LA Phil, Gabriela Ortiz, and Víkingur Ólafsson: Big Winners at the Classical Grammys

This year’s Grammy Awards reinforced the growing prominence of contemporary composers in classical music, with Gabriela Ortiz and the Los Angeles Philharmonic emerging as the night’s biggest winners. Their recording of Revolución Diamantina, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, won three major awards: Best Orchestral Performance, Best Classical Compendium, and Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
Another evening highlight was Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, whose album of Bach’s Goldberg Variations earned him the Best Classical Instrumental Solo award. Reflecting on his deep artistic journey with the work, Ólafsson wrote on Instagram:
“Last season I performed The Goldberg Variations almost a hundred times all over the world. I got to know myself through that process and I got to witness the unique power of Bach’s message on people of different cultures. It was a life-changing experience for which I will always be grateful. Winning a Grammy for my album of The Goldbergs is something very special which I can’t quite put into words.


The Best Opera Performance award went to Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, recorded by Esa-Pekka Salonen and featuring soprano Fleur Barron. The opera, composed by Saariaho, who passed away in 2023, received critical acclaim for its evocative soundscape and emotional depth. Barron, accepting the award, paid tribute to the late Finnish composer:
“We are so grateful to Kaija for putting out something so courageous and beautiful into the world.”
The Best Choral Performance award was won by Ochre, while Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance went to Rectangles and Circumstance by Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album was awarded to Beyond the Years — Unpublished Songs of Florence Price, featuring Karen Slack and Michelle Cann.
On the production side, the Best Engineered Album, Classical award went to Bruckner: Symphony No. 7; Bates: Resurrexit, with engineering by Mark Donahue and John Newton. Elaine Martone was named Producer of the Year, Classical.
Finally, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the London Symphony Orchestra received recognition for their work on the soundtrack to Maestro, a film centred on Leonard Bernstein. The album comprised entirely of Bernstein’s music alongside works by Mahler, Beethoven, and Walton, won in a key classical category.

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