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Roberto Abbado Roberto Abbado studied conducting under Franco Ferrara before becoming the Chief Conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra in 1991. He directed Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at the age of 23, and is now acclaimed as a conductor of both orchestral and operatic repertoire. As a Guest Conductor, he performs with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw and the primary orchestras in Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Baltimore and Atlanta. Coming in 2008. |
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Composer John Adams is one of America’s most respected and frequently performed composers. He has produced works, both operatic and symphonic, and pioneered a compositional style harnessing the rhythmic energy of Minimalism, the orchestral colors of late-Romanticism with infusions of American pop and jazz. From 2003-2007 Adams held the Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall and founded the annual “In Your Ear” festival. Click here for a list of John Adams clips. |
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Marin Alsop Marin Alsop is the newly appointed Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and she continues to serve as the principal conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Alsop is a regular guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Coming in 2008. |
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Clarice Assad is making her mark as a pianist, vocalist and as a composer. One of her most recent compositions is a Violin Concerto recorded by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Click here for a list of Clarice Assad clips. |
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Emanuel Ax Emanuel Ax captured public attention in 1974 when, at age 25, he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. Each season his appearances include performances with major symphony orchestras, solo recitals and a variety of chamber music collaborations. Recent performance highlights have included recital tours with longstanding colleagues, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Yefim Bronfman. Coming in 2008. |
 Photo by Timothy White |
Joshua Bell came to national attention at the age of 14 with his orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He performs regularly with the world's leading symphony orchestras and conductors. Click here for a list of Joshua Bell clips. |
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The American-born, Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt has held leadership roles with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden State Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Blomstedt became Music Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig in 1998 and is a frequent guest conductor with principal orchestras around the world. Click here for a list of Herbert Blomstedt clips. |
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Canadian Brass Founded in 1970 by Charles Daellenbach, Stuart Laughton, and Gene Watts, the Canadian Brass have made over 70 recordings and have commissioned, performed, and recorded hundreds of transcriptions and original works for brass quintet. Named the "world's leading brass ensemble" by The Washington Post, the Canadian Brass is known for its virtuosic skill, broad repertoire and humorous presentation style. Coming in December 2007. |
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Riccardo Chailly Conductor Riccardo Chailly made his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in 1985 and went on to become its Chief Conductor from 1988 to 2004. He became Chief Conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and General Music Director of Leipzig Opera in 2005. In the U-S, Chailly has been guest conductor at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Coming in 2008. |
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Violinist Sarah Chang gave her first performances with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra when she was 8 years old. Today, she performs in music capitals throughout the world, and has played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, the principal London orchestras and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. Click here for a list of Sarah Chang clips. |
 Photo by Lisa Kohler |
Angela Cheng Pianist Angela Cheng is a leading Canadian performer who has appeared with virtually every Canadian orchestra, as well as the Saint Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony. Her recordings include Mozart Concerti, an all-Chopin recital, the Piano Concerto and solo works by Clara Schumann, solo pieces by Robert, Schumann, and an all-Spanish Piano Concerto CD. Coming in 2008. |
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John Corigliano Composer John Corigliano is one of the most widely recognized American composers. Mr. Corigliano is the recipient of several Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 2 and an Academy Award for his score to Francois Girard's 1997 film "The Red Violin." John Corigliano's work has been performed and recorded by some of the most recognized orchestras, soloists and chamber musicians in the world. Coming in 2008. |
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JoAnn Falletta is the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Advisor to the Honolulu Symphony. She has guest conducted over 100 orchestras in North America. Click here for a list of JoAnn Falletta clips. |
 Photo courtesy of the Budepest Festival Orchestra |
Iván Fischer Conductor Iván Fischer founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra in 1983 and has appeared with them in leading concert series and festivals throughout the world. Recently named the Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra for the 2008 / 2009 seasons, Mr. Fischer appears regularly with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Coming in 2008. |
