Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording

The Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording has been awarded since 1961. The award was originally titled Best Classical Opera Production. The current title has been used since 1962.

Prior to 1961 the awards for operatic and choral performances were combined in a single award for Best Classical Performance, Operatic or Choral.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

2000s

*Grammy Awards of 2007
**Robert Spano (conductor); Kelley O'Connor, Jessica Rivera & Dawn Upshaw; Valérie Gross & Sid McLauchlan (producers) (Women Of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) for "Golijov: "
*Grammy Awards of 2006
** Sir Colin Davis (conductor); Carlos Alvarez, Bülent Bezdüz, Marina Domashenko, Jane Henschel, Ana Ibarra, Maria Josè Moreno & Michele Pertusi; James Mallinson (producer) (London Symphony Chorus; London Symphony Orchestra) for "Verdi: Falstaff"
*Grammy Awards of 2005
**Martin Sauer (producer), René Jacobs (conductor), Patrizia Ciofi, Véronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager & Lorenzo Regazzo for "Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro"
*Grammy Awards of 2004
**Wolfram Graul (producer), Bernard Haitink (conductor), Jerry Hadley, Karita Mattila, Eva Randová, Anja Silja, Jorma Silvasti for "Janáček: Jenufa" performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House & Chorus & various artists
*Grammy Awards of 2003
**Christoph Classen (producer), Eberhard Sengpiel, Tobias Lehmann (engineers), Daniel Barenboim (conductor), Jane Eaglen, Thomas Hampson, Waltraud Meier, René Pape, Peter Seiffert, the Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin & the Staatskapelle Berlin for "Wagner: Tannhäuser"
*Grammy Awards of 2002
**James Mallinson (producer), Simon Rhodes (engineer), Colin Davis (conductor), Michelle DeYoung, Ben Heppner, Petra Lang, Peter Mattei, Stephen Milling, Sara Mingardo, Kenneth Tarver & the London Symphony Orchestra for "Berlioz: Les Troyens"
*Grammy Awards of 2001
**Martin Sauer (producer), Jean Chatauret (engineer), Kent Nagano (conductor), Kim Begley, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich Henschel, Markus Hollop, Eva Jenis, Torsten Kerl & the Orchestre de l'Opera Nationale de Lyon for "Busoni: Doktor Faust"
*Grammy Awards of 2000
**Nicholas Parker (producer), John Eliot Gardiner (conductor), Ian Bostridge, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Bryn Terfel, Deborah York, the Monteverdi Choir & the London Symphony Orchestra for "Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress"

1990s

*Grammy Awards of 1999
**Pierre Boulez (conductor), Jessye Norman, László Polgár & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for "Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle"
*Grammy Awards of 1998
**Michael Woolcock (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), José van Dam, Ben Heppner, Herbert Lippert, Karita Mattila, Alan Opie, Rene Pape, Iris Vermillion & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for "Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg"
*Grammy Awards of 1997
**Brian Couzens (producer), Richard Hickox (conductor), Philip Langridge, Alan Opie, Janice Watson, the London Symphony Chorus & the City of London Sinfonia for "Britten: Peter Grimes"
*Grammy Awards of 1996
**Raymond Minshull (producer), Charles Dutoit (conductor), Gary Lakes, Francoise Pollet, Gino Quilico, Deborah Voigt & L'Orchestra Symphonie Montreal & Chorus for "Berlioz: Les Troyens"
*Grammy Awards of 1995
**Martin Sauer (producer), Kent Nagano (conductor), Kenn Chester, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, Cheryl Studer, & the Orchestre of Opera De Lyon & Chorus for "Floyd: Susannah"
*Grammy Awards of 1994
**Steven Paul (producer), John Nelson (conductor), John Aler, Kathleen Battle, Michael Chance, Mark S. Doss, Marilyn Horne, Neil Mackie, Sylvia McNair, Samuel Ramey, the Ambrosian Opera Chorus & the English Chamber Orchestra for "Handel: Semele"
*Grammy Awards of 1993
**Christopher Raeburn, Stephen Trainor, Morten Winding (producers), Georg Solti (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, José van Dam, Plácido Domingo, Sumi Jo, Reinhild Runkel, Julia Varady & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for "R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten"
*Grammy Awards of 1992
**Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, Reiner Goldberg, Matti Salminen, Hanna Schwarz, Cheryl Studer, Bernd Weikl, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for "Wagner: Götterdämmerung"
*Grammy Awards of 1991
**Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Siegfried Jerusalem, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jan Hendrik Rootering, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Heinz Zednik & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for "Wagner: Das Rheingold"
*Grammy Awards of 1990
**Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Hildegard Behrens, Gary Lakes, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jessye Norman & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for "Wagner: Die Walküre"

