The Nashville Symphony is bringing home its seventh Grammy award from Los Angeles. Percussionist Christopher Lamb's collaboration with Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and the symphony to record Joseph Schwantner's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra has led to the Grammy award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Lamb is the Principal Percussionist for the New York Philharmonic. In accepting the award, Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan Valentine enthused about the state of classical music in Music City: "It's our time. This is our golden age of classical music in Nashville."
The album was recorded at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in February 2011, when Lamb performed as the featured soloist in three performances with the symphony. Guerrero expressed his excitement about the experience: "We feel honored to have had the opportunity to record this piece, which captures both the color and vibrancy of Joseph Schwantner's music and the virtuosity of Lamb's playing." Tim Handley produced and engineered the recording on the Naxos label.
Schwantner's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was originally commissioned by the New York Philharmonic as part of its commemoration of its 150th anniversary. Schwantner wrote the piece specifically with Lamb in mind. The concerto enjoyed its debut on January 6, 1995 at Lincoln Center.
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