Claremont resident Nadia Shpachenko won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium for her latest record, “The Poetry of Places” at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony on January 26.

“It was just spectacular,” Ms. Shpachenko said. “I was stunned. I am just so grateful. I just felt that it was so important for classical music for the academy to recognize this, because we’re creating new music, it’s current and relevant for today.”

Producers Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin, and Barry Werger-Gottesman, Ms. Shpachenko’s husband, also received Grammy Awards.

“My husband won a Grammy as well, for engineering, and like I told you, he was the backbone of this project, and I’m just so happy for him and proud,” Ms. Shpachenko said. “I’m just so overwhelmed right now. I slept for three hours last night. I’ve got like, a thousand messages. It’s so exciting and overwhelming. I don’t even know where to begin answering everyone. It’s overwhelming, but it’s wonderful too.”

Ms. Shpachenko’s win also brought some other local artisans into the Grammy spotlight. Her dress was designed by Pomona resident Florence Obi (tanaechi.com), and her hair and makeup was by Eusebio Soria (Chevo), from JPAZ Salon in San Dimas.

This was Ms. Shpachenko’s third Grammy nomination. She was also nominated in 2015 for her first album, “Woman at the New Piano,” which was recorded here in Claremont at Bridges Auditorium.

Ms. Shpachenko has been on the faculty at Claremont Graduate University for nine years, where she teaches doctoral piano students. She has also led the piano performance program at Cal Poly Pomona for 14 years.

Click here https://referencerecordings.com/the-poetry-of-places-wins-2020-grammy-award/ to see Ms. Shpachenko’s acceptance speech.                                                                                                                                                                  Photo: Robby Klein, the Recording Academy