As a matter of course, I don’t pay much attention to these. The whole nomination process reeks of high-school politics, and the most deserving artists are nearly always ignored in favor of radio-friendly unit shifters.
However, the classical awards can be surprising. Last year saw the ensemble Eighth Blackbird receive the attention they deserve, and there’s been a decided shift towards rewarding the work of living composers and independent labels. Maria Schneider’s Winter Morning Walks may be the biggest news. It took four awards, one of which went quite deservedly to Dawn Upshaw.
For a project commanding that level of talent, one would assume it was bankrolled and released by a major label, right? Nope. It was entirely crowd-funded. That’s no mean feat considering the logistics of hiring, rehearsal, and recording.
A quick look down this year’s list shows that the classical industry is much closer to the ground than most would think. Continued...