Interlochen alumni, faculty, and staff honored in 68th annual GRAMMY Awards

They claimed awards including Best Orchestra Performance and Best Choral Performance at the Los Angeles awards ceremony on February 1.

Interlochen alumni, faculty, and staff earned five accolades during the 68th annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday, Feb 1, 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Leading large ensembles earning awards included The Boston Symphony Orchestra, comprising 15% Interlochen alumni, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic, comprising 12% Interlochen alumni.

  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
    Without Further Ado, Vol 1 — Christian McBride Big Band
    • Ronald Evans Blake (IAC/NMC 79-81)
  • Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance   
    Dennehy: Land of Winter — Alan Pierson and Alarm Will Sound
    • John Orfe V (IAC/NMC 88-90, IAC 91-93)
  • Best Orchestral Performance (award to conductor and orchestra)
    Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie – Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, conductor (14 alumni and one current staff member in the Boston Symphony Orchestra)
    • Bonnie Bewick (NMC 74-75, 77, 78-79; UNIV 81), first violin
    • Glen Cherry (NMC 89-90, IAA 90-91, NMC St 92), second violin
    • Rachel Childers (AS 95, IAC Fac 23-24), horn
    • Adam Esbensen (IAC 91-93), cello
    • Clint Foreman (IAC 97), flute
    • J. William Hudgins (NMC 74-75), percussion
    • Benjamin Levy (IAC 94), double bass
    • James Markey (IAC 92), bass trombone
    • Rachel Arcega Orth (IAC 07), violin, Susan W. and Stephen D. Paine Resident Fellow
    • Andrew Sandwick (IAC 06-08, 10), bass clarinet
    • Keisuke Wakao (NMC 81, IAA 81-82), Assistant Principal Oboe
    • Sam Ryan Watson (IAC 18), contrabassoon
    • Benjamin Wright (IAC 92, IAA 92-93), trumpet
    • Jessica Zhou (IAA 91-95), Principal Harp
    • Jason Snider (IAC St 25), french horn
  • Best Choral Performance (award to conductor and ensemble)
    Gabriela Ortiz: Yanga — Los Angeles Philharmonic and Tambuco Percussion Ensemble; Los Angeles Master Chorale; and Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (12 alumni and 3 former faculty members in the Los Angeles Philharmonic)
    • Rochelle Abramson (IAC/NMC 64-65, UNIV 69), First Violin
    • Ethan Charles Bearman (IAC 92), Assistant Horn
    • Ted (Edward) Botsford (IAC 96-98), double bass
    • Whitney Crockett (NMC 76-78, 80), Principal Bassoon
    • Jin-Shan Dai (IAA 96-98, IAC 98, ICA St 97-98, IAC St 99), Second Violin
    • Brett Herman (IAC 99), double bass
    • Jonathan Karoly (NMC 85), cello
    • Catherine Ransom Karoly (NMC 84-85), Associate Principal Flute
    • Evan Morris Kuhlmann (IAA 00-02), bassoon/contrabassoon
    • Jason William Lippmann (NMC 90), cello
    • Gregory Roosa (AS 78-81, UNIV 85, IAC St 86), horn
    • Brent Chrisopher Samuel (NMC 86-87), cello
    • Boris Allakhverdyan (IAC Fac 15-18), Principal Clarinet
    • Martin Chalifour (IAC Fac 16-20), Concertmaster
    • David Garrett (IAC Fac 16-18), cello
  • Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
    Nomadica — Carla Patullo featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality (1 current Camp faculty member in Tonality)
    • Hannah Abrahim (IAC Fac 22-26), soprano    

Did we miss an alumni winner? Let us know at content@interlochen.org.