Grammy Awards
February 14, 2011
The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and the radio choir Rundfunkchor Berlin were recognized Sunday evening in Los Angeles for their 2010 recording of the opera "L'Amour De Loin," by contemporary Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The opera - Saariaho's first - premiered in Salzburg in 2000.
The Grammy-winning recording was directed by conductor Kent Nagano, who was chief conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester from 2000 to 2006.
Founded in 1946 in the American sector of Berlin, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester was originally known as the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester and was closely linked to the radio landscape in Allied-occupied Germany.
Another German ensemble, the Freiburger Barockorchester, had been nominated in the category Best Choral Performance for its interpretation of Joseph Haydn's "The Creation," but lost out to Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
More than 100 Grammies are awarded every February in Los Angeles for every musical genre.
The coveted Record of the Year award went to Lady Antebellum for "Need You Now." Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Arcade Fire and Esperanza Spalding are among the pop stars who took away Grammies.
Author: Kate Bowen (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Sarah Steffen