American music producer Jay David Saks has died at the age of 79.

Born in 1945 in New York City, Saks studied at the Juilliard School and later graduated from Mannes College of Music in 1970.

In 1972, he joined Columbia Masterworks and later left in 1974 when he joined RCA Records.

Saks went on to win 13 Grammy Awards and obtained 53 nominations. He was also the recipient of two Emmy Awards for his work on Broadway recordings as well as at the Metropolitan Opera. Among the Grammys he won were for recordings of Wagner’s “Der Ring Des Nibelungen” from the Met, Adams’ “Doctor Atomic” from the Met and Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Plácido Domingo and Teresa Stratas.

In an obituary, General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin said, “The Metropolitan Opera mourns the death of Jay David Saks, Music Producer for our telecasts, radio broadcasts, and Live in HD transmissions for 39 years. Jay’s profound musical knowledge and refined ear for sound quality were an essential part of bringing Met performances to audiences around the world.”

The two added, “He was a trusted partner to our musical artists. The scope of his accomplishments at the Met are astounding: 1,638 radio broadcasts and 176 audiovisual transmissions. He won 13 Grammy Awards, including four with the Met, and produced commercial recordings of classical music and Broadway cast albums for CBS Masterworks and RCA Red Seal.”