Performances + Events
Grammy Awards
Each year, New England Conservatory musicians working in a broad range of musical genres are recognized by their recording industry peers with nominations for Grammy Awards, given by the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The nominations are usually announced in early December, with winners announced in a live telecast several months later. On this page we have attempted to capture Grammy winners with NEC affiliations going back to 1973, as well as a Best Chamber Music Performance award for the music of Scott Joplin.
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Grammy Awards
Award Winners with NEC Affiliations
2023
Best Classical Compendium: Pianist Alex Brown ’09, violinist Ilmar Gavilán ’12 GD, and violinist Melissa White ’12 MM contributed to the award-winning album Passion for Bach and Coltrane. This collaborative effort involved the Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith, and A.B. Spellman, as well as producers Silas Brown and Mark Dover, who played integral roles in securing the Grammy.
Grammy for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album: The Scorchio Quartet, including alumna and cellist Leah Coloff ’90 with Carla Patullo and Tonality won for So She Howls.
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Teddy Abrams, who was a student at NEC Preparatory School in 2001 and is the conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, took home the Grammy for “The American Project” along with pianist Yuja Wang.
2022
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media: NEC composition alumna Stephanie Economou ’12 made history as the first-ever winner of the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Composer and pianist Steven Feifke ’09 Prep won his first Grammy in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. Feifke is the youngest person ever to win this category.
2019
Best American Roots Song: Contemporary Improvisation alumnae Sarah Jarosz ’13 & Aoife O’Donovan ’03 DP are among the NEC alumni who won a 2020 Grammy Award. Along with Sara Watkins, they were honored with Best American Roots Song for “Call My Name,” released by their band, I’m With Her, and co-written by the three artists.
2017
Best Folk Album; Best American Roots Performance: Sarah Jarosz won Grammys for Best American Roots Performance for her song “House of Mercy” and Best Folk Album for Undercurrent.
2016
Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song (title track), Best Alternative Album: Blackstar by David Bowie. Bowie’s band on this album is led by faculty member Donny McCaslin. Bowie died two days after the album’s release and McCaslin has since been spokesperson and performer of the music. In addition to the performer awards, the album was also awarded Best Recording Package and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Best American Roots Performance (track “House of Mercy”) and Best Folk Album: Undercurrent by Sarah Jarosz ’13.
Best Orchestra Performance: Shostakovich: “Under Stalin’s Shadow—Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9”, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, conductor. Nearly half of the BSO is composed of conservatory faculty and alumni.
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Steve Reich – “Third Coast Percussion”. This quartet of percussionists includes Robert Dillon ’04 MM
2015
Best Orchestra Performance: Shostakovich: “Under Stalin’s Shadow—Symphony No. 10”, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, conductor. More than half of the BSO is composed of conservatory faculty and alumni.
2014
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: self-titled debut album by Roomful of Teeth, a new music vocal ensemble that includes NEC Prep alumnus Avery Fisher.
2013
While NEC had no winners this year, NEC had multiple nominations.
2012
Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Love on Top” – Beyoncé (performers on this recording include Cole Kamen-Green ’07 and Josiah Woodson ’06 MM, trumpet; Nick Videen ’05, tenor and alto saxophone; Drew Sayers ’06, tenor and baritone saxophone; Alex Asher ’07 MM, trombone—members of Superpower Horns).
Best Folk Album: The Goat Rodeo Sessions – Yo-Yo Ma’s instrumental quartet is augmented by vocalist Aoife O’Donovan ’03 DP on two tracks.
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Kurtág & Ligeti: Music for Viola – Kim Kashkashian of the faculty.
2011
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: “Elmer Gantry” – Robert Livingston Aldridge ’80 M.M., composer; Herschel Garfein ’82 MM, librettist
Latin Grammy Awards, announced 10 November 2011
Best Latin Jazz Album: Panamericana Suite – Paquito D’Rivera (performers on this recording include bassist Oscar Stagnaro and vibraphonist/marimbist Dave Samuels of the faculty. Rivera himself was also awarded “Best Classical Contemporary Composition” for this album-length suite)
Best Classical Album: Brazilian Guitar Quartet Plays Villa-Lobos (quartet includes Luiz Mantovani ’00 MM, ’02 AD)
2010
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard (band on this recording includes saxophonist Wayne Escoffery ’99 TMIJP, ’00 M.M.)
Best Chamber Music Performance: “Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2” – Parker Quartet ’08
2009
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden (Bublé’s band includes Craig Polasko ’98 on bass and Mark Small ’00 M.M. on saxophone)
Best Orchestral Performance: Ravel: “Daphnis et Chloë” – James Levine, conductor, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus (Nearly half of the BSO is composed of conservatory faculty and alumni. John Oliver ’67 MM, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus founder and conductor, is a recipient of NEC’s Outstanding Alumni Award, and many of the singers in the chorus are NEC alumni.)
The “in memoriam” section of the telecast also included a reference to George Russell (1923–2009).
