Recordings by CSO and SCP artists win Grammys

Recordings by artists appearing or represented on this season’s Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents or Civic Orchestra of Chicago series were honored Sunday night at the 67th annual Grammy Awards.

Esa-Pekka Salonen, currently in a two-week residency with the CSO, and the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus’ recording of Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater won the Grammy for best opera recording. This week Salonen finishes a run on Feb. 4 of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, along with R. Strauss’ Don Juan and his own Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra. Then Salonen leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a program anchored by Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle on Feb. 6-8.

A recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Víkingur Ólafsson, appearing in an SCP Piano recital on June 8, won the Grammy for best classical instrumental solo.

The disc “Revolución Diamantina,” featuring works by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, received Grammys in the categories of best orchestral performance,  classical compendium and contemporary classical composition. Billed as the first full album of orchestral works by Gabriela Ortiz (whose Clara was performed by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in October), the disc won three of the four categories in which it was nominated.

The album consists of three works: Altar de cuerda, Ortiz’s violin concerto performed by María Dueñas; the orchestral piece Kauyumari, and the epic ballet Revolución diamantina, featuring the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Donald Nally and The Crossing’s recording titled “Ochre” (with works by Ayanna Woods, George Lewis and Caroline Shaw) won the best choral performance Grammy. Nally is preparing the Chicago Symphony Chorus for performances March 13-15 of Haydn’s Mass in the Time of War.

In a bittersweet turn, “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” a disc narrated by former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, won the Grammy for best audiobook, narration and storytelling. It also features songs by Keb’Mo’, Darius Rucker, Jon Batiste, Kabir Sehgal and Lee Ann Rimes. Carter had three discs that previously won in the same category. The milestone made him the oldest-ever Grammy honoree, surpassing Pinetop Perkins, who was 97 when his “Joined at the Hip” won best traditional blues album award in 2011. 

For a complete list of nominees, go to grammy.com.