Bermudian Pianist Receives Grammy Award
Bermudian pianist Michelle Cann has reflected on her recent Grammy win after her collaborative album secured the award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Cann and soprano vocalist Karen Slack’s album, Beyond The Years – Unpublished Songs Of Florence Price, was inspired by the works of the pioneering Black composer.
The duo took the stage at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles last weekend to accept their prestigious award.
Cann, who was born to Bermudian parents and raised in Florida, expressed her admiration for Price in an interview with CBS News.
“Florence Price has been such an inspiration to me,” said Cann, who lives in Philadelphia “I can’t compare her to really anyone else because she writes from her heart.”
Price, born in 1887, became the first Black woman to have her compositions performed by a major US symphony orchestra. Much of her work remained unpublished and underappreciated because of racial and gender barriers.
A dedicated advocate for Price’s music, Cann previously contributed to a Grammy-winning album featuring Piano Concerto in One Movement. However, this marks her first individual Grammy win.
“Oh, I was just so overjoyed,” she said of the achievement. “I was so excited at the idea of getting out to LA and being with other celebrated artists in the field.”
She emphasized the significance of the recognition, adding, “It’s just yet another validation for the genius of Florence Price.”
Cann’s distinguished musical journey includes earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied under Paul Schenly and Dr Daniel Shapiro.
She later received an Artist’s Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Robert McDonald.
In 2020, Cann joined the Curtis faculty as the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies. She also serves on the piano faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.
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