Several alumni from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music are in the running for Grammy Awards, continuing the school’s legacy of musical excellence with the 67th annual Grammy Awards set to be held Feb. 2.
Caroline Shaw (BM ’04), a Grammy-winning alumna and Pulitzer Prize recipient, is nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for her album “Rectangles and Circumstance.” Known for her innovative approach to composition and performance, Shaw has won four Grammy Awards and boasts six nominations overall. Her genre-defying work, self-described as aiming “to imagine a world of sound that has never been heard before but has always existed,” has garnered her collaborations with prominent artists including Rosalía, Renée Fleming and Yo Yo Ma. Additionally, her music has featured in films and TV series such as “Fleishman is in Trouble,” “Bombshell,” “Yellowjackets” and Beyoncé’s “Homecoming.”
Shaw’s career achievements include an honorary doctorate from Yale University and a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship as well as the distinction of being the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her work “Partita for 8 Voices.” At the Shepherd School, she studied violin under Kathleen Winkler.
Blanton Alspaugh (MM ’87), who studied orchestral conducting under Samuel Jones, is a producer with 11 Grammy Awards to his name. This year, he’s nominated for Best Opera Recording for “Moravec: The Shining.” Alspaugh, senior producer at Soundmirror, has been recognized for his collaborative approach to projects, overseeing some of the most acclaimed opera and symphonic recordings annually. His Grammy accolades include three Producer of the Year, Classical Awards, and his expertise extends beyond production to repertoire selection and media strategy for artists and ensembles.
The Shepherd School’s impact on this year’s Grammy nominations extends to numerous alumni who contributed as members of renowned orchestras who performed on nominated recordings. Alumni currently perform with the Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Kansas City symphonies; the Los Angeles and Buffalo philharmonic orchestras; and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, among other prestigious ensembles.
A full list of the 67th Grammy nominees is available here.