Michael Christie wins GRAMMY for The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs

Conductor Michael Christie wins 2019 GRAMMY Award for

Best Opera Recording for The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs

Composed by Mason Bates, Libretto by Mark Campbell

With The Santa Fe Opera

Released on PENTATONE

Los Angeles, CA - On Sunday night, conductor Michael Christie won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for leading the world premiere recording of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Santa Fe Opera. The award goes to Christie, producer Elizabeth Ostrow, and principal singers Sasha Cooke, Jessica E. Jones, Edward Parks, Garret Sorenson, and Wei Wu.

In 2017, Christie led the world premiere performances of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at Santa Fe Opera, “with suave assurance” as praised by the San Francisco Chronicle, with “precision and pizzazz” by the Santa Fe New Mexican, and “preside[d] over an expertly executed performance,” according to The Financial Times. PENTATONE released Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere recording of the work on June 15, 2018. Michael Christie leads performances of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs in the 2019-2020 season with San Francisco Opera from June 16 – July 3, 2020.

Michael says:

I can say the whole experience was quite surreal. I'm in Chicago at the moment getting ready to open La Traviata at the Lyric Opera of Chicago so couldn't be present in LA for the award. I have to tell you though, I'm not sure I could have handled being in the audience waiting for that envelope to be opened! Instead, I was in Macy's (so grateful they provided wifi in the store!!!) alternately shopping for socks and watching the live stream when the award was announced! I just started laughing. Any one of the five outstanding nominees should have won and yet they called out ours. I'm so grateful to Santa Fe Opera, our marvelous colleagues of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and its powerful chorus, Elizabeth Ostrow, creators Mason Bates and Mark Campbell, my amazing colleagues on stage (Edward Arthur, Garrett Sorenson, Wei Wu, Kelly Markgraf, Jessica Jones, and Sasha Markgraf), and our production miracle workers (Kevin Newbury, Vita Tzykun, Japhy Carey, Benjamin Pearcy, Rick Jacobsohn, Robert Tweten, and Susanne Sheston).

I also want to shout out to the extraordinary artists at Indiana University who gave the second performances of the opera in September. You all made an indelible impression on the piece and you share in its history.

Congratulations to everyone involved!