Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo
The Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:
- From 1959 to 1960 and from 1962 to 1964 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist (with or without orchestra)
- In 1961 it was awarded as Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist
- In 1965 it was awarded as Best Vocal Soloist Performance (with or without orchestra)
- In 1966, 1968 and from 1971 to 1990 it was awarded as Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
- In 1967 it was awarded as Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance (with or without orchestra)
- In 1969 it was awarded as Best Vocal Soloist Performance
- In 1970 it was awarded as Best Vocal Soloist Performance, Classical
- In 1991 it was awarded as Best Classical Vocal Performance
- In 1992 it was awarded as Best Classical Vocal Soloist
- From 1993 to 2011 it returned to being awarded as Best Classical Vocal Performance
- From 2012 to 2014 it was awarded as Best Classical Vocal Solo
- From 2015 the award will be known as Best Classical Solo Vocal Album and will be open for albums only (in previous years single tracks were also eligible for the award, although in most cases the awards and nominations went to albums)
The Grammy is awarded to one or more vocal soloist(s). Accompanying musicians, orchestras and/or conductors are not eligible for the award.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
2010s
- Grammy Awards of 2015
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Douce France
Nominees
- Philippe Jaroussky for Porpora: Arias
- Florian Boesch for Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin
- Joyce DiDonato for Stella di Napoli
- Lawrence Brownlee for Virtuoso Rossini Arias
- Grammy Awards of 2014
- Dawn Upshaw for Winter Morning Walks
Nominees
- Joyce DiDonato for Drama Queens
- Cecilia Bartoli for Mission
- Christoph Prégardien for Schubert: Winterreise
- Jonas Kaufmann for Wagner
- Grammy Awards of 2013
- Renee Fleming for Poèmes
Nominees
- Natalie Dessay for Debussy: Clair de Lune
- Joyce DiDonato for Homecoming - Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato
- Ute Lemper for Paris Days, Berlin Nights
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Sogno Barocco
- Grammy Awards of 2012
- Joyce DiDonato for Diva Divo
Nominees
- Marianne Beate Kielland for Grieg/Thommesen: Veslemoy Synsk
- Natalie Dessay for Handel: Cleopatra
- Andreas Scholl for Purcell: O Solitude
- Ian Bostridge for Three Baroque Tenors
- Grammy Awards of 2011
- Cecilia Bartoli for Sacrificium
Nominees
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Ombre de Mon Amant – French Baroque Arias
- Lucia Duchonová for Turina: Canto A Sevilla
- Vivica Genaux for Vivaldi: Opera Arias – Pyrotechnics
- Measha Brueggergosman for Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder
- Grammy Awards of 2010
- Renee Fleming for Verismo
Nominees
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Bach
- Juan Diego Flórez for Bel Canto Spectacular
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson for Recital At Ravinia
- Susan Graham for Un Frisson Français
2000s
- Grammy Awards of 2009
- Hila Plitmann (soloist), John Corigliano, Tim Handley & Tom Lazarus (engineers), John Corigliano & Tim Handley (producers) for Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan
Nominees
- Cecilia Bartoli for Maria
- Isabel Bayrakdarian for Gomidas Songs
- Sanford Sylvan for Charles Fussell: Wilde
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Terezín: Theresienstadt
- Grammy Awards of 2008
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (soloist), John Newton & Mark Donahue(engineers), Dirk Sobotka (producer) for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Nominees
- Sarah Connolly for Sea Pictures
- Renée Fleming for Homage: The Age of the Diva
- Anna Netrebko for Russian Album
- Rolando Villazón for Gitano: Zarzuela Arias
- Grammy Awards of 2007
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson for Rilke Songs
Nominees
- Ian Bostridge for Britten: Song Cycles
- Bernarda Fink and Marcos Fink for Canciones Argentinas
- Patrick Mason for Songs of Amy Beach
- Thomas Quasthoff for Consider, My Soul
- Grammy Awards of 2006
- Thomas Quasthoff (soloist), Jürgen Bulgrin & Rainer Maillard (engineers), Christopher Alder (producer) for Bach: Cantatas
Nominees
- Cecilia Bartoli for Opera Proibita
- Natalie Dessay for Strauss: Amor
- Carole Farley for Bolcom: Songs
- Rolando Villazón for Gounod -- Massenet: Arias
- Grammy Awards of 2005
- Susan Graham for Ives: Songs (The Things Our Fathers Loved; the Housatonic at Stockbridge, etc.)
