Image Credit: Courtesy of the Recording Academy™/Getty Images © 2019
The 62nd Grammy Awards marked a banner year for excellence and innovation in classical music, including numerous history-making wins. For more on the 2020 Grammys, don’t miss our roundup of 5 Classical Moments We Loved.
CLASSICAL
Best Orchestral Performance
WINNER Norman: Sustain
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Copland: Billy The Kid; Grohg
Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
Transatlantic
Louis Langrée, conductor (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
Weinberg: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 21
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, conductor (City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Kremerata Baltica)
Best Opera Recording
WINNER Picker: Fantastic Mr. Fox
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)
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)
Best Choral Performance
WINNER Duruflé: Complete Choral Works
Robert Simpson, conductor (Ken Cowan; Houston Chamber Choir)
Boyle: Voyages
Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
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)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
WINNER Shaw: Orange
Attacca Quartet
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
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
WINNER Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite
Nicola Benedetti; Cristian Măcelaru, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)
The Berlin Recital
Yuja Wang
Higdon: Harp Concerto
Yolanda Kondonassis; Ward Stare, conductor (The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)
The Orchestral Organ
Jan Kraybill
Torke: Sky, Concerto For Violin
Tessa Lark; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
WINNER Songplay
Joyce DiDonato; Chuck Israels, Jimmy Madison, Charlie Porter & Craig Terry, accompanists (Steve Barnett & Lautaro Greco)
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
A Te, O Cara
Stephen Costello; Constantine Orbelian, conductor (Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium
WINNER The Poetry Of Places
Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers
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
Saariaho: True Fire; Trans; Ciel D’Hiver
Hannu Lintu, conductor; Laura Heikinheimo, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
WINNER Higdon: Harp Concerto
Jennifer Higdon, composer (Yolanda Kondonassis, Ward Stare & The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)
Bermel: Migration Series For Jazz Ensemble & Orchestra
Derek Bermel, composer (Derek Bermel, Ted Nash, David Alan Miller, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra & Albany Symphony 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)
MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
WINNER A Star Is Born
(Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper) Paul “DJWS” Blair, Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Nick Monson, Lukas Nelson Mark Nilan Jr. & Benjamin Rice, compilation producers; Julianne Jordan & Julia Michels, music supervisors
The Lion King: The Songs
(Various Artists) Jon Favreau & Hans Zimmer, compilation producers
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
(Various Artists) Quentin Tarantino, compilation producer; Mary Ramos, music supervisor
Rocketman
(Taron Egerton) Giles Martin, compilation producer
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
(Various Artists) Spring Aspers & Dana Sano, compilation producers; Kier Lehman, music supervisor
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
WINNER Chernobyl
Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
Avengers: Endgame
Alan Silvestri, composer
Game Of Thrones: Season 8
Ramin Djawadi, composer
The Lion King
Hans Zimmer, composer
Mary Poppins Returns
Marc Shaiman, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media
WINNER “I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)” from A Star is Born
Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Aaron Raitiere, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
“The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy” from Toy Story 4
Randy Newman, songwriter (Chris Stapleton)
“Girl In The Movies” from Dumplin’
Dolly Parton & Linda Perry, songwriters (Dolly Parton)
“Spirit” from The Lion King
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Timothy McKenzie & Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Suspirium” from Suspiria
Thom Yorke, songwriter (Thom Yorke)
COMPOSING/ARRANGING
Best Instrumental Composition
WINNER “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite”
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
“Begin Again”
Fred Hersch, composer (Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band Conducted By Vince Mendoza)
“Crucible For Crisis”
Brian Lynch, composer (Brian Lynch Big Band)
“Love, A Beautiful Force”
Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
“Walkin’ Funny”
Christian McBride, composer (Christian McBride)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
WINNER “Moon River”
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“Blue Skies”
Kris Bowers, arranger (Kris Bowers)
“Hedwig’s Theme”
John Williams, arranger (Anne-Sophie Mutter & John Williams)
“La Novena”
Emilio Solla, arranger (Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra)
“Love, A Beautiful Force”
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
WINNER “All Night Long”
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest)
“Jolene”
Geoff Keezer, arranger (Sara Gazarek)
“Marry Me A Little”
Cyrille Aimée & Diego Figueiredo, arrangers (Cyrille Aimée)
“Over The Rainbow”
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Trisha Yearwood)
“12 Little Spells (Thoracic Spine)”
Esperanza Spalding, arranger (Esperanza Spalding)
For a complete list of winners and nominees from the awards ceremony, click here.