Grammy Award for Best Classical Album - Definition and Overview

The Grammy Award for Best Classical Album has been awarded since 1962. The award has had several minor name changes:

• From 1962 to 1963, 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1976 the award was known as Album of the Year - Classical
• In 1964 and 1977 it was awarded as Classical Album of the Year
• In 1973 and from 1978 to the present it has been awarded as Best Classical Album

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

2000s

• Grammy Awards of 2004
  • Andreas Neubronner (producer), Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor) & Michelle DeYoung for Mahler: Symphony No. 3; Kindertotenlieder performed by Michelle DeYoung, Vance George, the Pacific Boychoir, the San Francisco Girls Chorus & the San Francisco Symphony & Chorus
• Grammy Awards of 2003
  • Thomas Moore (producer), Michael J. Bishop (engineer), Robert Spano (conductor), Norman Mackenzie (chorus director), Christine Goerke, Brett Polegato & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (Sym. No. 1)
• Grammy Awards of 2002
  • James Mallinson (producer), Simon Rhodes (engineer), Colin Davis (conductor), Michelle DeYoung, Ben Heppner, Petra Lang, Peter Mattei, Stephen Milling, Sara Mingardo, Kenneth Tarver & the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Berlioz: Les Troyens
• Grammy Awards of 2001
  • Da-Hong Seetoo & Max Wilcox (producers & engineers) & the Emerson String Quartet for Shostakovich: The String Quartets
• Grammy Awards of 2000
  • Andreas Neubronner (producer), Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor), the Peninsula Boys Choir, the San Francisco Girls Choir & the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Stravinsky: The Firebird; The Rite of Spring; Perséphone

1990s

• Grammy Awards of 1999
  • James Mallinson (producer), Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem/Bartók: Cantata Profana
• Grammy Awards of 1998
  • Steven Epstein (producer), David Zinman (conductor), Yo-Yo Ma & the Philadelphia Orchestra for Premieres - Cello Concertos (Works of Danielpour, Kirchner, Rouse)
• Grammy Awards of 1997
  • Joanna Nickrenz (producer), Leonard Slatkin (conductor), Michelle De Young, various artists, the Washington Choral Arts Society Male Chorus, the Washington Oratorio Society Male Chorus & the National Symphony Orchestra for Corigliano: Of Rage and Remembrance
• Grammy Awards of 1996
  • Karl-August Naegler (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the Cleveland Orchestra & Chorus for Debussy: La Mer; Nocturnes; Jeux
• Grammy Awards of 1995
  • Karl-August Naegler (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Four Orchestral Pieces, Op. 12
• Grammy Awards of 1994
  • Karl-August Naegler (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), John Aler, John Tomlinson & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Bartók: The Wooden Prince & Cantata Profana
• Grammy Awards of 1993
  • Horst Dittberner (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor) & the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9
• Grammy Awards of 1992
  • Hans Weber (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor), June Anderson, Nicolai Gedda, Adolph Green, Jerry Hadley, Della Jones, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Ollmann & the London Symphony Orchestra for Bernstein: Candide
• Grammy Awards of 1991
  • Hans Weber (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor) & the New York Philharmonic for Ives: Symphony No. 2; Gong on the Hook and Ladder; Central Park in the Dark; The Unanswered Question
• Grammy Awards of 1990
  • Wolf Erichson (producer) & the Emerson String Quartet for Bartók: 6 String Quartets

1980s

• Grammy Awards of 1989
  • Robert Woods (producer), Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Verdi: Requiem & Operatic Choruses
• Grammy Awards of 1988
  • Thomas Frost (producer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz in Moscow
• Grammy Awards of 1987
  • Thomas Frost (producer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz - The Studio Recordings, New York 1985
• Grammy Awards of 1986
  • Robert Woods (producer), Robert Shaw (conductor), John Aler & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Berlioz: Requiem
• Grammy Awards of 1985
  • John Strauss (producer), Neville Marriner (conductor), the Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Choristers of Westminster Abbey & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields for Amadeus (Original Soundtrack)
• Grammy Awards of 1984
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
• Grammy Awards of 1983
  • Samuel H. Carter (producer) & Glenn Gould for Bach: The Goldberg Variations
• Grammy Awards of 1982
• Best Classical Album
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor
• Grammy Awards of 1981
  • Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas, & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu
• Grammy Awards of 1980
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Brahms: Symphonies (1-4)

1970s

• Grammy Awards of 1979
  • Christopher Bishop (producer), Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor), Itzhak Perlman & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Brahms: Concerto For Violin in D
• Grammy Awards of 1978
  • Thomas Frost (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Vladimir Horowitz, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Isaac Stern, Lyndon Woodside & the New York Philharmonic for Concert of the Century
• Grammy Awards of 1977
  • Max Wilcox (producer), Daniel Barenboim (conductor), Artur Rubinstein & the London Philharmonic for Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos
• Grammy Awards of 1976
  • Raymond Minshull (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven: Symphonies (9) Complete
• Grammy Awards of 1975
  • David Harvey (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
• Grammy Awards of 1974
  • Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the New York Philharmonic for Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra
• Grammy Awards of 1973
  • David Harvey (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), various artists, the Vienna Boys Choir, the Vienna Singverein Chorus & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E Flat (Symphony of a Thousand)
• Grammy Awards of 1972
  • Thomas Frost, Richard Killough (producers) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff (Etudes-Tableaux Piano Music; Sonatas)
• Grammy Awards of 1971
  • Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), various artists & the Royal Opera House Orchestra & Chorus for Berlioz: Les Troyens
• Grammy Awards of 1970
• Album of the Year, Classical
  • Rachel Elkind (producer) & Walter Carlos for Switched-On Bach

1960s

• Grammy Awards of 1969
  • none
• Grammy Awards of 1968
  • John McClure (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor), various artists & the London Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand)
  • Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Walter Berry, Ingeborg Lasser, Isabel Strauss, Fritz Uhl, Choeur Nationale de Paris & the Orchestra of Paris National Opera for Berg: Wozzeck
• Grammy Awards of 1967
  • Howard Scott (producer), Morton Gould (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Ives: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor
• Grammy Awards of 1966
  • Thomas Frost (producer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz at Carnegie Hall - An Historic Return
• Grammy Awards of 1965
  • Leonard Bernstein (conductor) & the New York Philharmonic for Bernstein: Symphony No. 3 "Kaddish"
• Grammy Awards of 1964
  • Benjamin Britten (conductor) & the London Symphony Orchestra for Britten: War Requiem
• Grammy Awards of 1963
  • Vladimir Horowitz for Columbia Records Presents Vladimir Horowitz
• Grammy Awards of 1962
  • Igor Stravinsky (conductor) & the Columbia Symphony Orchestra for Stravinsky Conducts 1960: Le Sacre du Printemps; Petrouchka