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Mariss Jansons

Photo: DIETER NAGL/AFP/Getty Images

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Mariss Jansons, GRAMMY-Winning Conductor, Dies At 76

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The "musician’s musician” led some of the world's top ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2019 - 12:00 pm

Widely acclaimed conductor Mariss Jansons died on Nov. 30 at his home in St. Petersburg, Russia, after years of living with a heart condition. He was 76.

Born in what is now independent Latvia to a conductor father and an opera singer mother, Janson grew up in the Soviet Union and studied at the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Conservatory. His conducting career began to take flight with his first major international appointment with the Oslo Philharmonic in 1979. Jansons went on to lead some of the world's top ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1997-2004. 

“He conducted every concert like it was his last,” Michael Rusinek, the PSO’s principal clarinetist, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “With Mariss, everything was incredibly passionate and incredibly energetic.”

After his impressive run with the PSO, he became principal conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he stayed until 2015 Twice during that span, Jansons conducted the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert broadcast around the world. Jansons won the GRAMMY for Best Orchestral Performance for 2005 for Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13. He would earn six GRAMMY nominations in all during his remarkable career. 

Toward the end of his life, he was serving as chief conductor of Germany's Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.  Jansons was admired for his emotional intensity and will be remembered for the passion he poured into his work.

"Mariss was a musician’s musician," Christopher Wu, a first violinist in the PSO, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He was focused on bringing out the feeling in the music more than perfect beats and technique, always trying to find ways of expressing a phrase. In rehearsal he’d say, 'Oh, you must feel this person crying,' or 'You must feel this person loving.'"

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GRAMMYs

Eun Sun Kim

Photo: Marc Olivier Le Blanc/San Francisco Opera

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Eun Sun Kim Named Music Director Of San Francisco Opera

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Kim becomes the first Asian woman to lead a major North American opera company
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2019 - 10:21 am

Four only the fourth time in its nearly 100-year history, the San Francisco Opera will have a new music director: Eun Sun Kim. Effective August 2021, the 39-year-old South Korean conductor will begin her five-year contract leading the SF Opera.

With the appointment, Kim becomes the first Asian woman to lead a major North American opera company, and she has already expressed her excitement about her new role. 

“From my first moments with the San Francisco Opera, I felt like part of the family,” Kim said in an interview. “The whole organization is super professional, but I also saw a lot of love and passion for the music. For me, it felt very natural to be here."

Naturally, the SF Opera is equally as enthused to welcome Kim's remarkable talents, which they recognized almost immediately. 

“There were two things that we saw early on," SF Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock said. "One was her clear vision and sense of artistic purpose. But at the same time, there’s a welcoming generosity that happens with the orchestra and the singers, a message that says, ‘I want you to do your very best, and I’m here to facilitate that.’”

Kim made an impactful debut at the SF Opera back in June, leading Dvorák’s “Rusalka” to rave reviews. In her new position as music diretor, she'll be conducting up to four operatic production each season, as well as conducting concerts at the War Memorial Opera House and participating in executive leadership of the organization.

"Whatever repertoire I’m conducting at a particular time, that’s what I fall in love with," she said. "When I was conducting ‘Rusalka’ and also preparing Dvorák’s Eighth Symphony, then Dvorák was my favorite composer. Now I’m working on Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, and he’s the one I love best."

For more about the San Francisco Opera, including ticket information, visit their website. 

Mariss Jansons, GRAMMY-Winning Conductor, Dies At 76

 

GRAMMYs

Krzysztof Penderecki

Photo: Archie Kent/ullstein bild/Getty Images

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Remembering Avante-Garde Polish Composer/Conductor Krzysztof Penderecki, Known For 'The Exorcist' & 'The Shining'

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The GRAMMY-Winning Penderecki, who died on Sunday at age 86, was a master of dissonance in the classical world, but also influenced Radiohead and landed in many famous films
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Mar 30, 2020 - 5:18 pm

The music world lost a true giant on Sunday, as GRAMMY-winning composer conductor Krzysztof Penderecki died at the age of 86. Best known for the use of his works in such classic films as William Friedkin's The Exorcist, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island as well as David Lynch's "Twin Peaks," many heard Penderecki's signature dissonant compositions, developed early in his career, without knowing it. But he also went on to broaden his musical range, landing him in the top tier of composers and conductors of his time.

Born in Polland in 1933, Penderecki made a name for himself in his 20s with his atonal works such as his 1960 piece Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, an avant-garde piece for 52 strings which earned the young composer the UNESCO award, the first of many critical accolades he would earn. In 1968, he was the recipient of the Recording Academy Trustee's Award.

In 1972 he started his conducting career with the London Symphony Orchestra, recording at Abbey Road studios, and the Polish National Symphony Orchestra. He also accepted guest residencies in Germany in and, later, at Yale University in the '70s. He won his first career GRAMMY Award for 1987 for Best Contemporary Composition for Penderecki: Cello Concerto No. 2. He'd go on to win three additional GRAMMY Awards and earn a total of eight nominations in his career.

Penderecki's influence was far reaching in the music world. Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood tweeted, "Penderecki was the greatest - a fiercely creative composer, and a gentle, warm-hearted man. My condolences to his family, and to Poland on this huge loss to the musical world."

Greenwood, who names Penderecki as an inspiration for some of his own orchestral music, namely his score for the film There Will Be Blood, told NPR in 2012, "I saw him doing these very peculiar sounds, and it was all notated on paper. And yet an orchestra turned it into a strange, otherworldly collection of textures. And I loved it. And then when I saw it live, I really loved it. It was 100 times better than the recordings, and I've been obsessed ever since."

