Conductor and composer Teddy Abrams and pianist Yuja Wang claimed a golden gramophone for their work on “The American Project.”
"First, a huge congratulations to the incredible Yuja Wang, who soloed on this extraordinary album and is one of the most talented musicians in the world right now," Abrams said during the Grammy Premiere Ceremony.
Abrams conducted the piece for the recording in which Wang commanded the piano alongside the Louisville Orchestra.
"A giant congratulations to all of my colleagues at the Louisville Orchestra — an orchestra that is famous for its innovation — for putting out so many albums of living composers since it was founded in 1937,” Abrams said. “I am so proud of everyone at the orchestra, to the people of Louisville and to everybody that made this all happen.”
“The American Project” is an original composition by Abrams that takes listeners through a journey across American musical genres. It expanded from what was originally meant to be a companion piece to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
This is the first Grammy win for the Louisville Orchestra in its 87-year history.
“We are thrilled to have been a part of the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, and this win is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and passion of our musicians, staff and board,” orchestra chief executive Graham Parker said in a news release. “This accolade is a beacon of artistic achievement and recognition on the global stage.”
Abrams, Wang and the orchestra weren’t the only ones to bring golden gramophones to Kentucky.
Lexington-born artist Chris Stapleton won for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “White Horse.”
Lawrence County-born country artist Tyler Childers didn’t have any wins, but he did lead for most nominations for people representing the commonwealth with five total.