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Julia Fischer German violinist Julia Fischer was named the 2007 Classic FM Gramophone Artist of the Year. In 2006, BBC Music Magazine gave her the Best Newcomer award. Julia Fischer has worked with such internationally acclaimed conductors as Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Jeffrey Tate, Herbert Blomstedt, Yakov Kreizberg and Sir Neville Marriner. She has performed in the United States, Brazil, Japan and most European countries. Coming in 2008. |
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Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. Ms. Glennie has commissioned one hundred and thirty three new works for solo percussion. Click here for a list of Evelyn Glennie clips. |
 Photo by John Kringas |
Vadim Gluzman Violinist Vadim Gluzman has performed throughout the U-S, Europe, Russia and Japan as a soloist and chamber musician. He's appeared with the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony and the Detroit and New Jersey symphonies with Neeme Järvi. He is a champion of new music by composer Lera Auerbach, who has written and dedicated several works to him and his wife, pianist Angela Joffe. Coming in 2008. |
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Roy Goodman is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. He was also the director and founder of the Brandenburg Consort and is the Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band. His discography includes more than 120 recordings. Click here for a list of Roy Goodman clips. |
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Violinist Hilary Hahn was named "America's Best" young classical musician by Time Magazine in 2001, and appears regularly with the world's great orchestras in Europe, Asia, and North America. Admitted to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music in 1990 at age ten, Hilary Hahn made her major orchestra debut a year and a half later with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Click here for a list of Hilary Hahn clips. |
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Conductor Bernard Haitink became Principal Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2006. He has served in a similar capacity with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Dresden State Orchestra. He is considered a leading interpreter of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Shostakovich and Vaughan Williams. Click here for a list of Bernard Haitink clips. |
 Photo by Christian Steiner |
Cellist Lynn Harrell made his debut in 1961 playing with the New York Philharmonic, and has performed internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist. He has also served on the faculties of the Royal Academy London, the Juilliard School, the Aspen Music Festival, and currently serves on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Click here for a list of Lynn Harrell clips. |
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Angela Hewitt Angela Hewitt has been hailed as “the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time” (The Guardian), and has performed throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and the former Soviet Union. Her entire 2008 season will be devoted to performances of the complete Bach Well-Tempered Clavier in major cities all over the world. Ms. Hewitt’s international reputation is further enhanced by her award-winning recordings for Hyperion. Coming in 2008. |
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Composer Jennifer Higdon maintains a full schedule of commissions and enjoys more than 200 performances of her music a year. Her work "Blue Cathedral" is one of the most-performed orchestral compositions by a living composer. The Washington Post called her "a savvy, sensitive composer with a keen ear, an innate sense of form and a generous dash of pure esprit." Click here for a list of Jennifer Higdon clips. |
 Photo by Christian Steiner |
Pianist Stephen Hough is widely recognized for his performances of the standard repertoire and has made a specialty of performing neglected 19th and 20th century works. Mr. Hough is also a writer and composer. He has written and recorded numerous original works and transcriptions for piano and will conduct the world premiere of his cello concerto in March, 2007. Click here for a list of Stephen Hough clips. |
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Guitarist Sharon Isbin performs throughout the world as an orchestral soloist and recitalist. With the New York Philharmonic, she recorded Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, marking the Philharmonic's first-ever recording with guitar. Her "Dreams of a World: Folk-inspired Music for Guitar" earned her a 2001 GRAMMY Award. Click here for a list of Sharon Isbin clips. |
 Photo by Lang Photography |
Paavo Järvi Conductor Paavo Järvi is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and holds leadership positions with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and the German Chamber Philharmonic. He is known for championing works by Estonian composers including Arvo Pärt and Eduard Tubin. As a guest conductor, he appears regularly with the primary orchestras in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, London and Paris. Coming in 2008. |
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Violinist Leila Josefowicz came to national attention in 1994 when she made her Carnegie Hall debut. She has since appeared with many of the world's most prestigious orchestras. A regular, close collaborator with leading composers such as John Adams, she is a strong advocate of new music. Click here for a list of Leila Josefowicz clips. |
