For a composer, winning a Grammy “is about the most exciting thing you can have happen,” Jennifer Higdon G’92 Gr’94 told the Gazette last month, a few days after her Percussion Concerto won the top honor for Best Classical Contemporary Composition at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony. After pointing out that the work was commissioned and premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Higdon said: “It’s my hope that this work getting this kind of recognition will encourage other orchestras to take a chance in commissioning new works.”
Percussion Concerto also received support from the Philadelphia Music Project, the Dallas Symphony, and the Indianapolis Symphony. While it had already been “generating a lot of performances around the world,” Higdon said, “this Grammy will actually up the number of performances and general interest.”
“The whole thing has been quite humbling,” she added. “But I can tell you, I’m over the moon with excitement!”
—S.H.
