Laur Joamets
While the nominees for the 59th Grammy Awards involved a number of Estonian names and ensembles, it was American Sturgill Simpson, whose guitarist is Laur Joamets, who took home an award on Sunday.
Nominated in both the Album of the Year and Best Country Album categories, “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” by Sturgill Simpson won the Grammy for Best Country Album.
Joamets, who played guitar on the award-winning album, was born on Oct. 31, 1988. He has previously played in a number of other ensembles, including Dramamama, and has played guitar on Estonian Idol (“Eesti otsib superstaari”).
His father Andres Joamets, also a guitarist, has played in legendary Estonian punk band MTJ.
2017 Grammy nominees included multiple Estonians
Nominated in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category was Christopher Theofanidis’ “Bassoon Concerto,” performed by Martin Kuuskmann, Barry Jekowsky and the Northwest Sinfonia, from the album “Bassoon Concertos – Theofanidis, Hummel, Mozart,” released by Estonian Record Productions. Theofanidis’ “Bassoon Concerto” was written specially for Kuuskmann.
Nominated in the Best Classical Compendium category was conductor Tõnu Kaljuste‘s “Gesualdo,” performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and including two works by Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür.
Nominated in the Best Orchestral Performance category was “Ibert: Orchestral Works,” performed by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under the conduction of Neeme Järvi.
ERR News