1980s

*Grammy Awards of 1989
**Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Siegmund Nimsgern, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Hans Sotin, & the Vienna State Opera Orchestra for "Wagner: Lohengrin"
*Grammy Awards of 1988
**Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Agnes Baltsa, Kathleen Battle, Gary Lakes, Hermann Prey, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for "R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos"
*Grammy Awards of 1987
**Elizabeth Ostrow (producer), John Mauceri (conductor), James Billings, Joyce Castle, Maris Clement, David Eisler, Jack Harrold, John Lankston, Erie Mills, Scott Reeve & the New York City Opera Orchestra for "Bernstein: Candide"
*Grammy Awards of 1986
**James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Philip Langridge, Franz Mazura & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for "Schoenberg: Moses und Aron"
*Grammy Awards of 1985
**Michel Glotz (producer), Lorin Maazel (conductor), the Choeurs et Maitrise de Radio France & the Orchestre National de France for "Bizet: Carmen (Original Soundtrack)"
*Grammy Awards of 1984
**Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade & the London Philharmonic Orchestra for "Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro"
**Jay David Saks, Max Wilcox (producers), James Levine (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for "Verdi: La Traviata"
*Grammy Awards of 1983
**Andrew Kazdin (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Jeannine Altmeyer, Hermann Becht, Peter Hofmann, Siegfried Jerusalem, Gwyneth Jones, Manfred Jung, Donald McIntyre, Matti Salminen, Ortrun Wenkel, Heinz Zednik & the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra for "Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen"
*Grammy Awards of 1982
**James Mallinson (producer), Charles Mackerras (conductor), Jiri Zahradnicek, Ivo Zidek, Vaclav Zitek & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for "Janáček: From the House of the Dead"
*Grammy Awards of 1981
**Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for "Berg: Lulu"
*Grammy Awards of 1980
**Vittorio Negri (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), Heather Harper, Jonathan Summers, Jon Vickers & the Royal Opera House Orchestra for "Britten: Peter Grimes"

1970s

*Grammy Awards of 1979
**George Sponhaltz, John Coveney (producers), Julius Rudel (conductor), Beverly Sills, Alan Titus & the New York City Opera Orchestra for "Lehár: The Merry Widow"
*Grammy Awards of 1978
**Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), John De Main (conductor), Donnie Ray Albert, Carol Brice, Clamma Dale & the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra for "Gershwin: Porgy and Bess"
*Grammy Awards of 1977
**Michael Woolcock (producer), Lorin Maazel (conductor), Leona Mitchell, Willard White & the Cleveland Orchestra for "Gershwin: Porgy and Bess"
*Grammy Awards of 1976
**Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), Richard van Allan, Janet Baker, Montserrat Caballé, Ileana Cotrubaş, Wladimiro Ganzarolli, Nicolai Gedda & the Royal Opera House Orchestra for "Mozart: Così fan tutte"
*Grammy Awards of 1975
**Richard Mohr (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Judith Blegen, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Ruggero Raimondi & the London Philharmonic Orchestra for "Puccini: La bohème"
*Grammy Awards of 1974
**Tom Mowrey (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Tom Krause, Adriana Maliponte, James McCracken & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus for "Bizet: Carmen"
*Grammy Awards of 1973
**Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor) the BBC Symphony Orchestra & various artists for "Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini"
*Grammy Awards of 1972
**Richard Mohr (producer), Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Grace Bumbry, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Ruggero Raimondi, the John Aldis Choir & the London Symphony Orchestra for "Verdi: Aida"
*Grammy Awards of 1971
**Erik Smith (producer), Colin Davis (conductor), the Royal Opera House Orchestra & Chorus & various artists for "Berlioz: Les Troyens"
*Grammy Awards of 1970
**Otto Gerdes (producer), Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Helga Dernesch, Thomas Stolze, Jess Thomas & the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for "Wagner: Siegfried"

1960s

*Grammy Awards of 1969
**Richard Mohr (producer), Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Ezio Flagello, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Judith Raskin, George Shirley, Tatiana Troyanos & the New Philharmonia Orchestra for "Mozart: Così fan tutte"
*Grammy Awards of 1968
**Thomas Z. Shepard (producer), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Walter Berry, Ingeborg Lasser, Isabel Strauss, Fritz Uhl & the Paris National Opera Orchestra & Chorus for "Berg: Wozzeck"
*Grammy Awards of 1967
**Georg Solti (conductor), Regine Crespin, Hans Hotter, James King, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for "Wagner: Die Walküre"
**George Bragg (conductor), Gregg Smith (choir director), the Gregg Smith Singers, the Ithaca College Concert Choir, the Texas Boys Choir & the Columbia Chamber Orchestra for "Ives: Music for Chorus"
*Grammy Awards of 1966
**Karl Böhm (conductor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn Lear Fritz Wunderlich & the German Opera Orchestra & Chorus for "Berg: Wozzeck"
*Grammy Awards of 1965
**Herbert von Karajan (conductor) Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni, Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for "Bizet: Carmen"
*Grammy Awards of 1964
**Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Rosalind Elias, Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra for "Puccini: Madama Butterfly"
*Grammy Awards of 1963
**Georg Solti (conductor), Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price, Giorgio Tozzi, Jon Vickers, & the Rome Opera House Orchestra for "Verdi: Aida"
*Grammy Awards of 1962
**Gabriele Santini (conductor), Victoria de los Ángeles, Jussi Björling, Miriam Pirazzini, Mario Sereni & the Rome Opera Orchestra for "Puccini: Madama Butterfly"
*Grammy Awards of 1961
**Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Birgit Nilsson, Giorgio Tozzi, Jussi Björling, Renata Tebaldi & the Rome Opera Orchestra for "Puccini: Turandot"