Donald Nally, John W. Beattie Chair of Music at the Bienen School and conductor of The Crossing, received a nomination for Best Choral Performance with The Crossing for Thomas Lloyd's “Bonhoeffer” (Albany Records). The recording also features Thomas Mesa (G14) on cello. 

Desirée Ruhstrat, Bienen School lecturer of violin, was nominated with the Lincoln Trio for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for “Trios From Our Homelands” (Cedille Records).

Also nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance are two ensembles of Bienen School alumni: Third Coast Percussion for Steve Reich” (Cedille Records) and Spektral Quartet for “Serious Business” (Sono Luminus).

Third Coast Percussion comprises alumni Sean Connors (G06), Robert Dillon (02), Peter Martin (G04, G11) and David Skidmore (05). The album is an 80th birthday salute to composer Steve Reich, recipient of the Bienen School’s 2016 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition.

Spektral Quartet members include Clara Lyon and Bienen alumni Austin Wulliman (G08), Doyle Armbrust (00), and Russell Rolen (G11). “Serious Business” features works by composition alumni Chris Fisher-Lochhead (G16) and David Reminick (G16).

Giancarlo Guerrero (G92), music director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, received nominations for Best Classical Compendium and Best Classical Instrumental Solo for the orchestra’s recording of Michael Daugherty’s “Tales Of Hemingway” (Naxos). The recording is also nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, a composer’s award. Guerrero won a Grammy for Best Classical Compendium with the Nashville Symphony in 2016.

Recording engineer Brad Michel (81) received a nomination for Best Surround Sound Album, surround recording and surround mastering, for Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard” (Harmonia Mundi), performed by Conspirare.

The 59th annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, February 12, 2017 on CBS.


  • Donald Nally
  • Nemmers Prize
  • Desiree Ruhstrat
  • grammys