Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording

The Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording has been awarded since 1961. The award was originally titled Best Classical Opera Production. The current title has been used since 1962.

Prior to 1961 the awards for operatic and choral performances were combined in a single award for Best Classical Performance, Operatic or Choral.

The award goes to the conductor, the album producer(s) and the principal soloists.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

2010s

• 2017
  • James Conlon (conductor); Joshua Guerrero, Christophe Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer, Guanqun Yu & Patti LuPone (soloists); Blanton Alspaugh (producer); (LA Opera Orchestra; LA Opera Chorus) for Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles

Nominees

• Giovanni Antonini (conductor); Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, Andreas Scholl & Anne Sofie von Otter (soloists); Samuel Theis (producer) for Handel: Giulio Cesare
• Miguel Harth-Bedoya (conductor); Emily Fons, Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard & Jay Hunter Morris (solists); Elizabeth Ostrow (producer) for Higdon: Cold Mountain
• Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor); Thomas Hampson, Christiane Karg, Luca Pisaroni & Sonya Yoncheva (soloists); Daniel Zalay (producer) for Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
• Antonio Pappano (conductor); Georgia Jarman, Mariusz Kwiecień & Saimir Pirgu (soloists); Jonathan Allen (producer) for Szymanowksi: Król Roger

• 2016
  • Seiji Ozawa (conductor), Isabel Leonard (soloist), Dominic Fyfe (producer) for Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges; Shéhérazade

Nominees

• Donald Runnicles (conductor), Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore (soloists), Magdalena Herbst (producer) for Janácek: Jenufa
• Martin Pearlman (conductor), Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Riviera (soloists), Thomas C. Moore (producer) for Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
• Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor), Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón (soloists), Sid McLauchlan (producer) for Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail
• Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs (conductors), Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky (soloists), Renate Wolter-Seevers (producer) for Steffani: Niobe, regina di Tebe
• Grammy Awards of 2015
  • Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs (conductors); Aaron Sheehan (soloist); Renate Wolter-Seevers (producer) for Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux enfers
• Nominees
  • Kenneth Kiesler (conductor); Dan Kempson, Jennifer Lane, Tamara Mumford, Julianna Di Giacomo, and Brenda Rae (soloists); Tim Handley (producer) for Milhaud: L'Orestie d'Eschyle
  • William Christie (conductor); Sarah Connolly, Stéphane Degout, Christiane Karg, Ed Lyon and Katherine Watson (soloists); Sébastien Chonion (producer) for Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie
  • Sylvain Cambreling (conductor]]; Andreas Conrad and Franz Grundheber (soloists); Reinhard Oechsler (producer) for Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
  • Christian Thielemann (conductor); Evelyn Herlitzius, Waltraud Meier, René Pape and Anne Schwanewilms (soloists); Magdalene Herbst (producer) for Strauss: Elektra
• Grammy Awards of 2014
  • Thomas Adès (conductor); Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna, William Burden, Alan Oke (soloists); Jay David Saks (producer) for Adès: The Tempest
• Nominees
  • Oliver Knussen (conductor); Ian Bostridge, Peter Coleman-Wright, Susan Gritton, Angelika Kirchschlager (soloists); John Fraser (producer) for Britten: The Rape of Lucretia
  • Tönu Kaljuste (conductor); Anna Eimarsson and Johannes Weisser (soloists); Morten Lindberg (producer) for Kleiberg: David and Bathsheba
  • Diego Fasolis (conductor); Valer Barna-Sabadus, Daniel Behle, Max Emanuel Cenčić, Franco Fagioli, Philippe Jaroussky (soloists); Ulrich Russcher (producer) for Vinci: Artaserse
  • Christian Thielemann (conductor); Katarina Dalayman, Albert Dohmen, Stephen Gould, Eric Halfvarson, Linda Watson (soloists); Ohmar Eichinger (producer) for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
• Grammy Awards of 2013^[1]
  • James Levine and Fabio Luisi (conductors), Hans Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt (soloists), Jay David Saks (producer) for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
• Nominees
  • Michael Boder (conductor), Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Julia Juon, Patricia Petibon (soloists), Johannes Müller (producer) for Berg: Lulu
  • René Jacobs (conductor), Marcos Fink, Sunhae In, Bejun Mehta, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Jennifer Rivera (soloists) (no producer[s] listed) for Händel: Agrippina
  • Vladimir Jurowski (conductor), Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson, Matthew Rose (soloists), Jean Chatauret (producer) for Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
  • Jordi Savall (conductor), Delphine Galou, Paolo Lopez, Roberta Mameli, Raffaela Milanesi, Furio Zanasi, (no producer[s] listed) for Vivaldi: Teuzzone
• Grammy Awards of 2012^[2]
  • Alan Gilbert (conductor), Jay David Saks (producer), various solo performers for Doctor Atomic
• Grammy Awards of 2011
  • Kent Nagano (conductor); Daniel Belcher, Ekaterina Lekhina, Marie-Ange Todorovitch; Martin Sauer, producer (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunkchor Berlin) Harmonia Mundi for Kaija Saariaho: L'amour de loin
• Grammy Awards of 2010
  • Daniel Harding (conductor); Ian Bostridge, Neal Davies, Nathan Gunn, Jonathan Lemalu, Matthew Rose, Gidon Saks, Andrew Kennedy, Daniel Teadt, Andrew Tortise, Rodrick Williams, John Fraser (producer); (London Symphony Orchestra; Gentlemen of The London Symphony Chorus) for Britten: Billy Budd