Nominees
- Angela Maria Blasi and Stella Doufexis for Marx: Orchestral Songs (Songs for High & Middle Voice; Verklartes Jahr)
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson for Handel: Arias (Theodora; La Lucrezia-Cantata; Serse)
- Karita Mattila for Grieg and Sibelius Songs
- Thomas Quasthoff for A Romantic Songbook (Strauss, Schumann, Schubert, Mendelssohn, etc)
- Grammy Awards of 2004
- Thomas Quasthoff & Anne Sofie von Otter (soloists), Jürgen Bulgrin & Oliver Rogalla Von Heyden (engineers), Christopher Alder (producer) for Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra
Nominees
- Barbara Bonney for Im Chambre Separee - The Operetta Album
- Ian Bostridge, David Daniels, and Christopher Maltman for Britten: The Canticles
- Montserrat Caballé for Songs of the Spanish Renaissance, Vol. 1
- Frederica von Stade for Argento: Casa Guidi
- Grammy Awards of 2003
- Renée Fleming (artist), Jonathan Stokes, Neil Hutchinson & Tom Lazarus (engineers), Erik Smith (producer) for Bel Canto (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, etc.)
Nominees
- Vivica Genaux for Arias for Farinelli (Porpora, Hasse, Broschi, Etc.)
- Susan Narucki for Carter: Tempo E Tempi
- Christine Schäfer for Boulez: Pli Selon Pli
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Chaminade: Melodies - Mots D'Amour
- Grammy Awards of 2002
- Cecilia Bartoli (artist), Jonathan Stokes (engineer), Christopher Raeburn (producer) for Dreams & Fables - Gluck Italian Arias (Tremo Gra' Fubbi Miei; Die Questa Cetra In Seno, etc.)
Nominees
- Barbara Bonney for Fairest Isle (Dowland, Campion, Morley, Etc.)
- Ian Bostridge for Henze: Six Songs From The Arabian; Three Auden Songs
- Thomas Quasthoff for Schubert: Schwanengesang/Brahms: Vier Ernste Gesänge
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Beethoven/Meyerbeer/Spohr: Lieder - Mélodies
- Grammy Awards of 2001
- Cecilia Bartoli (artist), Jonathan Stokes (engineer), Christopher Raeburn (producer) for The Vivaldi Album (Dell'aura al sussurrar; Alma oppressa, etc.)
Nominees
- María Bayo for Handel: Opera Arias & Cantatas
- Matthias Goerne for Bach: Cantatas BWV 82, 158 & 56
- Thomas Quasthoff for Brahms/Liszt: Lieder
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Folksongs
- Grammy Awards of 2000
- Anne Sofie von Otter & Thomas Quasthoff (artists) for Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Nominees
- David Daniels for Handel: Operatic Arias
- Matthias Goerne for Eisler: The Hollywood Songbook
- Ben Heppner for German Romantic Opera
- Thomas Quasthoff for Schubert: Winterreise
1990s
- Grammy Awards of 1999
- Renée Fleming, Jeffrey Tate (conductor) & the English Chamber Orchestra for The Beautiful Voice (Works of Charpentier, Gounod etc.)
