David Russel, who is a member of our Foundation, wins the Grammy Award 2005 in the category "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance" (without Orchestra). We sincerely congratulate David on this great success and wish on him to win many more Grammies. This award impressingly proves that the classical guitar has a great potential to be a popular instrument and that it is worthwhile to spend plenty of time on this wonderful instrument.
It is the combination of virtuosity, musicality and personality of the artist which makes possible such a great success. David will be an example for many young talents and will give them the power they need for not leaving the path of learning to play the classical guitar, a path that often enough is considered to be unpopular and exhausting.

http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/47winners.aspx#30 (Category 100)

http://www.davidrussellguitar.com/

Email from David und Maria:

Thanks to everybody in the Hauser Guitar Foundation.This is what happened.
When David was nominated in the beginning we were thrilled with happiness. We decided that we would go to L.A. to the ceremony just for fun thinking that he had very little chance of winning, considering the greatness of the other four musicians in his category.
By luck we were sitting in the first row, dressed handsomly and enjoying the ceremony, while being nervous and anxious inside... Then the moment came.

FOR BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST PERFORMANCE THE NOMINATIONS ARE:

AIRE LATINO
David Russell

DEBUSSY: IMAGES; ÉTUDES
Pierre-Laurent Aimard

PLETNEV PLAYS SCHUMANN
Mikhail Oletnev

SHOSTAKOVIC: PIANO WORKS
Vladimir Ashkenazy

YSAYE: SONATAS FOR VIOLIN SOLO, OPUS 27
Thomas Zehetmair

The man on stage said: AND THE GRAMMY GOES TO... He opened the envelop and...

AIRE LATINO
DAVID RUSSELL....

David jumped off his chair and on stage he was in a jump...
He was given the Grammy award and he started his acceptance speech: I am overwhelmed...
And on my chair, I couldn't stop crying... I couldn't believe it.

We honestly never talked about the possibility of winning the award and, when it happened, we felt as if we had hit the jackpot (not knowing necessarily how we would feel in that case, as it never happened to us: the jackpot).

We just arrived home just now, after two days of celebrations, and our friends came to the airport with banners and all the TV cameras and local newspapers were there to greet us... It was an unbelievable welcoming home feeling...

We just feel that we want to share our happiness with everybody...

A big hug,
David and Maria.

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet wins Grammy Award 2005

The members of the Hermann Hauser Guitar Foundation also wish to congratulate the
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet on the Grammy Award 2005.

http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/47winners.aspx#30 (Category 105)

http://www.LAGQ.com


February 14, 2005