Repper wins GRAMMY Award!

• February 6, 2023


Michael Repper won the GRAMMY® for Best Orchestral Performance on Sunday, February 5, 2023 at the 65th GRAMMY Awards.

Repper joined the Ashland Symphony Orchestra as Music Director and Conductor in June 2022.

Repper’s GRAMMY® nomination came from his work with the New York Youth Symphony. The recording took place in November 2020 during the pandemic. This nomination and subsequent win is historic for many reasons: this is the youth symphony’s debut album, the youth orchestra was divided and socially distanced during the recording, all three composers on the recording are Black women, this is the first recording of these pieces by these composers, and this is the first time a youth symphony has been nominated for Best Orchestral Performance. The producer of the album is Judith Sherman. Sherman won the GRAMMY® for Producer of the Year, Classical.

CREDIT Angela Weiss, Agence France-Presse

Repper has been the Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony since 2017. “I’m so honored to have represented the amazing New York Youth Symphony at the Grammy Awards, and that together we took home our first Grammy®. This project is a testament to the amazing impact that young people can have when they feel empowered to give it their all, and when they have the resources and opportunity to achieve their dream. My entire mission as a conductor is to connect people through music and I’m so proud that this project brought people together during the challenging time of the pandemic, and thrilled to have been able to share this tremendous music by Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and Valerie Coleman.”, said Repper.

Says Martha Buckner, Executive Director of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, “The ASO Board of Directors, staff, and musicians are incredibly proud of Michael, the youth of the NYYS, and everyone involved in the project! We are thrilled to have Repper leading us.”

Repper’s next performance with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra will be Saturday, March 4.

For more information about Michael Repper, visit http://www.mikerepper.com/; the NYYS at https://www.nyys.org/; information and tickets for the ASO at https://www.ashlandsymphony.org/.

The recording, “New York Youth Symphony: works by Florence Price, Valerie Coleman, and Jessie Montgomery” is available on streaming platforms and at https://www.nyys.org/store/album/

ASHLAND WEATHER