The CD "Arvo Pärt: Da pacem" (Harmonia Mundi, 2006) with Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir conducted by Paul Hillier was awarded the Grammy Award for the best choral performance – one of Grammy’s numerous interpretation awards. The list of the CD includes nine works by Arvo Pärt, among them “Da pacem Domine”, "Salve Regina", "Magnificat", "An den Wassern zu Babel", "Dopo la vittoria" a. o. For the first time, "Two Slavonic psalms" are available on the CD.
The CD "Arvo Pärt: Da pacem" was prepared by Paul Hillier, artistic director and principal conductor of the EPCC with British organist Christopher Bowers-Broadbent participating in the performance of some pieces. The CD was recorded in Tallinn St. Nicholas' Church, 2005.
In 2004, Grammy for the best choral performance was awarded to Estonian National Male Choir (conductor Ants Soots) and Ellerhein Girls’ Choir (conductor Tiia-Ester Loitme) for the performance of Sibelius' cantatas together with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi (Virgin Classics).
Dominated by popular music and performance, the list of Grammy awards also includes composer's prize – the Best Classical Contemporary Composition Award, this year deserved by Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov (1960) for his opera "Ainadamar: Fountain of Tears" (Deutsche Grammophon).