The Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance was first given out in 1959. Over the years the Recording Academy has made slight changes to the title of the award. From 1959 to 1964 except for 1961 the award was called Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist (with or without orchestra). It was later changed to Best Vocal Soloist Performance, Best Vocal Soloist Performance, Classical, in 1992 it was changed to Best Classical Vocal Soloist, From 1993 till date it has been called Best Classical Vocal Performance. Italian mezzo-soprano opera singer Cecilia Bartoli has been honored the most number of times taking home the award four times.
Winners: Grammys Best Classical Vocal Performance
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Year
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Winner/s
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Performance
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2009
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Hila Plitmann (soloist), John Corigliano, Tim Handley & Tom Lazarus (engineers), John Corigliano & Tim Handley (producers)
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Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan
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2008
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Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (soloist), John Newton & Mark Donahue(engineers), Dirk Sobotka (producer)
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Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
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2007
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Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
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Rilke Songs
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2006
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Thomas Quasthoff (soloist), Jürgen Bulgrin & Rainer Maillard (engineers), Christopher Alder (producer)
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Bach: Cantatas
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2005
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Susan Graham
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Ives: Songs (The Things Our Fathers Loved; the Housatonic at Stockbridge, etc.)
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2004
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Thomas Quasthoff & Anne Sofie von Otter (soloists), Jürgen Bulgrin & Oliver Rogalla Von Heyden (engineers), Christopher Alder (producer)
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Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra
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2003
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Renée Fleming (artist), Jonathan Stokes, Neil Hutchinson & Tom Lazarus (engineers), Erik Smith (producer)
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Bel Canto (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, etc.)
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2002
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Cecilia Bartoli (artist), Jonathan Stokes (engineer), Christopher Raeburn (producer)
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Dreams & Fables - Gluck Italian Arias (Tremo Gra' Fubbi Miei; Die Questa Cetra In Seno, etc.)
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2001
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Cecilia Bartoli (artist), Jonathan Stokes (engineer), Christopher Raeburn (producer)
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The Vivaldi Album (Dell'aura al sussurrar; Alma oppressa, etc.)
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2000
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Anne Sofie von Otter & Thomas Quasthoff (artists)
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Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
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1999
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Jeffrey Tate (conductor), Renée Fleming & the English Chamber Orchestra
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The Beautiful Voice (Works of Charpentier, Gounod etc.)
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1998
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Cecilia Bartoli
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An Italian Songbook (Works of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)
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1997
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James Levine (conductor), Bryn Terfel & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Opera Arias
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Works of Mozart, Wagner, Borodin
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1996
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Christopher Hogwood (conductor), Sylvia McNair & the Academy of Ancient Music
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The Echoing Air - The Music of Henry Purcell
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1995
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Cecilia Bartoli
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The Impatient Lover - Italian Songs by Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart
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1994
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Arleen Auger
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The Art of Arleen Auger (Works of Larsen, Purcell, Schumann, Mozart)
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1993
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Kathleen Battle & Margo Garrett
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Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall (Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Strauss, etc.)
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1992
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Dawn Upshaw
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The Girl With Orange Lips (Falla, Ravel, etc.)
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1991
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Zubin Mehta (conductor), José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, & the Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale
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Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti in Concert
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1990
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David Zinman (conductor), Dawn Upshaw & the Orchestra of St. Luke's - Knoxville
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Summer of 1915 (Music of Barber, Menotti, Harbison, Stravinsky)
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1989
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Emerson Buckley (conductor), Luciano Pavarotti & the Symphony Orchestra of Amelia Romangna
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Luciano Pavarotti in Concert
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1988
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Kathleen Battle
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Kathleen Battle: Salzburg Recital
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1987
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André Previn (conductor), Kathleen Battle & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
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Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart
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1986
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Robert Shaw (conductor), John Aler & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
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Berlioz: Requiem
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1985
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Pierre Boulez (conductor), Heather Harper, Jessye Norman & José van Dam, the BBC Symphony Orchestra & the Ensemble Intercontemporain
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Ravel: Songs of Maurice Ravel
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1984
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James Levine (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
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Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
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1983
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Zubin Mehta (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
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Verdi: Arias (Leontyne Price Sings Verdi)
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1982
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Richard Bonynge (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland & the New York City Opera Orchestra
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Live From Lincoln Center - Sutherland/Horne/Pavarotti
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1981
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Henry Lewis (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Philharmonia Orchestra
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Prima Donna, Vol. 5 - Great Soprano Arias From Handel to Britten
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1980
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Luciano Pavarotti & the Bologna Orchestra
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O Sole Mio - Favorite Neapolitan Songs
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1979
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Luciano Pavarotti
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Luciano Pavarotti - Hits From Lincoln Center
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1978
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Neville Marriner (conductor), Janet Baker & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
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Bach: Arias
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1977
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Beverly Sills
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Herbert: Music of Victor Herbert
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1976
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Janet Baker
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Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
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1975
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Leontyne Price
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Leontyne Price Sings Richard Strauss
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1974
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Edward Downes (conductor), Leontyne Price & the New Philharmonia Orchestra
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Puccini: Heroines
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1973
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Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
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Brahms: Die Schone Magelone
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1972
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Leontyne Price
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Leontyne Price Sings Robert Schumann
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1971
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Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
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Schubert: Lieder
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1970
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Thomas Schippers (conductor), Leontyne Price & the New Philharmonia
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Barber: Two Scenes From "Antony and Cleopatra"/Knoxville, Summer of 1915
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1969
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Carlo Felice Cillario (conductor), Montserrat Caballé & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra & Chorus
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Rossini: Rarities
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1968
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Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Leontyne Price, & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra
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Prima Donna, Volume 2
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1967
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Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Leontyne Price & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra
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Prima Donna (Works of Barber, Purcell, etc.)
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1966
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Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Boston Symphony Orchestra
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Strauss: Salome (Dance of the Seven Veils, Interlude, Final Scene)/The Egyptian Helen (Awakening Scene)
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1965
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Fritz Reiner (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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Berlioz: Nuits d'Ete (Song Cycle)/Falla: El Amor Brujo
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1964
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Skitch Henderson (conductor), Leontyne Price & the RCA Orchestra
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Great Scenes From Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
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1963
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Leonard Bernstein (conductor), Eileen Farrell & the New York Philharmonic
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Götterdämmerung - Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene/Wesendonck Songs
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1962
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Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Joan Sutherland & the Royal Opera House Orchestra
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The Art of the Prima Donna
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1961
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Leontyne Price
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A Program of Song - Leontyne Price Recital
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1960
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Jussi Björling
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Bjoerling in Opera
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1959
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Renata Tebaldi
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Operatic Recital
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