You hear of pop stars getting multiple Grammy nominations in a single year, but rarely if ever β and possibly never β do you hear of a classical artist up for more than one.
Until now.
Minneapolis composer Stephen Paulus is up for three, including two tied to Tucson's True Concord Voices & Orchestra.
Paulus, who suffered a stroke in summer 2013 and died in October 2014, has one previous Grammy nomination, for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2015. He lost, said his widow Patty Paulus.
βI think sometimes the one that came last year, in the back of your mind youβre thinking maybe this is a sympathy thing. But this year, here we are again," Patty Paulus said. "And this piece is on a larger CD that is all his music. ... It really says who he was. I think it would just be wonderful if the CD won a Grammy. It would be really nice.β
Paulus is up for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for "Prayers and Remembrances," the cornerstone of True Concord's 2015 CDΒ "Far In the Heavens: Choral Music of Stephen Paulus." The CD is nominated for Best Choral Performance and Paulus is up for a third Grammy with the Nashville Symphony for Best Classical Compendium for the 2014 CD "Stephen Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment, Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto for Organ and Orchestra."
True Concord and Tucson classical music patron Dorothy Dyer Vanek commissioned Paulus to compose "Prayers" in 2011 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The ensemble, led by founder and Music Director Eric Holtan and joined by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, premiered the work at Centennial Hall on Sept. 11, 2011, and performed it again in New York City last Sept. 11, the day they released the CD on the national classical music imprintΒ Reference Recordings.
Patty Paulus said her husband, Holtan and Vanek had envisioned the "Prayers" project in three parts: the commission, the CD and the New York concert.
"And now hereβs the fourth part," she said last Thursday as she got ready to fly from home in Minnesota to Los Angeles for Monday's Grammy ceremonies. "That wasnβt even part of it. We didnβt even think there would be the fourth part, that it would be nominated for a Grammy. That is just icing on the cake.β
Paulus said her husband would be thrilled by all the attention his work is receiving, but she said he wouldn't be surprised by the "Prayers" nominations.
"I think he knew it was a really good CD, but I think he would be so proud and so pleased and just validated in that way," she said.
The classical music Grammys will be awarded at a ceremony held before Monday night's nationally televised awards show on CBS. It will not be broadcast. Stay tuned here for results as they are announced.
