Michigan State University Artists Earn Two Latin Grammy Nominations

<p>The College of Music at Michigan State University <a href="https://www.music.msu.edu/news/msu-artists-earn-two-latin-grammy-nominations">is thrilled to announce</a> that a project created fully by artists from MSU has been nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards. King Mangoberry is a suite of music for wind symphony written by MSU professor of composition Ricardo Lorenz that has now been recognized internationally, and the connections to MSU and the surrounding community are strong.<br> <br> In addition to Ricardo, this recording is performed by students in the MSU Wind Symphony, conducted by MSU professor of music Kevin Sedatole, produced by MSU assistant professor of music David Thornton, arranged by MSU music alumnus Travis Higa, and recorded locally by MSU music alumnus Sergei Kvitko.<br> <br> In addition, the artwork for the CD package was created by seventh and eighth grade students at Chippewa Middle School in Okemos, Michigan. It's truly a home grown project made entirely in Michigan and it's now in the epicenter of Latin music after being nominated for Best Classical Album and Best Classical Contemporary Composition for the track Pataruco. The latter features renowned maracas player Manuel Alejandro Rangel, and it's the first time in Latin Grammy history that Venezuelan maracas are in a classical music category nomination.<br> <br> It's rare to receive nominations of this kind for a recording created by an academic institution.<br> <br> “It’s really important to point out that if it wasn't for this collaboration, there wouldn't be a CD,” emphasizes Lorenz. <br> <br> “This is something we've wanted to do for a long time,” adds Sedatole, as the duo explains the collaborative process that brought the pieces to life. MSU and its College of Music are known for their ethos that supports interdisciplinary collaboration.<br> <br> On the Grammy nominations, Lorenz says “the beautiful message about this is that we're nominated by the Latin Recording Academy for a project that is mainly made in Michigan.