It’s been a strange, difficult year for the music world, which is all the more reason to celebrate musical excellence. “Music’s biggest night” is right around the corner, and the classical music community has a lot to look forward to. Another Grammy subset that should feel proud is the Chicago classical community, which boasts numerous nominees across categories. While the awards below won’t be featured on the annual Grammy telecast, the winners in these categories will be announced before that telecast in the Premiere Ceremony, which can be live-streamed on grammy.com.
Below are the classical Grammy nominees. We’ve italicized artists/projects with a connection to Chicago, and during the ceremony, we’ll update the list to indicate the winners (which will be marked like this).
JUMP TO CATEGORY
Engineered Album, Classical • Producer of the Year, Classical • Orchestral Performance • Opera Recording • Choral Performance • Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance • Classical Instrumental Solo • Classical Solo Vocal Album • Classical Compendium • Contemporary Classical Composition
Production, Classical
Best Engineered Album, Classical
- Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua — Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
- Gershwin: Porgy and Bess — David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
- Hynes: Fields — Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
- Ives: Complete Symphonies — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Producer Of The Year, Classical
- Blanton Alspaugh
- Aspects Of America – Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
- Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)
- Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra)
- Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera)
- Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
- Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s)
- Massenet: Thaïs (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
- Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra)
- Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)
- David Frost
-
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss)
- Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
- Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus)
- Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
- Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
- Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner)
- Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)
- Jesse Lewis
- Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth)
- Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth)
- Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival)
- Hynes: Fields (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
- Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble)
- Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble)
- Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble)
- Soul House (Hub New Music)
- Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)
- Dmitriy Lipay
- Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance)
- Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- LA Phil 100 – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
- Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, ‘The Four Temperaments’ (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)
- Elaine Martone
- Bound For The Promised Land (Robert M. Franklin, Steven Darsey, Jessye Norman & Taylor Branch)
- Dawn (Shachar Israel)
- Gandolfi, Prior & Oliverio: Orchestral Works (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
- Singing In The Dead Of Night (Eighth Blackbird)
- Whitacre: The Sacred Veil (Eric Whitacre, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Classical
Best Orchestral Performance
- Aspects of America – Pulitzer Edition — Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
- Concurrence — Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
- Copland: Symphony No. 3 — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
- Ives: Complete Symphonies — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- Lutosławski: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 — Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording
- Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen — Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
- Floyd, C.: Prince of Players — William Boggs, conductor; Alexander Dobson, Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
- Gershwin: Porgy and Bess — David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
- Handel: Agrippina — Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Elsa Benoit, Joyce DiDonato, Franco Fagioli, Jakub Józef Orliński & Luca Pisaroni; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)
- Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg — Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Best Choral Performance
- Carthage — Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
- Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshuah — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)
- Kastalsky: Requiem — Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
- Moravec: Sanctuary Road — Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
- Once Upon a Time — Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
- Contemporary Voices — Pacifica Quartet
- Healing Modes — Brooklyn Rider
- Hearne, T.: Place — Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods, Diana Wade & Place Orchestra
- Hynes: Fields — Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
- The Schumann Quartets — Dover Quartet
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
- Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra — Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
- Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas — Igor Levit
- Bohemian Tales — Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
- Destination Rachmaninov – Arrival — Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
- Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
- American Composers at Play – William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto — Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
- Clairières – Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger — Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
- Farinelli — Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)
- A Lad’s Love — Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
- Smyth: The Prison — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium
- Adès Conducts Adès — Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
- Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin — Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
- Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto — José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
- Thomas, M.T.: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
- Woolf, L.P.: Fire and Flood — Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
- Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra — Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
- Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua — Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
- Floyd, C.: Prince of Players — Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Alexander Dobson, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
- Hearne, T.: Place — Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
- Rouse: Symphony No. 5 — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