Nominees
- Matthias Goerne for Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48; Liederkreis, Op. 24
- Håkan Hagegård for Hagegard Sings Brahms, Sibelius, Stenhammar
- Jennifer Larmore for Amore Per Rossini
- Bryn Terfel for Handel Arias
- Grammy Awards of 1998
- Cecilia Bartoli for An Italian Songbook (Works of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)
Nominees
- Omar Ebrahim, Rosemary Hardy, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Rose Taylor for Ligeti: Vocal Works
- Renee Fleming for Signatures - Great Opera Scenes
- Vesselina Kasarova for Mozart: Arias
- Anne Sofie von Otter for La Bonne Chanson - Faure Chamber Songs
- Grammy Awards of 1997
- Bryn Terfel, James Levine (conductor) & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Opera Arias - Works of Mozart, Wagner, Borodin
Nominees
- Renee Fleming for Visions of Love - A Collection of Mozart Arias
- Lorraine Hunt for Phaedra from Britten: The Rescue of Penelope; Phaedra
- Jennifer Larmore for Where Shall I Fly - Handel & Mozart Arias
- Sanford Sylvan for Faure: L'Horizon Chimerique
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Wings in the Night - Swedish Songs
- Grammy Awards of 1996
- Sylvia McNair, Christopher Hogwood (conductor) & the Academy of Ancient Music for The Echoing Air - The Music of Henry Purcell
Nominees
- Roberto Alagna for Roberto Alagna - Operatic Arias (Works of Donizetti, Massenet, etc.)
- Wolfgang Holzmair for Schumann: Dichterliebe; Liederkreis, Op. 24; Heine Lieder
- Sergei Leiferkus for Mussorgsky Songs (Songs and Dances of Death, The Nursery, etc)
- Bryn Terfel for The Vagabond (Songs by Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, etc.)
- Grammy Awards of 1995
- Cecilia Bartoli for The Impatient Lover - Italian Songs by Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart
Nominees[1]
- Dmitri Hvorostovsky for Songs and Dances of Death (Works of Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Borodin, etc.)
- Peter Schreier for Mendelssohn: Lieder (Der Mond; Reiselied, etc.)
- Bryn Terfel for An Die Musik - Favorite Schubert Songs (Die Forelle; An Die Leier, etc.)
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Love's Twilight - Late Romantic Songs by Berg, Korngold, R. Strauss
- Grammy Awards of 1994
- Arleen Auger for The Art of Arleen Auger (Works of Larsen, Purcell, Schumann, Mozart)
Nominees
- Gabriela Beňačková for Dvořák, Janáček, Martinu: Lieder
- Christa Ludwig for Farewell to Salzburg (Works of Brahms, Mahler, Schumann, Strauss)
- Sylvia McNair for Exsultate Jubilate (Works of Handel, Mozart)
- Anne Sofie von Otter for Grieg: Lieder
- Grammy Awards of 1993
- Kathleen Battle & Margo Garrett for Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall (Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Strauss, etc.)
Nominees
- Arleen Auger for Wolf: Songs to the Poetry of Goethe and Morike
- Cecilia Bartoli for Cecilia Bartoli: Rossini Heroines
- Thomas Hampson for Delius: Sea Drift
- Marilyn Horne for Marilyn Horne: Rossini Recital
- Grammy Awards of 1992
- Dawn Upshaw for The Girl With Orange Lips (Falla, Ravel, etc.)
Nominees
- Jan DeGaetani for Jan DeGaetani in Concert, Vol. 2 (Brahms, Schumann, etc.)
- Thomas Hampson for Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer; 5 Ruckert Lieder
- Samuel Ramey for Copland: Old American Songs; Ives: Songs
- Cheryl Studer for Mozart: Arias
- Sanford Sylvan for Beloved That Pilgrimage: Songs of Copland, Barber, Chanler
- Grammy Awards of 1991
- José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Zubin Mehta (conductor) & the Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale for Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti in Concert
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Schubert: The Complete Songs, Vol. 7
- Jan DeGaetani for Berlioz: Les Nuits d Ete, Op. 7; Mahler: 5 Wunderhorn Songs and 5 Ruckert Songs
- Thomas Hampson for Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Mahler, Brahms, Schumann, Loewe, Strauss, Zemlinsky, von Weber)
- Sanford Sylvan for Adams: The Wound-Dresser
- Grammy Awards of 1990
- Dawn Upshaw, David Zinman (conductor) & the Orchestra of St. Luke's for Knoxville - Summer of 1915 (Music of Barber, Menotti, Harbison, Stravinsky)
Nominees
- Kathleen Battle for Schubert: Lieder
- Kathleen Battle and Plácido Domingo for Live in Tokyo 1988
- Plácido Domingo for Puccini: The Unknown Puccini
- William Sharp for William Sharp
1980s
- Grammy Awards of 1989
- Luciano Pavarotti, Emerson Buckley (conductor) & the Symphony Orchestra of Amelia Romangna for Luciano Pavarotti in Concert
Nominees
- Arleen Auger for Love Songs (Copland, R. Strauss, Poulenc, Mahler, Schumann, Gounod, Schubert)
- Jan DeGaetani for Songs of America
- Christa Ludwig for Schubert: Winterreise
- Jessye Norman for Handel, Schubert, Schumann: Lieder (Jessye Norman - Live at Hohenems)
- Grammy Awards of 1988
- Kathleen Battle for Kathleen Battle - Salzburg Recital
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Soire Francaise (Debussy, Faure, Poulenc, Franck, Canteloube, Roussel, Chausson, Messiaen, etc.)
