The third time was indeed the charm for Blair music technology professor Pascal Le Boeuf, as he picked up the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition on Sunday, February 2, his third time to be nominated in the category. He won the honor for “Strands,” performed by Le Boeuf with the Akropolis Reed Quintet and drummer Christian Euman, who joined him onstage to accept the award.
Asked about his thoughts on the latest nomination, before Sunday’s ceremonies, Le Boeuf said “It feels great, especially since it sheds light on the hard work that a lot of artists and collaborators put into the project together.”
“Strands” appears on Le Boeuf’s 2024 album, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?, conceived as a celebratory tribute to Leonard Bernstein, Geri Allen and other American composers. “’Strands’ is about examining American music, whatever that means, which is complicating, because it means different things if you’re a jazz artist or classical artist,” said Le Boeuf. “The project is about kind of recognizing the different strands that create the tapestry of my identity as an American musician.”
Described as “sleek, new” and “hyper-fluent” by The New York Times, Le Boeuf previously received Best Instrumental Composition Grammy nominations for “Snapshots” in 2023 and “Akaline” in 2018. A composer, jazz pianist, and electronic artist, his works range from modern improvised music to hybrid chamber music with production-based technology. He was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023.
Le Boeuf credits his Vanderbilt students with constantly renewing his creative energy. “They impact my work every day, especially working in technology, which is a continually evolving field. Students keep me on my toes and kind of keep me up to date on what they’re listening to, what they’re thinking about, and it changes the way that I think about music. They really inform my artistic practice and it feels like a collaboration.”