The Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo was first awarded during the annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2012.
It combined the previous categories for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) and Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra).
The restructuring of these categories was a result of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the list of categories and awards.
The Grammy is awarded to the instrumental soloist(s) and to the conductor when applicable, and to the producer(s) and engineer(s) if they worked on over 50% of playing time of the recording.
Recipients Year Recipient(s) WorkNomineesRef. 2012Giancarlo Guerrero (conductor)Christopher Lamb (with the Nashville Symphony)Schwantner: Concerto for Percussion & Orchestra 2013Kim KashkashianKurtág & Ligeti: Music for Viola 2014Evelyn Glennie (soloist)David Alan Miller (conductor) (with the Albany Symphony Orchestra)Corigliano: Conjurer - Concerto for Percussionist & String Orchestra 2015Jason VieauxPlay 2016Augustin Hadelich (soloist)Ludovic Morlot (conductor)Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes 2017Zuill Bailey (soloist)Giancarlo Guerrero (conductor)Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway 2018Daniil TrifonovTranscendental 2019James Ehnes (soloist); Ludovic Morlot (conductor)Kernis: Violin Concerto 2020 Nicola Benedetti (soloist), Cristian Măcelaru (conductor) Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite 2021 Richard O'Neill (soloist); David Alan Miller (conductor) Theofanidis: Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra 2022Jennifer KohAlone Together 2023Time For Three (artist); Xian Zhang (conductor)Letters for the Future Hilary Hahn - Abels: Isolation Variation Daniil Trifonov - Bach: The Art of Life Mitsuko Uchida - Beethoven: Diabelli Variations Mak Grgić - A Night in Upper Town - The Music of Zoran Krajacic2024Yuja Wang (soloist); Teddy Abrams (conductor)The American Project Robert Black - Adams, John Luther: Darkness and Scattered Light Andy Akiho - Akiho: Cylinders Seth Parker Woods - Difficult Grace Curtis Stewart - Of Love2025Vikingur Ólafsson Bach: Goldberg Variations Andy Akiho - Akiho: Longing Seth Parker Woods (soloist); Christopher Rountree (conductor of Wild Up) - Eastman: The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc Mak Grgić - Entourer Curtis Stewart (soloist); James Blachly (conductor of the Experiential Orchestra) - Perry: Concerto for Violin & Orchestra2026Yo-Yo Ma (soloist); Andris Nelsons (conductor)Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos Curtis Stewart (soloist); Michael Repper (conductor) - ''Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From '24 Negro Melodies''' Mary Dawood Catlin (soloist); Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm (conductors) - Hope Orchestrated Adam Tendler (soloist) - Inheritances Han Chen (soloist); John Jeter (conductor) - Price: Piano Concerto in One Movement in D Minor Yo-Yo Ma (soloist); Andris Nelsons (conductor) - Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos Yuja Wang (soloist); Andris Nelsons (conductor) - Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
References