- Arleen Auger for Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for Soprano and Orchestra of Violincellos
- Marni Nixon for Copland: 8 Poems of Emily Dickinson
- Jessye Norman for R. Strauss: Lieder (Including Malven)
- Grammy Awards of 1987
- Kathleen Battle, André Previn (conductor) & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Soire Francaise (Debussy, Faure, Poulenc, Franck, Canteloube, Roussel, Chausson, Messiaen, etc.)
- Arleen Auger for Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for Soprano and Orchestra of Violincellos
- Marni Nixon for Copland: 8 Poems of Emily Dickinson
- Jessye Norman for R. Strauss: Lieder (Including Malven)
- Grammy Awards of 1986
- John Aler, Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Berlioz: Requiem
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Belioz: Les Nuits d'Ete
- Plácido Domingo, Pilar Lorengar for the arias from Zarzuela Arias and Duets
- Marilyn Horne for Marilyn Horne Sings (Offenbach, Cherubini, Saint-Saëns, etc.)
- Kiri Te Kanawa for Canteloube: Chants 'Auvergne, Vol. 2; Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5
- Frederica von Stade for Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete; Debussy: La Damoiselle Elue
- Grammy Awards of 1985
- Heather Harper, Jessye Norman & José van Dam, Pierre Boulez (conductor), the BBC Symphony Orchestra & the Ensemble Intercontemporain for Ravel: Songs of Maurice Ravel
Nominees
- Janet Baker for Mahler's Songs of Youth
- Kathleen Battle, Håkan Hagegård for Brahms: A German Requiem
- Jessye Norman for Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Resurrection)
- Kiri Te Kanawa for Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Major, 4th Movement
- Grammy Awards of 1984
- Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price, James Levine (conductor) & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
Nominees
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for The Brahms Edition: Lieder
- Jessye Norman for The Brahms Edition: Lieder
- Kiri Te Kanawa for Mozart Opera Arias
- Frederica von Stade for Faure: 18 Songs
- Grammy Awards of 1983
- Leontyne Price, Zubin Mehta (conductor) & the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for Verdi: Arias (Leontyne Price Sings Verdi)
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Faure: La Bonne Chanson; Debussy: Chansons de Bilitis and Ariettes Oubliees
- Jessye Norman for Berlioz: La Mort de Cleopatre
- Kiri Te Kanawa for Mozart: Concert Arias (Andromeda, Il Burbero di Buon Core, Artaserse, Idomeneo, Cerere Placata)
- Frederica von Stade for Frederica von Stade Live!
