Marin Magazine Blog

Three Grammy Awards for SF Symphony

February 1st, 2010 at 01:17pm Dan

Michael Tilson Thomas by Terrence McCarthy.

The San Francisco’s Symphony’s live recording of concerts held in November 2008 received Grammy awards last night for Best Classical Album, Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Classical Album at the 52nd annual event. The recording is the latest release in the ongoing Mahler recording cycle (which has now won a total of seven Grammy awards) for the orchestra’s own SFS Media label. Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E flat major, Symphony of a Thousand, was recorded live in Davies Symphony Hall and features performances by sopranos Erin Wall, Elza van den Heever and Laura Claycomb; mezzo-sopranos Katarina Karnéus and Yvonne Naef; tenor Anthony Dean Griffey; baritone Quinn Kelsey; and bass-baritone James Morris. The San Francisco Symphony Chorus under the direction of Ragnar Bohlin is featured on the recording as well as the San Francisco Girls Chorus, directed by Susan McMane and the Pacific Boychoir under the direction of Kevin Fox. The Adagio from Symphony No. 10, which opens this two-disc set, was recorded April 6-8, 2006. A short video with behind the scenes footage and insights from the recording can be viewed here: “A Universe of Sound: Recording Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.”

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, and Ragnar Bohlin, Kevin Fox and Susan McMane, choir directors, received the award for Best Choral Performance while engineer Peter Laenger received the award for Best Engineered Classical Album.

Entry Filed under: Music