The 2024 Grammy winners for Classical Music categories were announced, featuring notable victories for Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s “Champion” for Best Opera Recording, Saariaho’s “Reconnaissance” for Best Choral Performance, and Julia Bullock and Christian Reif’s “Walking In The Dark” for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Why it matters:
- Recognition of Excellence: The Grammy Awards in classical categories acknowledge outstanding achievements in various classical music genres, providing artists and ensembles with recognition for their excellence. Grammy Award wins can be a springboard for a classical artist’s more widespread awareness.
- Diverse Winners: The winners represent a diverse range of compositions and performances, showcasing the richness and variety within classical music, especially among works written in the 21st Century.
Winners:
- Best Orchestral Performance:
Adès: “Dante”
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic) - Best Opera Recording
Blanchard: “Champion”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus) - Best Choral Performance
Saariaho: “Reconnaissance”
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor (Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir) - Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Rough Magic”
Roomful Of Teeth - Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“The American Project”
Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra) - Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Walking In The Dark”
Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra) - Best Classical Compendium
“Passion For Bach And Coltrane”
Alex Brown, Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith & A.B. Spellman; Silas Brown & Mark Dover, producers - Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Montgomery: “Rounds”
Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful Of Teeth) - Best Engineered Album, Classical
“Contemporary American Composers”
David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra) - Producer Of The Year, Classical
Elaine Martone
Ascenso (Santiago Cañón-Valencia) (A)
Berg: Three Pieces From Lyric Suite; Strauss: Suite From Der Rosenkavalier (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Between Breaths (Third Coast Percussion) (A)
Difficult Grace (Seth Parker Woods) (A)
Man Up / Man Down (Constellation Men’s Ensemble) (A)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Rachmaninoff & Gershwin: Transcriptions By Earl Wild (John Wilson) (A)
Sirventés – Music From The Iranian Female Composers Association (Brian Thornton, Katherine Bormann, Alicia Koelz, Eleisha Nelson, Amahl Arulanadam & Nathan Petipas) (A)
Walker: Antifonys; Lilacs; Sinfonias Nos. 4 & 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
