Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Classical
Encyclopedia
The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Classical is an honor presented to record producer
s for quality classical music
productions at the Grammy Award
s, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Originally known as the Grammy Award for Classical Producer of the Year, the award was first presented to James Mallinson
at the 22nd Grammy Awards (1980). The name remained unchanged until 1998, when the category became known as Producer of the Year, Classical. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards
, the award is presented to album producers "whose recordings, released for the first time during the eligibility year, represent consistently outstanding creativity in the production of classical recordings". Producers must have produced at least 51% playing time on three separately released recordings (only one of which can be an opera
released in DVD
format). Producers may submit content as a team only if they worked together exclusively during the period of eligibility.
Anthony Tommasini
, music critic
for The New York Times
, asserted that "In the struggling field of classical recording, it's the producers who take the real risks and make things happen." The honor is presented alongside the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
.
As of 2011, Steven Epstein
and Robert Woods
share the record of the most wins, with seven each. David Frost
and Mallinson have been presented the award three times each. Two-time recipients include Joanna Nickrenz (once alongside Marc Aubort), and Judith Sherman. Woods' wife, Elaine Martone, received the honor in 2007. David Frost is the son of Thomas Frost
, who received an award in the same category in 1987.
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s for quality classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
productions at the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Originally known as the Grammy Award for Classical Producer of the Year, the award was first presented to James Mallinson
James Mallinson
James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the...
at the 22nd Grammy Awards (1980). The name remained unchanged until 1998, when the category became known as Producer of the Year, Classical. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, the award is presented to album producers "whose recordings, released for the first time during the eligibility year, represent consistently outstanding creativity in the production of classical recordings". Producers must have produced at least 51% playing time on three separately released recordings (only one of which can be an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
released in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format). Producers may submit content as a team only if they worked together exclusively during the period of eligibility.
Anthony Tommasini
Anthony Tommasini
-Early years:Tommasini was born in Brooklyn around 1948 and raised on Long Island. He was admitted to Oberlin College's Conservatory of Music, but chose to matriculate at Yale University in order to obtain a broader liberal arts education...
, music critic
Music criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, asserted that "In the struggling field of classical recording, it's the producers who take the real risks and make things happen." The honor is presented alongside the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
.
As of 2011, Steven Epstein
Steven Epstein (music producer)
Steven Epstein, an American producer of classical music received a B.Sc. in Music education from Hofstra University in 1973.Over the years, Epstein has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Plácido Domingo, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax, Bobby McFerrin,...
and Robert Woods
Robert Woods (producer)
Robert Woods is a Grammy Award-winning classical music producer. Woods is a founder and former president of the independent record label Telarc International Corporation....
share the record of the most wins, with seven each. David Frost
David Frost (producer)
David Frost is a music producer and pianist. The son of Thomas Frost, who won the 1986 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year, he has won 10 Grammys for his work, most recently in 2011, when he won four awards including Producer of the Year, Classical. He had won this category in 2005 and 2009...
and Mallinson have been presented the award three times each. Two-time recipients include Joanna Nickrenz (once alongside Marc Aubort), and Judith Sherman. Woods' wife, Elaine Martone, received the honor in 2007. David Frost is the son of Thomas Frost
Thomas Frost
Thomas Frost is multiple Grammy Award-winning classical music producer, who won many of his awards for producing the albums of Vladimir Horowitz...
, who received an award in the same category in 1987.
Recipients
| Year | Producer(s) | Nationality | Nominees | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | ||||
| 1981 |
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| 1982 | ||||
| 1983 | ||||
| 1984 | and Joanna Nickrenz | |||
| 1985 | ||||
| 1986 | ||||
| 1987 | ||||
| 1988 | ||||
| 1989 | ||||
| 1990 |
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| 1991 | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| 1993 |
Steven Epstein (music producer) Steven Epstein, an American producer of classical music received a B.Sc. in Music education from Hofstra University in 1973.Over the years, Epstein has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Plácido Domingo, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax, Bobby McFerrin,... Thomas Frost Thomas Frost is multiple Grammy Award-winning classical music producer, who won many of his awards for producing the albums of Vladimir Horowitz... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 1994 | ||||
| 1995 |
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| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 1998 |
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| 1999 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2000 |
James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2001 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... Thomas Frost Thomas Frost is multiple Grammy Award-winning classical music producer, who won many of his awards for producing the albums of Vladimir Horowitz... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2002 |
David Frost (producer) David Frost is a music producer and pianist. The son of Thomas Frost, who won the 1986 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year, he has won 10 Grammys for his work, most recently in 2011, when he won four awards including Producer of the Year, Classical. He had won this category in 2005 and 2009... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2003 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2004 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... |
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| 2005 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2006 |
Steven Epstein (music producer) Steven Epstein, an American producer of classical music received a B.Sc. in Music education from Hofstra University in 1973.Over the years, Epstein has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Plácido Domingo, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax, Bobby McFerrin,... |
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| 2007 |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2008 50th Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,... |
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| 2009 51st Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year... |
Robert Woods (producer) Robert Woods is a Grammy Award-winning classical music producer. Woods is a founder and former president of the independent record label Telarc International Corporation.... |
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| 2010 52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast... |
David Frost (producer) David Frost is a music producer and pianist. The son of Thomas Frost, who won the 1986 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year, he has won 10 Grammys for his work, most recently in 2011, when he won four awards including Producer of the Year, Classical. He had won this category in 2005 and 2009... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2011 53rd Grammy Awards The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were... |
David Frost (producer) David Frost is a music producer and pianist. The son of Thomas Frost, who won the 1986 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year, he has won 10 Grammys for his work, most recently in 2011, when he won four awards including Producer of the Year, Classical. He had won this category in 2005 and 2009... James Mallinson James Mallinson is a record producer. He has won a total of 15 such awards in his career, his most recent Grammy nominations - and wins - having come in 2008 for Best Opera Recording. He won his first Grammy in 1979, when he was named Classical Producer of the Year. He spent twelve years with the... |
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| 2012 54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a... |
TBD | - |
Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records and its subsidiaries.Eicher studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a record producer and a double-bass player. In 1969 he founded a record label in Munich called ECM - Edition of Contemporary Music... David Frost (producer) David Frost is a music producer and pianist. The son of Thomas Frost, who won the 1986 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year, he has won 10 Grammys for his work, most recently in 2011, when he won four awards including Producer of the Year, Classical. He had won this category in 2005 and 2009... |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
See also
- American classical musicAmerican classical musicAmerican classical music is music written in the United States but in the European classical music tradition. In many cases, beginning in the 18th century, it has been influenced by American folk music styles; and from the 20th century to the present day it has often been influenced by folk, jazz,...
- List of Grammy Award categories