A Far Cry has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. Crane School of Music Assistant Professor of Violin Liesl Schoenberger Doty (seen at center, holding her instrument) has been a member of the group since 2012.
A faculty member at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, along with the other members of the innovative string orchestra, A Far Cry.
A Far Cry’s latest album, “Visions and Variations,” was nominated for two awards in the 61st annual GRAMMYs, in the categories for best chamber music/small ensemble performance, and best engineered album, classical.
Liesl Schoenberger Doty, who is an assistant professor of violin at The Crane School of Music, is a member of A Far Cry, along with her husband, Karl Doty, a bassist. The couple also perform together as a classical and crossover duo, The Dotys.
Since its founding in 2007, the string orchestra A Far Cry has developed a distinct approach to music-making, with playing and programming that encourage risk-taking and exploration for both player and audience. The self-conducted orchestra is a democracy in which decisions are made collectively and leadership rotates among the players (“Criers”). This structure has led to consistently thoughtful, innovative, and unpredictable programming — and impactful collaborations with celebrated performers and composers.
“This was an album that we recorded last year. I was very honored to be leading as concertmaster on Prokofiev's ‘Visions Fugitive.’ I am extremely happy to be able to bring this to Crane—and I am grateful to be part of a musical and academic community that supports so wholeheartedly these endeavors,” Doty said.
The Crane School of Music has another connection to the GRAMMY Awards this year. Alumna Renée Fleming ’81 received her 17th GRAMMY nomination, having won four times previously. This year, she was nominated in two categories: best musical theatre album (for the new Broadway cast recording of “Carousel”) and best opera recording (for the Metropolitan Opera recording of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier”).
About The Crane School of Music:
Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.
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