William Bolcom Tops Classical Grammy Awards

Published February 9, 2006 at 12:37 PM EST

William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience won the awards for best classical album, best choral performance, and best classical contemporary composition.

Bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff won a Grammy for his CD of Bach cantatas.

Pianist Martha Argerich won for her performance of Beethoven Piano Concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony won a Grammy for Best Opera Performance for Verdi's Falstaff.

The 48th annual Grammy Awards were presented on Wednesday night and American composer William Bolcom took three of the top classical awards. His Songs of Innocence and of Experience, a musical interpretation of William Blake's 46 poems, won best classical album, best choral performance and best classical contemporary composition. NPR's Performance Today presents a wrap-up of this year's classical music winners.

Best Classical Album: William Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience; Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Jerry Blackstone, William Hammer, Jason Harris, Christopher Kiver, Carole Ott & Mary Alice Stollak, choir directors; Tim Handley, producer (Christine Brewer & Joan Morris; University Of Michigan School Of Music Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]

Best Orchestral Performance: Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13; Mariss Jansons, conductor (Sergei Aleksashkin; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks) [EMI Classics]

Best Opera Recording: Verdi: Falstaff; Sir Colin Davis, conductor; Carlos Alvarez, Bülent Bezdüz, Marina Domashenko, Jane Henschel, Ana Ibarra, Maria Josè Moreno & Michele Pertusi; James Mallinson, producer (London Symphony Chorus; London Symphony Orchestra) [LSO Live]

Best Choral Performance: William Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience; Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Jerry Blackstone, William Hammer, Jason Harris, Christopher Kiver, Carole Ott & Mary Alice Stollak, choir directors (Christine Brewer, Measha Brueggergosman, Ilana Davidson, Nmon Ford, Linda Hohenfeld, Joan Morris, Carmen Pelton, Marietta Simpson & Thomas Young; Michigan State University Children's Choir, University Of Michigan Chamber Choir, University Of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University Of Michigan University Choir & University Musical Society Choral Union; University Of Michigan School Of Music Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra): Beethoven: Piano Cons. Nos. 2 & 3; Claudio Abbado, conductor; Martha Argerich (Mahler Chamber Orchestra) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra): Scriabin, Medtner, Stravinsky; Evgeny Kissin [BMG Classics RCA Red Seal]

Best Chamber Music Performance: Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets; Emerson String Quartet [Deutsche Grammophon]

Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor): Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maître, Dérive 1 & 2; Pierre Boulez, conductor; Hilary Summers; Ensemble Intercontemporain [Deutsche Grammophon]

Best Classical Vocal Performance: Bach: Cantatas; Thomas Quasthoff (Rainer Kussmaul; Members Of The RIAS Chamber Choir; Berlin Baroque Soloists) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Best Classical Contemporary Composition: William Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience; William Bolcom (Leonard Slatkin) [Naxos]

Best Classical Crossover Album: 4 + Four; Turtle Island String Quartet & Ying Quartet [Telarc]

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets; Da-Hong Seetoo, engineer (Emerson String Quartet) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Producer Of The Year, Classical : Tim Handley -- Adams: Shaker Loops (Marin Alsop); Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Leonard Slatkin, Christine Brewer & Joan Morris); Brahms: Sym. No. 1 (Marin Alsop & London Philharmonic Orchestra); Daugherty: Philadelphia Stories (Marin Alsop & Evelyn Glennie); Glass: Syms. Nos. 2 And 3 (Marin Alsop & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)