Decca Records]

Sogno Barocco
Anne Sofie Von Otter (Leonardo García Alarcón; Sandrine Piau & Susanna Sundberg; Ensemble Cappella Mediterranea)
[Naïve Classique]

78. Best Classical Compendium

Partch: Bitter Music
Partch, ensemble; John Schneider, producer
[Bridge Records, Inc.]

Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis
Antoni Wit, conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, producers
[Naxos]

Une Fête Baroque
Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor; Daniel Zalay, producer
[Virgin Classics]

79. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays
Stephen Hartke, composer (Eighth Blackbird)
Track from: Meanwhile
[Cedille Records]

León, Tania: Inura For Voices, Strings & Percussion
Tania León, composer (Tania León, Son Sonora Voices, DanceBrazil Percussion & Son Sonora Ensemble)
Track from: In Motion
[Albany Records]

Praulins, Ugis: The Nightingale
Ugis Praulins, composer (Stephen Layton, Michala Petri & Danish National Vocal Ensemble)
Track from: The Nightingale
[OUR Recordings]

Rautavaara, Einojuhani: Cello Concerto No. 2 'Towards The Horizon'
Einojuhani Rautavaara, composer (Truls Mørk, John Storgårds & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Track from: Rautavaara: Modificata; Percussion Concerto 'Incantations'; Cello Concerto No. 2 'Towards The Horizon'
[Ondine]

Stucky, Steven: August 4, 1964
Steven Stucky, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist (Jaap Van Zweden, Dallas Symphony Chorus & Orchestra)
[DSO Live]

*** ***** ******** ***** ***
Congratulations to all the nominees! And break various legs in February!
- Dick Strawser