Five New England Conservatory Alumni Receive 2024 Grammy Awards
Five New England Conservatory alumni were among the winners announced at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, held on February 4 at the crypto.com arena in Los Angeles and televised live on CBS.
In the Best Classical Compendium category, pianist Alex Brown ’09, violinist Ilmar Gavilán ’12 GD, and violinist Melissa White ’12 MM were contributors to the award-winning album Passion for Bach and Coltrane. This collaborative effort involved the Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith, A.B. Spellman, as well as producers Silas Brown and Mark Dover, who played integral roles in securing the Grammy.
The Scorchio Quartet, including alumna and cellist Leah Coloff ’90 with Carla Patullo and Tonality won the Grammy for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album for So She Howls.
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 Best Classical Instrumental Solo for “The American Project” along with pianist Yuja Wang.
This year, 14 faculty and alumni received Grammy nominations, among a line of NEC Grammy nominees and winners. In 2023, NEC had two Grammy winners including alumna Stephanie Economou ’12 Composition who 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." Composer Steven Feifke, who graduated from the NEC Prep Certificate Program in 2009, won his first Grammy for “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra” in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Category.