Salonen receives Grammy for Saariaho's Adriana Mater recording
Last night, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen received a Grammy Award for the recording of the opera "Adriana Mater" composed by the late Kaija Saariaho.
The recording of Kaija Saariaho's opera Adriana Mater, performed by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen won the Grammy Award for “Best Opera Recording”. The awards were given out at the 67th Grammy Awards, which took place in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The award was honored to the conductor Salonen, album producer Jason O'Connell, and the principal soloists Fleur Barron, Axelle Fanyo, Nicholas Phan, and Christopher Purves. Sound designer Timo Kurkikangas also holds a pivotal role in the recording.
Made in the summer of 2023, the recording was released digitally by Deutsche Grammophon in August 2024.
Adriana Mater was also nominated for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” this year. Conductor Salonen, on the other hand, was also nominated for “Best Orchestral Performance” for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra's recording of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird.
Another Finnish conductor, Susanna Mälkki, was also nominated for “Best Orchestral Performance” for the recording Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite; Rakastava; Lemminkäinen Suite, performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
Adriana Mater was late composer Kaija Saariaho's second opera, and also her second opera to win a Grammy award: The recording of Saariaho's debut opera L'Amour de loin won the award for “Best Opera Recording” in 2011. The Adriana Mater recording was also the second Grammy for conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, who has previously won the prestigious award in 2009. Also last year, Helsinki Chamber Choir and Uusinta Ensemble were honored with a Grammy for "Best Choral Performance" for their recording Reconnaissance with Kaija Saariaho's music.