The Polish Ministry of Affairs announced his death on Sunday, though no cause of death was given. Penderecki is survived by his wife of more than five decades, Elzbieta, and by his son and two daughters.

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GRAMMYs

Earth, Wind & Fire

(L-R) Verdine White, Ralph Johnson and Philip Bailey
Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images

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Earth, Wind & Fire Become First African-American Group Inducted Into Kennedy Center Honors

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Other music inductees honored at the 42nd annual event include legendary singer Linda Ronstadt and celebrated conductor Michael Tilson Thomas
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2019 - 4:27 pm

Last night in Washington, D.C., this year's class of inductees to Kennedy Center Honors were celebrated at Kennedy Center Hall of States. Leading the pack, Earth, Wind & Fire became the first African-American group to be inducted. 

Original Earth, Wind & Fire members Verdine White, Ralph Johnson and Philip Bailey were on hand to recieve the honor, and while founder Maurice White passed away in 2016, his presence was felt nonetheless. 

“You can’t play any Earth Wind & Fire songs without Maurice’s DNA being on it, so he’s always here and we’re always celebrating him and his vision,” Johnson said. “People are still coming together and having fun.”

An impressive lineup of artists took to the stage to honor the GRAMMY-winning band, who are approaching their 50th anniversary, including Cynthia Erivo, John Legend, the Jonas Brothers and Ne-Yo.

When asked about being the first African-American band to be inducted, Bailey said, “There are so many more African-American acts that are deserving and perhaps this can be the first of many more to come.”

This year's class also included legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, actress Sally Field, and Sesame Street, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Ronstadt, who is the subject of a moving new documentary, was honored buy some of her closest collaborators, Don Henley and Emmylou Harris, as well as actor Kevin Kline, who starred alongside Ronstadt in The Pirates Of Penzance. Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood, Aaron Neville and Flor de Toloache paid musical tribute to Ronstadt, performing some of her most well-known songs.

“She’s a huge inspiration and influence to each of us as musicians and as women in a male-dominated industry in our genre,” Flor de Toloache's Shae Fiol said.of Ronstadt. “She went forth and did everything her heart desired, and she set the example for us to do the same. We’re happy to be representing her Mexican side.”

Tilson Thomas, an 11-time GRAMMY winner who is currently in his final season as director of the San Francisco Symphony, was honored by Metallica's Lars Ulrich. 

The 42nd Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8pm.

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GRAMMYs

Scott Michael Smith

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:NEXT With Scott Michael Smith: The Innovative Producer/Mixer On Taking Risks, Steve Reich & More

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The L.A.-based producer/mixer talks about his journey from runner at the Village Studios to working on major albums, shows and films on :NEXT, the Recording Academy's new digital series on the future of the music industry
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 4, 2019 - 11:57 am

You might not know his name, but he's behind some of your favorite records, TV shows and movies. Los Angeles-based producer/mixer Scott Michael Smith has turned his passion and talent for music into a booming studio career—but he hasn't done it alone. As part of GRAMMYNext, Smith's circle is full of both support and inspiration from the industry around him.

Producer/Mixer Scott Michael Smith Is :NEXT

Music grabbed Smith early in life. His parents raised him on a healthy dose of Beach Boys and the Beatles. Smith's career ascent began at the world-famous Village Studios in Los Angeles, where he started as a runner and worked his way through the ranks to become a staff engineer. 

Today, Smith's work can be heard all over. He is currently wrapping up work on Season 3 of "The Handmaid's Tale" and IT Chapter Two. His past credits include films such as The Revenant, Transformers: Age Of Extinction and music by John Mayer, Nelly, Carole King and many more. His versatility across medium and genre speaks to his appetite for innovation in the studio, an approach that has made him fearless and allowed him to turn mistakes into knowledge.

"I really like working with people that take risks and try to do something that's going to last, and something original," Smith said. "It's cliché, but this idea that you learn from your mistakes is absolutely true, especially in an industry as hard as ours. If you learn from it, you can bounce back from it, so I'm thankful for each [mistake] I've made."

Inspiration comes to Smith from so many sources, especially when bouncing from project to project, but he names Steve Reich's 1978 minimalist masterpiece Reich: Music For 18 Musicians, which won for Best Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without Conductor) at the 41st GRAMMY Awards, as a latest favorite over the past couple years.

"It's just kind of blowing my mind a little bit and shown me how you can make an album with super-high production value, but just do it with orchestral musicians, no tricks, nothing, just the way it's written and arranged," Smith said of the album. 

At this exciting time in his career, Smith credits the Recording Academy for building up his network and Village CEO Jeff Greenberg from initially recommending GRAMMY :NEXT to him.

"The best part about being a GRAMMYNexter has been the camaraderie and meeting the other people in the program," Smith said. "We all do different things. We're all in the same industry, but we come at it from different angles and that melting pot is really a nice thing to be a part of."

Smith's mentor is Mike Todd, AVP of Film/TV Music, who he credits with encouraging him to be social and build connections. "Mike's been amazing as far as giving me a perspective on our industry from a different angle, from a more writing-oriented side, from a business side, whereas, for me, I'd just be stuck in a studio," he said. "So he's been really great and introduced me to a lot of people, and we're still very close friends."

For more GRAMMY :NEXT, check out the premier episode with Alex Ritchie and stay tuned for more right here on GRAMMY.com. 

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