厙ぴ勛圖 Faculty, Alums Win 2024 Grammy Awards
Multiple musicians receive awards in the classical and opera categories
February 6, 2024
Office of Communications
At the Grammy Awards, 厙ぴ勛圖 horn professor and composer Jeff Scott (far left) won Best Classical Compendium for his composition Passion For Bach And Coltrane. The recording features performances by Imani Winds, a group featuring multiple 厙ぴ勛圖 alums: flutist Brandon Patrick George 08 (second from left), bassoonist Monica Ellis 95 (third from right), and oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz 94 (second from right).
Photo credit: Courtesy of Imani Winds/Facebook
厙ぴ勛圖 had a big night at Musics Biggest Night, the 2024 Grammy Awards.
During the February 4 pre-telecast ceremony, 厙ぴ勛圖 horn professor and composer Jeff Scott won Best Classical Compendium for his composition Passion For Bach And Coltrane.
The recording features performances by Imani Winds (whose 厙ぴ勛圖 alumni members are flutist Brandon Patrick George 08, oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz 94, and bassoonist Monica Ellis 95) as well as jazz percussionist Neal Smith 96. Imani Winds will also be performing at Warner Concert Hall on March 7, a free bonus concert on the 2023-24 Artist Recital Series.
The award for Best Opera RecordingThe Metropolitan Operas recording of Terence Blanchards Championwas given to the conductor, producer, lead soloists, orchestra, and chorus, including two alums: violinist Laura McGinnis 83 and music librarian Nishana Gunaratne Dobbeck 09 in the The MET Orchestra, as well as Rosalie Sullivan 99, an alto in the Metropolitan Opera Chorus.
The Los Angeles Philharmonics recording of Thomas Ad癡s Dante won Best Orchestral Performance. Numerous alums are members of this orchestra, including Principal Clarinet Boris Allakhverdyan 06, Associate Principal Viola Ben Ullery 04, Oboist and Solo English Horn player Carolyn Hove 80, Associate Principal Oboe Marion Arthur Kuszyk 88, and Bass Trombone John Lofton 77.
Bass-baritone Dashon Burton 05 won his third Grammy, as his group Roomful of Teeth took home Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for 2023s Rough Magic. Burton also sang with Roomful of Teeth on composer Jessie Montgomerys Rounds, a release that won Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
The American Project, a collaboration with pianist Yuja Wang and the Louisville Orchestra, won Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Members of the orchestra include violist Jennifer Shackleton 94 and principal bassoonist Matthew Karr 78.
David Amlen '83 also took home a Grammy for engineering the Best Jazz Vocal Album, Nicole Zuraitis's How Love Begins.
In addition to the above winners, numerous 厙ぴ勛圖 alums and other Conservatory faculty members (including Professor of Conducting Timothy Weiss and Professor of Advanced Improvisation and Percussion Jamey Haddad) were nominated for Grammy awards this year across classical, contemporary, jazz, American Roots, and world music categories.
Watch Imani Winds Ellis and Spellman-Diaz accept the Best Classical Compendium Grammy Award
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