Ward Stare Recording Wins Grammy Award

American Rapture, a recording featuring the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) under the direction of Music Director Ward Stare with soloist Yolanda Kondonassis, won a GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for composer Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto; the award was announced at last evening’s GRAMMY Awards Ceremony.

From the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra:

American Rapture features the world premiere recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto, written for and dedicated to Yolanda Kondonassis, as well as Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 and the world premiere recording of Patrick Harlin’s Rapture. The album is designed to highlight three generations of American composition, and, as defined by Harlin in the context of his work, to depict rapture not as a religious event, but as an experience of extreme human emotion.