Two projects featuring alumni of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music earned top honors at the 2026 Grammy Awards, underscoring the school’s continued influence across the classical music landscape.
Jake Heggie’s “Intelligence” won Best Opera Recording, recognizing the work of producer Blanton Alspaugh ’87 and bass-baritone Nicholas Newton ’19 along with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, which includes a significant number of Shepherd School alumni among its musicians. According to HGO’s orchestra roster, nearly half of the ensemble’s players are Shepherd School graduates. This is the 12th Grammy for Alspaugh, who earned his Master of Music degree from Rice in 1987. He has been nominated 30 times and is widely known for shaping award-winning recordings across opera, orchestral and vocal repertoire.
The recording captures the world premiere of “Intelligence,” an opera by composer Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer that tells the story of two women who become unlikely partners as spies during the Civil War. Newton performs the role of Henry on the album, which also features leading performances by mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and soprano J'Nai Bridges, among others.
Shepherd School alumni were also represented among this year’s winners in the chamber music field. The contemporary ensemble Alarm Will Sound earned the Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for its recording of Donnacha Dennehy’s “Land of Winter.” Two members of the ensemble, violist Andrew Griffin ’12 and trombonist Michael Clayville ’06, are Shepherd School alumni.
The wins add to a growing list of national recognitions for Shepherd School alumni across multiple Grammy categories and musical disciplines. From opera and orchestral recording to contemporary chamber performance, the 2026 awards highlight the presence of Rice-trained musicians on some of the field’s most prominent projects.