Istad '98 wins Grammy for Mahler choral performance
From left, Luke McEndarfer, Grant Gershon, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and Robert Istad, winners of the award for best choral performance for "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 'Symphony of A Thousand'." (Photo courtesy WREX-TV, Rockford, Ill.)
An Augustana alumnus was part of a group of musicians who won this year's Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.
Robert Istad '98 was amongst the team of conductors and chorus masters who recorded "Mahler: Symphony No. 8, 'Symphony of a Thousand'."
The recording featured 346 performers from Istad's Pacific Chorale, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale and National Children's Chorus.
Istad is the conductor and the director of the Pacific Chorale in Orange County, Calif. He received a bachelor's in music from Augustana and studied conducting with Jon Hurty. Istad has a master’s in choral conducting from California State University, Fullerton, and doctorate in choral music from the University of Southern California.
"I've dedicated my entire life to bringing people together in harmony. Lifting up singers to achieve their very best is my life's great passion," he said. "In some way, this Grammy recognizes the very special artistic and spiritual bond I share with those amazing people. I am so happy the Recording Academy heard our soulful singing shining through in our recording."
The Grammy Award credits Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale).
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire.
The performance also was nominated for Best Engineered Album.