November 24, 2020
Leonard Slatkin is nominated for a 2021 GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Choral Performance for the world-premiere recording of Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers, available on the Naxos label. The piece is a tribute to the fallen heroes of World War I, combining Orthodox and Gregorian chant with hymns from the allied nations.
The concert during which the album was recorded took place at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2018 as the nation commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the armistice that ended the Great War. The recording features soloists Anna Dennis and Joseph Beutel, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the combined choral forces of the Cathedral Choral Society (Steven Fox, director), Clarion Choir (Steven Fox, director), Saint Tikhon Choir (Benedict Sheehan, director), and Kansas City Chorale (Charles Bruffy, director).
Upon learning of his 35th nomination, Slatkin said: “This project was a true labor of love, and I am grateful to all those who participated in bringing this amazing work to light.” The Kastalsky Requiem Project was spearheaded by GRAMMY-winning producer Blanton Alspaugh. The 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony will take place on January 31, 2021.