As Beyoncé was setting records for her 28th Grammy win at the 2021 Grammy Awards, there were a tranche of classical musicians and ensembles also celebrated for their recordings over the past year.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and its music director Gustavo Dudamel won their third Grammy together for their album of symphonies by composer Charles Ives (Buy from Amazon), while the Metropolitan Opera's recording of its 2019 production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Buy from Amazon) won for 'best opera recording'.
The world premiere recording of Ethel Smyth's late masterpiece The Prison (Buy from Amazon) released on Chandos Records won the Experiential Orchestra and Chorus a Grammy for 'best classical vocal performance'.
Contemporary composers were also celebrated in this year's Grammys, with awards going to new recordings of works by the likes of Michael Tilson Thomas, Christopher Rouse, Richard Danielpour and Christopher Theofanidis.
The awards took place in the Los Angeles Convention Center with no audience. The performers were separated onto five stages to allow for social distancing. The awards were handed out by members of staff at nearby concert venues which have been forced to close due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These included security guards, bartenders and cleaners.
Pianist Igor Levit, who received his first Grammy nomination for his album of Beethoven sonatas, performed at the premiere ceremony. He performed alongside Nigerian rapper Burna Boy, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and Latin pop performer Lido Pimienta.
Best Classical Orchestral Performance
Ives: Complete Symphonies Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Lutosławski: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Aspects of America – Pulitzder Edition Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
Concurrence Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
Copland: Symphony No. 3 Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Best Opera Recording
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Handel: Agrippina Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Elsa Benoit, Joyce DiDonato, Franco Fagioli, Jakub Józef Orliński & Luca Pisaroni; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D'Oro)
Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
Carlisle Floyd: Prince of Players William Boggs, conductor; Alexander Dobson, Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
Read our reviews of the latest opera recordings here
Best Choral Performance, Classical
Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J'Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)
Moravec: Sanctuary Road Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
Once Upon A Time Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)
Carthage Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
Kastalsky: Requiem Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke's; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
Read our reviews of the latest choral recordings here
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without Conductor)
Contemporary Voices Pacifica Quartet
The Schumann Quartets Dover Quartet
Healing Modes Brooklyn Rider
Ted Hearne: Place Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods, Diana Wade & Place Orchestra
Hynes: Fields Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
Read our reviews of the latest chamber music recordings here
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra Richard O'Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Igor Levit
Bohemian Tales Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
Destination Rachmaninov: Arrival Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Best Classical Vocal Performance
Smyth: The Prison Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)
American Composers At Play: William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
Clairières: Songs By Lili & Nadia Boulanger Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
Farinelli Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)
A Lad's Love Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
Best Classical Compendium
Michael Tilson Thomas: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
Adès Conducts Adès Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments And Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
Luna Pearl Woolf: Fire and Flood Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer
Best Classical Contemporary Composition
Christopher Rouse: Symphony No. 5 Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
Ted Hearne: Place Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
Thomas Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Richard Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
Carlisle Floyd: Prince of Players Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
Top image: Igor Levit performing at the Grammy Awards (credit: Getty Images)