Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra scoop Grammy nominations

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The Recording Academy has bestowed upon the Minnesota Orchestra an honor made poignant by music director Osmo Vänskä's recent resignation: a Grammy nomination, in the category of Best Orchestral Performance, for the orchestra's recording of Sibelius's first and fourth symphonies for the BIS label. Under Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra were regarded as arguably the world's premier interpreters of the Finnish composer's work; this is the most recent of multiple Grammy nominations Vänskä and the orchestra received, including a previous nomination for their recording of Sibelius's second and fifth symphonies.

Additionally, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's recording of Winter Morning Walks with Dawn Upshaw was nominated in the Best Classical Vocal Solo category. Winter Morning Walks composer Maria Schneider also received a nomination in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category. The SPCO previously won a Grammy for its 1980 recording of Copland's Appalachian Spring with conductor Dennis Russell Davies.

Among the other recipients of 2014 Grammy nominations were the New York Polyphony, whose Times Go By Turns is a contender in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. That recording was featured on Classical MPR's New Classical Tracks in September. Also featured in our New Classical Tracks series was composer Dobrina Tabakova, whose String Paths is nominated for Best Classical Compendium.

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on January 26 at L.A.'s Staples Center.