Every Grammys Best Instrumental Soloist Performance without Orchestra winner

12 ceremonies, 2000–2011. 12 different winners.

It was awarded for the last time in 2011.

It merged with the with-orchestra award to form Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

From 2012 the Grammys awarded Best Classical Instrumental Solo instead.

One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
Murray Perahia'00
Tobias Lehmann'01
Arne Akselberg'02
Andreas Neubronner'03
Emanuel Ax'04
David Russell'05
Evgeny Kissin'06
Maurizio Pollini'07
Garrick Ohlsson'08
Gloria Cheng'09
Sharon Isbin'10
Paul Jacobs'11

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2011.

Most nominated, never won

  • Marc-André Hamelin7 noms
  • András Schiff2 noms
  • Nelson Freire2 noms
  • Pierre-Laurent Aimard2 noms
  • Piotr Anderszewski2 noms
  • Sarah Schuster Ericsson2 noms

Most losses

  • Marc-André Hamelin7L · 0W
  • Evgeny Kissin3L · 1W
  • András Schiff2L · 0W
  • Nelson Freire2L · 0W
  • Pierre-Laurent Aimard2L · 0W
  • Piotr Anderszewski2L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerLabel
2011Paul Jacobs (Messiaen: Livre du Saint-Sacrement)
beat 4 others
  • Nelson Freire (Chopin: The Nocturnes)
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Hamelin: Études)
  • Julia Fischer (Paganini: 24 Caprices)
  • Sarah Schuster Ericsson (20th Century Harp Sonatas)
Unrecorded
2010Sharon Isbin (Journey to the New World)
beat 4 others
  • Caroline Goulding (Caroline Goulding)
  • Maria João Pires (Chopin)
  • Ursula Oppens (Oppens Plays Carter)
  • Yuja Wang (Sonatas & Études)
Unrecorded
2009Gloria Cheng (Piano Music of Stucky, Lutosławski)
beat 4 others
  • Marc-André Hamelin (In a State of Jazz)
  • Wei Li (Red Cliff Capriccio)
  • Cameron Carpenter (Revolutionary)
  • Joan Jeanrenaud (Strange Toys)
Unrecorded
2008Garrick Ohlsson (Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3)
beat 4 others
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Haydn: Piano Sonatas)
  • Kenneth Boulton (Louisiana - A Pianist's Journey)
  • Manuel Barrueco (Solo Piazolla)
  • Allison Brewster Franzetti (20th Century Piano Sonatas)
Unrecorded
2007Maurizio Pollini (Chopin: Nocturnes)
beat 4 others
  • Gidon Kremer (Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo)
  • Paul O'Dette (Daniel Bacheler: The Bachelar's Delight)
  • András Schiff (Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. II)
  • Roberto Díaz (Primrose: Viola Transcriptions)
Unrecorded
2006Evgeny Kissin (Scriabin, Medtner, Stravinsky)
beat 4 others
  • Nelson Freire (Chopin: Études, Op. 10; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Sonata No. 2)
  • Sarah Schuster Ericsson (Night Breeze - Harp Music of Carlos Salzedo)
  • Piotr Anderszewski (Szymanowski: Piano Sonata No. 3, Métopes, Masques)
  • Maxim Vengerov (Vengerov: Kreisler, Sarasate, Paganini, Wieniawski)
Unrecorded
2005David Russell (Aire Latino)
beat 4 others
  • Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Debussy: Images; Études)
  • Mikhail Pletnev (Pletnev Plays Schumann)
  • Vladimir Ashkenazy (Shostakovich: Piano Works)
  • Thomas Zehetmair (Ysaÿe: Sonatas for Violin Solo, Op. 27)
Unrecorded
2004Emanuel Ax (Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 29, 31, 34, 25 & 49)
beat 4 others
  • András Schiff (Bach: The Goldberg Variations)
  • Piotr Anderszewski (Bach: Partitas 1, 3 & 6)
  • Petronel Malan (Transfigured Bach: The Bach Piano Transcriptions of Bartók, Lipatti & Friedman)
  • Evgeny Kissin (Brahms: Sonata in F Minor; Intermezzo in A Minor, etc.)
Unrecorded
2003Andreas Neubronner (Chopin: Études, Op. 10 & Op. 25)
beat 4 others
  • Leif Ove Andsnes (Grieg: Lyric Pieces)
  • Earl Wild (Hahn: Le Rossignol Éperdu - Poèmes Pour Piano (Complete))
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Kaleidoscope (Woods, Hofmann, Blumenfeld))
  • David Holzman (Wolpe: Compositions for Piano (1920-1952))
Unrecorded
2002Arne Akselberg (Britten Cello Suites)
beat 4 others
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano; Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux Dnas le Genre Pathetique)
  • Duane Hulbert (Glazunov: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1)
  • Stephen Hough (Liszt: Sonata, Ballades and Polonaises)
  • Maurizio Pollini (Schumann: Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6)
Unrecorded
2001Tobias Lehmann (Dreams of a World)
beat 4 others
  • Murray Perahia (Bach: The Goldberg Variations)
  • Evgeny Kissin (Chopin: Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53)
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Godowsky: The Complete Studies on Chopin's Études)
  • Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Olivier Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus)
Unrecorded
2000Murray Perahia (Bach: The English Suites Nos. 2, 4, & 5)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Evgeny Kissin (Chopin: The Four Ballades; Berceuse, Op. 57; Scherzo No. 4, Op. 54)
  • Eteri Andjaparidze (Confrey: Piano Music)
  • Marc-André Hamelin (Rzewski: The People United Will Never be Defeated; Down by the Riverside; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues)
  • Vladimir Ashkenazy (Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87)
Unrecorded

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