DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has awarded the Phoenix Chorale and the Kansas City Chorale a GRAMMY® Award at the 58th Annual GRAMMY Award Ceremony held February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Chorales’ joint recording of Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil was recognized with top honor for “Best Choral Performance.” Artistic Director Charles Bruffy accepted the award.
Including this win, the Phoenix Chorale recordings have now earned a combined total of twelve GRAMMY® nominations and three GRAMMY® wins.
Phoenix Chorale. Photo by Tim Trumble.
Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil was recorded under the direction of Artistic Director Charles Bruffy at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Kansas City, Kansas with fifty-six singers from the Phoenix Chorale and the Kansas City Chorale.
The recording was released by Chandos Records on the 100th anniversary of the world premiere of Rachmaninoff’s All-night Vigil, which was performed by the Moscow Synodal Choir on March 10, 1915.
The combined ensembles held live performances of the work in April and May 2014 in both Phoenix and in Kansas City.
Upon accepting the GRAMMY® award for the recording, Bruffy stated, “I could not be more thrilled, and am so proud of these amazing singers who have so willingly gone on this journey with me, and of the overwhelming international reception this album has received.”
Jen Rogers, Phoenix Chorale’s Interim President and CEO stated, “I would especially like to thank the Phoenix community, including the many donors, patrons and volunteers for their support, without which today would simply not have happened.”
Photo by Jen Rogers.
With these two GRAMMY® wins, Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil has reached unprecedented achievements for a Classical album including:
* 5 weeks on Billboard Charts
* First Play on iTunes
* #1 debut on Billboard Traditional Classical Chart
* #3 debut on Billboard Classical Chart (Includes crossover albums)
* iTunes Editor’s Choice
* #1 on three Amazon sales charts, including Opera/Vocal, Chamber, & Classical
* iTunes Main Room Feature for 4 days
* Featured on American Public Media’s Performance Today
* Premiere broadcast of the entire album on Classical Minnesota Public Radio’s Choral Stream
Upon its release, Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil received outstanding critical acclaim with The Guardian praising its “overwhelming devotional intensity… 5 Stars ★★★★★,”International Record Review calling it “truly exceptional” and Classical MPR reporting, “It’s stunning.”
Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil is distributed by Naxos of America, the #1 independent classical music distributor in the U.S. and Canada, specializing in state-of-the-art distribution, marketing and promotion.
Rachmaninoff’s All-night Vigil is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.
