The Harlem Quartet — which includes violinist and UB music professor Melissa White — won the Best Classical Compendium Grammy Award for their album “Passion For Bach And Coltrane” during the awards show Sunday night.
The award is the Harlem Quartet’s second Grammy. The group won Best Instrumental Composition in 2013 for their album “Mozart Goes Dancing.”
“The best thing about the Grammys is that we’re all together, and we have a big list of great, Black classical composers and performers we’d love to share with you,” Toyin Spellman-Diaz, an oboe player who collaborated with the Harlem Quartet on the album, said during her acceptance speech. “Let’s talk, let’s share, and let’s grow together.”
White, who joined UB’s music faculty in 2022, co-founded the Harlem Quartet in 2006 alongside three other musicians. She started playing the violin at 6 years old after spending two years begging her mother for lessons. She has performed with the National Philharmonic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Boston Pops and other nationally recognized orchestras. Internationally, she has toured Europe, Africa and Asia.
Grant Ashley is the editor in chief and can be reached at grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com
Grant Ashley is the editor in chief of The Spectrum. He's also reported for NPR, WBFO, WIVB and The Buffalo News. He enjoys taking long bike rides, baking with his parents’ ingredients and recreating Bob Ross paintings in crayon. He can be found on the platform formerly known as Twitter at @Grantrashley.
