The month of September 2019 has proven to be a banner month for Latter-day Saint music artists. The month has celebrated several Latter-day Saint music artists topping the Billboard charts. In a single week of the month, 15 Latter-day Saints ended up in the top 15 of the Classical Albums chart, and Latter-day Saints also took the no. 1 spot on four Billboard charts!
YouTube and iTunes sensation, Lindsey Stirling, released her fifth album, Artemis, which is named for the ancient Greek goddess of the moon, on 6 September 2019. The album has ranked no.1 on three charts, including Classical Albums, Classical Crossover Albums, and Classical Digital Song Sales where three of her songs appeared in the top 20.
After 44 weeks, Latter-day Saint musicians Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson, Paul Anderson, and Al van der Beek (collectively known as The Piano Guys), still top the New Age Albums chart with their album, Limitless. The album peaked at no. 1 on the Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts and currently sits at no.2. They also have two songs in the top 15 of the Classical Digital Song Sales. The Piano Guys have gained momentum through countless media venues, including The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Katie Couric, Fox News, YouTube, Facebook, and the list goes on.
Grammy Nominated, Billboard no. 1 recording artist, and performer, America’s violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four (comprised of her four children – Laura, Hannah, Sarah, and Matthew) released their debut full-length album on 3 September 2019. Laura plays the violin and percussion. Hannah plays the piano. Sarah plays the cello. Matthew plays the classical and electric guitar. As of Wednesday, 18 September 2019, the album sits at no.4 on both the Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts.
Paul Cardall writes and performs music, and has played the piano since he was a young boy of 8. He worked with Disney, BMG, and others, and soon became interested in making piano performance his career. Paul has released 13 albums and has enjoyed great success as a professional musician. His latest album, Peaceful Piano, was released on 23 August 2019. The album appears at the no. 2 spot on the New Age Albums chart, the no. 11 spot on the Classical Crossover Albums chart, and the no. 12 spot on the Classical Albums chart, after it peaking at no. 6 and no. 7 on each chart, respectively.
Bishop Gérald Caussé and Italian composer Nicolas Giusti currently sit at the no. 12 spot on the Classical Crossover Albums chart and no. 13 on the Classical Albums Chart for their album Joyful after having peaked at the no. 1 spot on both charts.
Alicia Blickfeldt has a powerful voice that will transport you. As classifications go, she is a classical crossover soprano. However, her musical preference is to sing EpiClassical Fantasy. She has sung in a variety of venues, including productions with the Salt Lake Pops Orchestra, the Davis County Symphony, and multiple concert locations throughout the United States. Alicia is also a two-time nominee for the Utah Music Awards. She has claimed the no. 14 and no. 13 spots on the Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts for her recent album Of Light: Escape to Another World.
Nathan Pacheco, a Washington DC native (born in 1980 in Virginia) of Brazilian descent, is an opera trained tenor who “sings with the warmth of the great pop artists.” With the passion of a poet, Nathan expresses his love of languages by writing lyrics in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. He has performed before worldwide live audiences including a 100 concert tour throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada with Greek composer, keyboardist, pianist, and music producer, Yanni. Nathan has also toured with Puerto Rican recording artist, Olga Tañon and performed with Katherine Jenkins, a Welsh lyric mezzo-soprano, singer and songwriter, and the National Symphony Orchestra. He peaked at the no. 3 spot on both the Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts with his latest album, My Prayer. The album currently sits at no. 15 and no. 14, respectively.
And, the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has been called “America’s Choir” by U.S. presidents and citizens alike. With 360 members, all of whom are volunteers, the choir has been singing and inspiring for a century. The Choir has performed at world’s fairs and expositions, at inaugurations of U.S. presidents, in acclaimed concert halls from Australia and Europe to Asia and the Middle East, and on television broadcasts. They often perform with the Orchestra at Temple Square. The Choir is holding steady on the Traditional Classical Albums chart, having peaked at the no. 1 spot but remained on the charts for 27 weeks. The Choir is currently at the no. 7 spot on the Traditional Classical Albums chart for their album, Let Us All Press On.