2000s

• Grammy Awards of 2009
  • James Conlon (conductor); Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler (producer); Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich, Robert Wörle; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra; Los Angeles Opera Chorus for Kurt Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny
• Grammy Awards of 2008
  • Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor); Brian Couzens (producer); Jane Henschel, Jennifer Larmore, Rebecca Evans (soloists); Ralph Couzens, engineer, for Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel
• Grammy Awards of 2007
  • Robert Spano (conductor); Kelley O'Connor, Jessica Rivera, Dawn Upshaw; Valérie Gross and Sid McLauchlan (producers) (Women Of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) for Golijov: Ainadamar: Fountain Of Tears
• Grammy Awards of 2006
  • Sir Colin Davis (conductor); Carlos Alvarez, Bülent Bezdüz, Marina Domashenko, Jane Henschel, Ana Ibarra, Maria Josè Moreno, Michele Pertusi; James Mallinson (producer) (London Symphony Chorus; London Symphony Orchestra) for Verdi: Falstaff
• Grammy Awards of 2005
  • Martin Sauer (producer), René Jacobs (conductor), Patrizia Ciofi, Véronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager, Lorenzo Regazzo for Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
• Grammy Awards of 2004
  • Wolfram Graul (producer), Bernard Haitink (conductor), Jerry Hadley, Karita Mattila, Eva Randová, Anja Silja, Jorma Silvasti for Janáček: Jenůfa performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Chorus, various artists
• Grammy Awards of 2003
  • Christoph Classen (producer), Eberhard Sengpiel, Tobias Lehmann (engineers), Daniel Barenboim (conductor), Jane Eaglen, Thomas Hampson, Waltraud Meier, René Pape, Peter Seiffert, the Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin and the Staatskapelle Berlin for Wagner: Tannhäuser
• Grammy Awards of 2002
  • James Mallinson (producer), Simon Rhodes (engineer), Colin Davis (conductor), Michelle DeYoung, Ben Heppner, Petra Lang, Peter Mattei, Stephen Milling, Sara Mingardo, Kenneth Tarver and the London Symphony Orchestra for Berlioz: Les Troyens
• Grammy Awards of 2001
  • Martin Sauer (producer), Jean Chatauret (engineer), Kent Nagano (conductor), Kim Begley, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich Henschel, Markus Hollop, Eva Jenis, Torsten Kerl and the Orchestre de l'Opera Nationale de Lyon for Busoni: Doktor Faust
• Grammy Awards of 2000
  • Nicholas Parker (producer), John Eliot Gardiner (conductor), Ian Bostridge, Anne Sofie von Otter, Bryn Terfel, Deborah York, the Monteverdi Choir and the London Symphony Orchestra for Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress

