Kavakos received his nomination for his Beethoven: Violin Sonatas recording with Enrico Pace, released on Decca in January 2013 as his debut with the label. The album was widely-praised and Kavakos’s performance of the sonatas was recognised earlier this year when he was named ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the 2013 ECHO Klassik Awards in Germany. The Strad described the album as:

“A masterly set that combines Beethovenian ferocity and gentleness…”
The Strad, March 2013

Having taken the sonata cycle on a major tour of Europe, Kavakos and Pace present the Violin Concertos on 2, 3 and 4 March 2014 at Carnegie Hall and in the Far East with concerts in Hong Kong (13 March), Guangzhou (14 March) and Shanghai (16 March).

The winners will be announced at the GRAMMY ceremony on 26 January 2014 in Los Angeles.