- Grammy Awards of 1982
- Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge (conductor) & the New York City Opera Orchestra for Live From Lincoln Center - Sutherland/Horne/Pavarotti
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Think on Me
- Barbara Hendricks for Del Tredici: Final Alice
- Teresa Stratas for The Unknown Kurt Weill
- Frederica von Stade for Ravel: Sheherazade
- Grammy Awards of 1981
- Leontyne Price, Henry Lewis (conductor) & the Philharmonia Orchestra for Prima Donna, Vol. 5 - Great Soprano Arias From Handel to Britten
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Mozart: Songs
- Judith Blegen for Berg: Lulu Suite
- Jessye Norman for Berg: Der Wein, Concert Aria
- Kiri Te Kanawa for R. Strauss: 4 Last Songs and Orchestral Songs
- Frederica von Stade for Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer and Ruckert Songs
- Grammy Awards of 1980
- Luciano Pavarotti & the Bologna Orchestra for O Sole Mio - Favorite Neapolitan Songs
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Mozart: Lieder
- Jan DeGaetani for Ravel: Chansons Madecasses
- Victoria de los Ángeles for Victoria de los Angeles in Concert
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Schubert: Lieder
- Yevgeny Nesterenko for Mussorgsky: Songs
- Leontyne Price for Lieder by Schubert and Richard Strauss
- Frederica von Stade for Frederica von Stade Song Recital
1970s
- Grammy Awards of 1979
- Luciano Pavarotti for Luciano Pavarotti - Hits From Lincoln Center
Nominees
- Teresa Berganza for Favorite Zarzuela Arias
- Maria Callas for The Legend: The Unreleased Recordings
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Wagner: Arias
- Marilyn Horne for Ravel: Sheherazade
- Christa Ludwig for Brahms: Spring Rhapsody
- Galina Vishnevskaya for Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death
- Grammy Awards of 1978
- Neville Marriner (conductor), Janet Baker & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields for Bach: Arias
Nominees
- Elly Ameling for Schubert on Stage
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Ives: Songs
- Donald Gramm for But Yesterday Is Not Today (songs by Barber, Bowles, Copland, Chanler, etc.)
- Luciano Pavarotti for O Holy Night (O Holy Night, Sanctus, Ave Maria, etc)
- Elisabeth Söderström for Rachmaninov: Songs, Vol. 2
- Gérard Souzay for Faure: Songs
- Galina Vishnevskaya for Shostakovich: Symphony No. 14
- Frederica von Stade for Rossini/Mozart: Opera Arias
- Grammy Awards of 1977
- Beverly Sills for Herbert: Music of Victor Herbert
- Janet Baker, James King for Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
- Carlo Bergonzi for Carlo Bergonzi Sings Verdi
- Jan DeGaetani for Ives: Songs
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Wolfe: Morike Lieder
- Marni Nixon for 9 Early Songs; The Cabaret Songs of Arnold Schoenberg
- Margaret Price for Mozart: Arias (La Clemenza di Tito, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, Nozze di Figaro etc)
- Barbra Streisand for Classical Barbra
- Grammy Awards of 1976
- Grammy Awards of 1975
- Leontyne Price for Leontyne Price Sings Richard Strauss
- Grammy Awards of 1974
- Edward Downes (conductor), Leontyne Price & the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Puccini: Heroines
- Grammy Awards of 1973
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Brahms: Die Schone Magelone
- Grammy Awards of 1972
- Leontyne Price for Leontyne Price Sings Robert Schumann
- Grammy Awards of 1971
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Schubert: Lieder
- Grammy Awards of 1970
- Thomas Schippers (conductor), Leontyne Price & the New Philharmonia for Barber: Two Scenes From "Antony and Cleopatra"/Knoxville, Summer of 1915
1960s
- Grammy Awards of 1969
- Carlo Felice Cillario (conductor), Montserrat Caballé & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra & Chorus for Rossini: Rarities
- Grammy Awards of 1968
- Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Leontyne Price, & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra for Prima Donna, Volume 2
- Grammy Awards of 1967
- Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Leontyne Price & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra for Prima Donna (Works of Barber, Purcell, etc.)
- Grammy Awards of 1966
- Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Strauss: Salome (Dance of the Seven Veils, Interlude, Final Scene)/The Egyptian Helen (Awakening Scene)
- Grammy Awards of 1965
- Fritz Reiner (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Berlioz: Nuits d'Ete (Song Cycle)/Falla: El Amor Brujo
- Grammy Awards of 1964
- Skitch Henderson (conductor), Leontyne Price & the RCA Orchestra for Great Scenes From Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
- Grammy Awards of 1963
- Leonard Bernstein (conductor), Eileen Farrell & the New York Philharmonic for Götterdämmerung - Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene/Wesendonck Songs
- Grammy Awards of 1962
- Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Joan Sutherland & the Royal Opera House Orchestra for The Art of the Prima Donna
- Grammy Awards of 1961
- Leontyne Price for A Program of Song - Leontyne Price Recital
- Grammy Awards of 1960
- Jussi Björling for Bjoerling in Opera
1950s
- Grammy Awards of 1959
- Renata Tebaldi for Operatic Recital