1990s

• Grammy Awards of 1999
  • Pierre Boulez (conductor), Jessye Norman, László Polgár and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
• Grammy Awards of 1998
  • Michael Woolcock (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), José van Dam, Ben Heppner, Herbert Lippert, Karita Mattila, Alan Opie, René Pape, Iris Vermillion and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
• Grammy Awards of 1997
  • Brian Couzens (producer), Richard Hickox (conductor), Philip Langridge, Alan Opie, Janice Watson, the London Symphony Chorus and the City of London Sinfonia for Britten: Peter Grimes
• Grammy Awards of 1996
  • Raymond Minshull (producer), Charles Dutoit (conductor), Gary Lakes, Françoise Pollet, Gino Quilico, Deborah Voigt, L'Orchestra Symphonie Montreal and Chorus for Berlioz: Les Troyens
• Grammy Awards of 1995
  • Martin Sauer (producer), Kent Nagano (conductor), Kenn Chester, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, Cheryl Studer, the Orchestre of Opéra de Lyon and Chorus for Floyd: Susannah
• Grammy Awards of 1994
  • Steven Paul (producer), John Nelson (conductor), John Aler, Kathleen Battle, Michael Chance, Mark S. Doss, Marilyn Horne, Neil Mackie, Sylvia McNair, Samuel Ramey, the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the English Chamber Orchestra for Handel: Semele
• Grammy Awards of 1993
  • Christopher Raeburn, Stephen Trainor, Morten Winding (producers), Georg Solti (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, José van Dam, Plácido Domingo, Sumi Jo, Reinhild Runkel, Julia Varady, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten
• Grammy Awards of 1992
  • Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, Reiner Goldberg, Matti Salminen, Hanna Schwarz, Cheryl Studer, Bernd Weikl, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Götterdämmerung
• Grammy Awards of 1991
  • Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Siegfried Jerusalem, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jan Hendrik Rootering, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Heinz Zednik, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Das Rheingold
• Grammy Awards of 1990
  • Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, Gary Lakes, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jessye Norman, Marilyn Mims the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Die Walküre

1980s

• Grammy Awards of 1989
  • Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Siegmund Nimsgern, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Hans Sotin, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Lohengrin
• Grammy Awards of 1988
  • Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Agnes Baltsa, Kathleen Battle, Gary Lakes, Hermann Prey, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, the Vienna Philharmonic for R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos
• Grammy Awards of 1987
  • Elizabeth Ostrow (producer), John Mauceri (conductor), James Billings, Joyce Castle, Maris Clement, David Eisler, Jack Harrold, John Lankston, Erie Mills, Scott Reeve, the New York City Opera Orchestra for Bernstein: Candide
• Grammy Awards of 1986
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Philip Langridge, Franz Mazura, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
• Grammy Awards of 1985
  • Michel Glotz (producer), Lorin Maazel (conductor), Julia Migenes-Johnson, Plácido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Faith Esham, the Choeurs et Maitrise de Radio France and the Orchestre National de France for Bizet: Carmen (Original Soundtrack)
• Grammy Awards of 1984
  • Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade, the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
  • Jay David Saks, Max Wilcox (producers), James Levine (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La traviata
• Grammy Awards of 1983
  • Andrew Kazdin (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Jeannine Altmeyer, Hermann Becht, Peter Hofmann, Siegfried Jerusalem, Gwyneth Jones, Manfred Jung, Donald McIntyre, Matti Salminen, Ortrun Wenkel, Heinz Zednik, the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
• Grammy Awards of 1982
  • James Mallinson (producer), Charles Mackerras (conductor), Jiri Zahradnicek, Ivo Žídek, Václav Zítek, the Vienna Philharmonic for Janáček: From the House of the Dead
• Grammy Awards of 1981
  • Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Hanna Schwarz, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas, the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris for Berg: Lulu
• Grammy Awards of 1980
  • Vittorio Negri (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), Heather Harper, Jonathan Summers, Jon Vickers, the Royal Opera House Orchestra for Britten: Peter Grimes

