Grammy Awards go to faculty, alumni of Shepherd School

Lizzo and Beyonce aren’t the only performers with Houston roots who just won Grammy Awards. Rice faculty and alumni brought home three Grammys at the 62nd awards show Jan. 26 in Los Angeles.

Shepherd School faculty members and alumni were part of a group that received the Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. The Houston Chamber Choir performed the Grammy-winning album, “Maurice Duruflé: Complete Choral Works.” The professional concert choir was led by founder and artistic director Robert Simpson, who is a lecturer in church music at the Shepherd School. The recording also included Shepherd School Professor of Organ Ken Cowan and Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Cello Norman Fischer. Ryan Stickney ’09 is a member of the choir.

The album was recorded in the Shepherd School’s Edythe Bates Old Recital Hall and Grand Organ and was produced by Blanton Alspaugh ’87. Alspaugh was separately honored this year as Producer of the Year, Classical, for several projects.

Conductor Cristian Măcelaru ’06, ’08 was also honored with the Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his direction of “Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite,” performed by Nicola Benedetti.

For more information on the Shepherd School, visit http://music.rice.edu/.