The classical nominations for the 53rd annual Grammy Awards feature a sprawling mix of musicians and composers from around the world. Leading the nominations are Michael Daugherty’s Deus Ex Machina, for piano and orchestra, with five nods, and Steve Mackey’s Dreamhouse, an eclectic orchestral work, with three nods.
Among the nominees with ties to Southern California is Estonian composer Arvo Pärt for his Symphony No. 4, Los Angeles, a piece that was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and debuted at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2009. L.A.-based composer Avner Dorman’s Mandolin Concerto is also up for an award.
Classical nominations are spread over 13 categories covering orchestral, operatic, choral and solo recordings. A category for classical producer of the year features five nominees — Blanton Alspaugh, David Frost, Tim Handley, Marina and Victor Ledin, and James Mallinson.
The nominations for classical album are Bruckner’s Symphonies No. 3 and 4 from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Daugherty’s Deus Ex Machina and Metropolis Symphony from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra; Steven Mackey’s Dreamhouse from the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Synergy Vocals; Sacrificium — the Art of the Castrati featuring various artists; and Verdi’s Requiem from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
In the opera category, the nominees are Berg’s Lulu from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Adolf Hasse’s Marc Antonio e Cleopatra from Ars Lyrica Houston; Kaija Saariaho’s L’Amour de Loin from Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rodion Shchedrin’s The Enchanted Wanderer from the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre; and Arthur Sullivan’s Ivanhoe from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Composers who are up for Grammys for contemporary composition include Pärt for Symphony No. 4, Daugherty for Deus Ex Machina, Hans Werner Henze for Appassionatamente Plus, Magnus Lindberg for Graffiti, and Shchedrin for The Enchanted Wanderer.
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