Frost School of Music Scores Big at 2019 Grammy Awards

John Daversa Sweeps Three Categories For

American Dreamers Voice Of Hope Music And Freedom With Daca Artists 

Dafnis Prieto Wins Best Latin Jazz Album For Back To The Sunset

Nominee Craig Morris Performs at Premiere Ceremony

Lansing McLoskey’s Composition of Zealot Canticles Wins

Best Choral Performance for Choral Group The Crossing

 23 Frost Faculty, Students and Alumni Contribute to Grammy Wins

 (Coral Gables, FL – February, 2019)  The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami’s faculty, alumni and students played a starring role in the 2019 Grammy Awards.  We are  proud to announce the esteemed members of our faculty who were honored with the coveted award Sunday, Feb. 10 in Los Angeles at the 2019 Grammy awards ceremony.

John Daversa/Chair Associate Prof. Music and Jazz—His recording  American Dreamers Voices of  Hope Music and Freedom with  Daca Artists received three Grammy Awards:

• Best Large Jazz Ensemble
• Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella (Stars and Stripes Forever)
• Best Improvised Jazz Solo (Don’t Fence Me In)

In commenting Daversa stated:  “What an incredible experience it was to receive this recognition and share it with such incredible human beings, including my colleagues from Frost…..Dafnis Prieto, Craig Morris and Lansing McLoskey.  I’m so grateful and humbled to the Recording Academy.  It is a gift to be able to share this with our school and students at Frost.”

Dafnis Prieto – Frost School of Music Drums/Asst. Professor Prof. Practice received  Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy Award for (Back To The Sunset )  In commenting Dafnis “thanked the Academy for this recognition, congratulated all the musicians who played on the album, and thanked his friends,  family and  colleagues at the Frost School of Music for all their support!

Craig Morris/Associate Professor of Trumpet/Chamber Music Coach was nominated for Best Instrumental Classical Performance of Philp Glass: “Three Pieces In the Shape of A Square.”  Although Craig was not the Grammy recipient he was selected as the only classical performer to appear on the Grammy premiere ceremony.

Lansing McLoskey/Professor of Composition—Choral Croup The Crossing won a Grammy for Best Choral Performance for the album McLoskey: Zealot Canticles.  The album is a monumental and moving work composed by Professor McLoskey.

In addition, 23 Frost faculty, students and alumni participated in recordings that received Grammy Awards,  including alumni Kenneth D. Fuchs whose composition Piano Concerto “Spiritualist: Poems of Life” was awarded the Grammy for Best Classical Compendium. 

®In commenting Dean Shelton G. Berg stated:. “In recruiting John Daversa to the Frost School, I said to him ‘we need your beating heart.’  That beating heart along with immense talent and originality led him to the Dreamers Project and an almost unbelievable three Grammy wins in one night.  John is a leading voice in contemporary music, along with Dafnis Prieto, who virtuosity and distinctive music brought him another coveted Grammy to the Frost Studio Music and Jazz Department.  I am equally proud of Professors Craig Morris and Lansing McLoskey, who shined in the classical area of the Grammys.  I congratulate each of you on your extraordinary achievement and feel so grateful for all you do each day to attract, teach, mentor and serve our great students.”

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