1970s

• Grammy Awards of 1979
  • George Sponhaltz, John Coveney (producers), Julius Rudel (conductor), Beverly Sills, Alan Titus, the New York City Opera Orchestra for Lehár: The Merry Widow
• Grammy Awards of 1978
  • Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), John De Main (conductor), Donnie Ray Albert, Carol Brice, Clamma Dale, the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra for Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
• Grammy Awards of 1977
  • Michael Woolcock (producer), Lorin Maazel (conductor), Leona Mitchell, Willard White, the Cleveland Orchestra for Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
• Grammy Awards of 1976
  • Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), Richard van Allan, Janet Baker, Montserrat Caballé, Ileana Cotrubaş, Wladimiro Ganzarolli, Nicolai Gedda, the Royal Opera House Orchestra for Mozart: Così fan tutte
• Grammy Awards of 1975
  • Richard Mohr (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Judith Blegen, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Ruggero Raimondi, the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Puccini: La bohème
• Grammy Awards of 1974
  • Tom Mowrey (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Tom Krause, Adriana Maliponte, James McCracken, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Bizet: Carmen
• Grammy Awards of 1973
  • Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor) the BBC Symphony Orchestra and various artists for Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini
• Grammy Awards of 1972
  • Richard Mohr (producer), Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Grace Bumbry, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Ruggero Raimondi, the John Aldis Choir and the London Symphony Orchestra for Verdi: Aida
• Grammy Awards of 1971
  • Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), the Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus and various artists for Berlioz: Les Troyens
• Grammy Awards of 1970
  • Otto Gerdes (producer), Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Helga Dernesch, Gerhard Stolze, Jess Thomas, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for Wagner: Siegfried

1960s

• Grammy Awards of 1969
  • Richard Mohr (producer), Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Ezio Flagello, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Judith Raskin, George Shirley, Tatiana Troyanos, the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Mozart: Così fan tutte
• Grammy Awards of 1968
  • Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Walter Berry, Ingeborg Lasser, Isabel Strauss, Fritz Uhl, the Paris National Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Berg: Wozzeck
• Grammy Awards of 1967
  • Georg Solti (conductor), Régine Crespin, Hans Hotter, James King, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for Wagner: Die Walküre
  • George Bragg (conductor), Gregg Smith (choir director), the Gregg Smith Singers, the Ithaca College Concert Choir, the Texas Boys Choir and the Columbia Chamber Orchestra for Ives: Music for Chorus
• Grammy Awards of 1966
  • Karl Böhm (conductor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn Lear, Fritz Wunderlich, the German Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Berg: Wozzeck
• Grammy Awards of 1965
  • Herbert von Karajan (conductor) Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni, Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for Bizet: Carmen
• Grammy Awards of 1964
  • Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Rosalind Elias, Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker, the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Madama Butterfly
• Grammy Awards of 1963
  • Georg Solti (conductor), Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price, Giorgio Tozzi, Jon Vickers, the Rome Opera House Orchestra for Verdi: Aida
• Grammy Awards of 1962
  • Gabriele Santini (conductor), Victoria de los Ángeles, Jussi Björling, Miriam Pirazzini, Mario Sereni, the Rome Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Madama Butterfly
• Grammy Awards of 1961
  • Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Birgit Nilsson, Giorgio Tozzi, Jussi Björling, Renata Tebaldi, the Rome Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Turandot

References