2007
Album of the Year: River: The Joni Letters – Herbie Hancock with featured artists including vocalist Luciana Souza ’94 MM and a band including bassist Dave Holland, NEC visiting artist-in-residence
Best Contemporary Jazz Album: River: The Joni Letters (as above)
Best Latin Jazz Album: Funk Tango – Paquito D’Rivera Quintet (quintet includes bassist Oscar Stagnaro of the faculty)
Best Classical Album: Tower: Made in America. This work by Joan Tower ’06 hon. DM is recognized in its recording by the Nashville Symphony. The work itself is the result of a 50-state joint commission that was administered by NEC alumna Hilary Field Respass ’88. Its first performance was conducted by NEC alumnus and Director of Wind Ensembles Charles Peltz ’85 MM with the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra. The GFSO was one of the lead orchestras in conceiving of and launching this ambitious consortium.
Best Orchestral Performance: Tower: Made in America (as above)
Best Classical Contemporary Composition: Made in America (as above)
2006
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Nancy Wilson – Turned to Blue (performers include vibraphonist Dave Samuels of the faculty)
Best Contemporary World Music Album: The Klezmatics – Wonder Wheel (group includes Matt Darriau ’91 and Frank London ’80)
Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra): Cleveland Chamber Symphony, John McLaughlin Williams ’83, conductor, with Angelin Chang, piano – Messiaen: “Oiseaux exotiques”
2005
Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group: Wayne Shorter Quartet – Beyond the Sound Barrier (quartet features pianist Danilo Pérez, formerly of the NEC faculty)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Dave Holland Big Band – Overtime (NEC visiting artist-in-residence)
2003
Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group: Wayne Shorter – Alegria (performers include pianist Danilo Pérez, formerly of the NEC faculty)
Best Latin Jazz Album: Brazilian Dreams – Paquito D’Rivera Quintet (quintet includes bassist Oscar Stagnaro of the faculty)
Best Chamber Music Performance: Berg: “Lyric Suite” – Kronos Quartet & Dawn Upshaw, soprano (Jennifer Culp ’83 MM was cellist of the quartet on this recording)
2002
Best Latin Jazz Album: Caribbean Jazz Project (Dave Samuels of the faculty is co-leader of this project; performers include bassist Oscar Stagnaro of the faculty)
Best Opera Recording: Wagner: “Tannhäuser” – cast includes soprano Jane Eaglen of the faculty as Elisabeth
Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor): Tavener: “Lamentations & Praises” – Chanticleer and Joseph Jennings (group members include countertenor Ian Howell of the faculty)
Best Chamber Music Performance: Beethoven string quartets (“Razumovsky” Op. 59, Nos. 1–3; “Harp” Op. 74) – Takacs Quartet (Roger Tapping, formerly of the faculty, was the violist of the quartet on this recording)
2001
Best Latin Jazz Album: Live at the Blue Note – Paquito D’Rivera Quintet (quintet includes bassist Oscar Stagnaro of the faculty)
2000
Best Opera Recording: Busoni: “Doktor Faust” (Ferruccio Busoni taught at NEC in the 1890s)
Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor): “Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures” – Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (Donald Palma is a founding member of Orpheus and directs NEC’s conductorless Chamber Orchestra)
1999
Musical Show Album: Annie Get Your Gun (Stephen Ferrera ’76, producer)
Jazz Instrumental Performance: “Like Minds” – Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland (NEC visiting artist-in-residence)
Small Ensemble Performance: “Colors of Love” – Chanticleer and Joseph Jennings (includes founding member and associate conductor Frank Albinder ’82 MM, ’83 MM, who designed the concept for this album)
1997
Classical Album and Instrumental Soloist(s) with Orchestra: Premieres – Cello Concertos by composers including Richard Danielpour ’80 – Philadelphia Orchestra, David Zinman, Yo-Yo Ma
Instrumental Arrangement: “Straight, No Chaser” – Bill Holman ’91 MM
1996
Best Chamber Music Performance: Cleveland Quartet – The Farewell Recording (NEC faculty member Paul Katz was the cellist on this recording)
1995
Best Historical Album: The Heifetz Collection – RCA Studios recording engineer David Satz ’73 and album notes writer Laurence Lesser are among those acknowledged with this award
Best Choral Performance: Brahms: “Ein Deutches Requiem” – Herbert Blomstedt ’52 conducts the San Francisco Symphony & Chorus
Best Chamber Music Performance: Clarinet Trios – clarinetist Richard Stoltzman of the NEC faculty with Emanuel Ax, piano, and Yo-Yo Ma, cello
1993
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (individual or group): Joe Henderson – “So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles)” (the group included bassist Dave Holland, NEC visiting artist-in-residence)
1992
Best Choral Performance: Brahms: “Orff: Carmina Burana” – Herbert Blomstedt ’52 conducts the San Francisco Symphony & Chorus
1991
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance: Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra – Live at the Royal Festival Hall (this group included pianist Danilo Pérez, formerly of the NEC faculty)
Best Traditional Folk Album: The Civil War (soundtrack) (includes improvisations based on traditional American songs performed by Third Stream pianist Jacqueline Schwab ’83)
1988
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance – Group: Blues for Coltrane – performers include bassist Cecil McBee of the faculty
Best Arrangement on an Instrumental: “Memos from Paradise”, from the album of the same name by Eddie Daniels – written and arranged by Roger Kellaway ’59
1982
Best Traditional Blues Recording: Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – “Alright Again!” (the group included trumpeter Stanton Davis ’72)
Best Chamber Music Performance: Brahms Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano- clarinetist Richard Stoltzman of the NEC faculty with Richard Goode, piano
1973
Best Chamber Music Performance: Gunther Schuller, New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble – Joplin: The Red Back Book (former NEC president)
