Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance (from 2013: Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance) has been awarded since 1997. In its early years, its title included the addition "(with or without a conductor)".
In 1991 the Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance also included small ensemble performances.
2012 overhaul and 2013 renaming
In 2012 the category was combined with the Best Chamber Music Performance category.
The restructuring of these categories was a result of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the list of categories and awards. According to the Academy, "the Chamber category was folded into the Small Ensemble category, the only distinction having been the number of players in the group (Chamber being smaller), and the fact that Small Ensemble recording could, though not necessarily, employ a conductor." [1] In the new structure, recordings are eligible if the ensemble contains 24 or fewer members, not including the conductor. There is one award for the ensemble and one for the conductor, if applicable.
In 2013, the category was renamed as Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
2010s
- Eighth Blackbird for Filament
Nominees
- Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt for Brahms: The Piano Trios
- Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee for Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics
- Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth for Render
- Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin for Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2
- Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe for In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores
Nominees
- A Far Cry, David Krakauer (conductor) for Dreams & Prayers
- Steven Isserlis & Olli Mustonen for Martinu': Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-3
- Partch for Partch: Castor & Pollux
- New York Polyphony for Sing Thee Nowell
- Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth for Roomful of Teeth
Nominees
- Leonidas Kavakos & Enrico Pace for Beethoven: Violin Sonatas
- Vicki Ray, William Winant, Aron Kallay & Tom Peters for Cage: The 10,000 Things
- Hélène Grimaud & Sol Gabetta for Duo
- New York Polyphony for Times Go By Turns
Grammy Awards of 2013 Eighth Blackbird for Meanwhile
Nominees
- Modern Mandolin Quartet for Americana
- Eighth Blackbird for Meanwhile
- ZOFO Duet for Mind Meld
- Boston Symphony Chamber Players for Profanes et Sacrées
- Los Angeles Percussion Quartet for Rupa-Khandha
- Rinde Eckert (librettist/performer) & Steven Mackey (composer/performer) and Eighth Blackbird for Lonely Motel - Music from Slide
Nominees
- Gabriela Frank (composer and performer) and Alias Chamber Ensemble for Frank: Hilos
- Richard Savino (conductor) and El Mundo for The Kingdoms of Castille
- Rinde Eckert (librettist/performer) & Steven Mackey (composer/performer) and Eighth Blackbird for Lonely Motel - Music from Slide
- Patrick Dupré Quigley (conductor) and Seraphic Fire for A Seraphic Fire Christmas
- The Bay Brass for Sound The Bells!
- Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial de Catalunya (Jordi Savall, conductor) for Dinastia Borja
- Paul Hillier (conductor) and Ars Nova Copenhagen & Theatre Of Voices for Lang, David: The Little Match Girl Passion
2000s
- Charles Bruffy (conductor) and Phoenix Chorale for Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary
- Yuri Bashmet (conductor) and Moscow Soloists for Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto In D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives
- Peter Rutenberg (conductor) and Los Angeles Chamber Singers' Cappella for Padilla: Sun Of Justice
- Pierre Boulez (conductor), Hilary Summers (performer), and Ensemble Intercontemporain for Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maître, Dérive 1 & 2
- Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music for Chávez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2
- Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music for "Chávez: Suite for Double Quartet"
- Steve Barnett (producer), Preston Smith (engineer), Joseph Jennings (conductor), Chanticleer & Handel & Haydn Society of Boston for Tavener: Lamentations and Praises
- Helmut Mühle (producer), Philipp Nedel (engineer), Gidon Kremer (producer & artist) and Kremerata Baltica for After Mozart
- Christian Gausch (producer), Wolf-Dieter Karwatky (engineer) and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for Shadow Dances (Stravinsky Miniatures - Tango; Suite No. 1; Octet, etc.)
- Joseph Jennings (conductor) and Chanticleer for Colors of Love - Works of Thomas, Stucky, Tavener & Rands
1990s
- Steve Reich (conductor) for Reich: Music for 18 Musicians performed by Steve Reich and Musicians
- Claudio Abbado (conductor) for "Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1 With Finale 1921, Op. 24 No. 1" performed by members of the Berliner Philharmonic
- Pierre Boulez (conductor) and the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain for Boulez: ...Explosante-Fixe...