Charles Bruffy, a 1981 graduate of Missouri Western State University, accepted his third Grammy Award Sunday.
Bruffy, a native of Savannah, Mo., has been the conductor and artistic director of the Kansas City Chorale since 1988. The chorale’s recording “Life & Breath – Choral Works by René Clausen,” won the award for Best Choral Performance. The recording also won the award for Best Engineered Album, Classical, and its producer, Blanton Alspaugh, won the award for Producer of the Year, Classical.
Bruffy graduated from Missouri Western with a bachelor’s degree in music with majors in piano and voice. He earned a master’s degree in vocal performance from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Missouri Western State University Alumni Association in 1999 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2005.
In addition to the Kansas City Chorale, Bruffy leads the Kansas City Symphony Chorus and the Phoenix Chorale.
Bruffy previously received Grammy awards for Best Engineered Classical Album for “Passion Week” in 2007 and Best Small Ensemble Performance for the Phoenix Chorale’s “Spotless Rose” in 2009.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.