Local musicians going for Grammy gold
From classical music to traditional pop to metal, local musicians were well represented among this year's Grammy nominees.
Collage New Music was cited in the classical field for best small ensemble performance for its recording of ''Harbsion: Mottetti Di Montale" with mezzo-sopranos Janice Felty and Margaret Lattimore. Founded in 1972 by Frank Epstein, the group is led by musical director David Hoose and has distinguished itself with performances of works by 20th and 21st century composers.
Also in classical music, Argentine-born Osvaldo Golijov's ''Ayre" was nominated for best classical contemporary composition. An associate professor at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and a member of the Boston Conservatory faculty, Golijov was previously nominated for a Grammy for his 2002 chamber music release ''Yiddishbbuk."
Other nominees are John Williams, an 18-time winner -- for best score soundtrack (''Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith") and two nominations for best instrumental category (''Anakin's Betrayal" from ''Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith" and ''The Ferry Scene" from ''War of the Worlds") -- and the Boston Early Music Festival and Boston Early Music Festival Chorus for best opera recording for ''Conradi: Ariadne."
Thirty-four years ago, Carly Simon won her first Grammy when she was named best new artist. (She also picked up an award for best song written for a film or television for ''Let the River Run.") Now, she's up for best traditional pop vocal album for ''Moonlight Serenade." It's a collection featuring such American standards as ''I've Got You Under My Skin," ''All the Things You Are," and ''How Long Has This Been Going On." She'll compete against Michael Buble (''It's Time"), Rod Stewart (''Thanks for the Memory . . . The Great American Songbook Volume IV"), veteran crooner Johnny Mathis (''Isn't It Romantic"), and the venerable Tony Bennett (''The Art of Romance"), who has won in this category eight times.
On the metal front, Shadows Fall was considered the breakout band at this year's Ozzfest, and the band's fourth album, ''The War Within" debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart earlier this year. It was a noteworthy feat for a band that has never strayed from its Massachusetts roots. Now, the thrash metal quintet's song ''What Drives the Weak" will vie for best metal performance again such better-known bands as Ministry (''The Great Satan"), Mudvayne (''Determined"), Rammstein (''Mein Teil"), and Slipknot (''Before I Forget").
Richard Dyer of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 