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Olga Kern Since winning the Gold Medal at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Olga Kern has performed across the United States and Europe. Her 2008 season includes performances with the Colorado, Nashville and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. In May of 2008 Olga Kern will tour North America with the Moscow Virtuosi, presenting concerts in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington DC, and Toronto. Coming in 2008. |
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Pianist Alexander Kobrin was awarded the prestigious Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2005. He has recorded Rachmaninoff, Brahms and Chopin for Harmonia Mundi. Click here for a list of Alexander Kobrin clips. |
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Yolanda Kondonassis is recognized as one of the world's foremost harpists. Since her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic, she has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra. Her solo appearances have included engagements at Lincoln Center and the 92nd Street Y. Click here for a list of Yolanda Kondonassis clips. |
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Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel's career is personified by his 42-year musical association with the city of Cincinnati. Beginning with conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1965 to being named Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops in 1977, Erich Kunzel's credits include 83 recordings; eight nationally televised Pops specials on PBS; and national and international appearances with the Pops including 10 concerts at Carnegie Hall. Coming in December 2007. |
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Jamie Laredo Violinist, violist and conductor Jamie Laredo is the musician's musician, whose long career associations include pianist Glenn Gould, George Szell, Pablo Casals, Mistislav Rostropovich, Isaac Stern and Rudolf Serkin. As a conductor, Mr. Laredo's regular appearances include the Baltimore, Houston, Montreal, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle and a twenty-year relationship with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Coming in 2008. |
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Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang (Jimmy) Lin is noted internationally for the eloquence of his playing and superb musicianship. In addition to appearances as a soloist with major orchestras, he is also frequently heard in recital and in chamber music. Last summer, Mr. Lin served his fourth year as artistic director of La Jolla SummerFest in San Diego. Click here for a list of Cho-Liang Lin clips. |
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Conductor Andrew Litton led the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for twelve seasons. Among his numerous recordings with the orchestra was a highly acclaimed performance of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with pianist Stephen Hough. He is in his fourth season as the Music Director of Norway's Bergen Philharmonic, a 242-year-old orchestra once led by Edvard Grieg. Click here for a list of Andrew Litton clips. |
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Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma's multi-faceted career reflects his ongoing search for new ways to communicate with audiences and a dedication to artistic growth and renewal. Whether performing new or familiar works from the cello repertoire or exploring cultures and musical forms outside the Western classical tradition, Yo-Yo Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras throughout the world and his recital and chamber music activities. Coming in 2008. |
 Photo by Steve J. Sherman |
Pianist and accompanist Anne-Marie McDermott performs a wide range of repertoire, from Bach to Prokofiev. She performs and records with violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and as an Artist of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Her recording of Bach Partitas and English Suites was recently re-released on NSS Music. Click here for a list of Anne-Marie McDermott clips. |
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Pianist Olli Mustonen has performed with most of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony and the Royal Concertgebouw. Also a conductor and composer, Mustonnen founded the Helsinki Festival Orchestra. And his compositions are noted for their individuality and a tonal language rooted in the sonority of the music of his native Finland. Click here for a list of Olli Mustonen clips. |
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Riccardo Muti Conductor Riccardo Muti is best known for his work as Music Director of the La Scala Opera House and as Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Muti is a regular guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic and at the Salzburg Festival and with major orchestras worldwide. He recently founded the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra, made up of 80 young musicians from all regions of Italy. Coming in 2008. |
 Photo by Philip Jones Griffiths |
Since winning the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide with his performances and recordings of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. His concerto repertoire alone is unusually wide and eclectic (80 concertos), ranging from Beethoven and Mozart to works of the 21st century. Click here for a list of Garrick Ohlsson clips. |
 Photo by Shelia Rock |
Emmanuel Pahud Emmanuel Pahud was appointed principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic at age 22. At the time he was the youngest principal in the Berlin orchestra. Pahud appears regularly at leading festivals throughout Europe, the U-S and the Far East, and has appeared as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Minnesota Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber orchestra. He regularly performs in recital with pianist Eric Le Sage. Coming in 2008. |
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Martin Pearlman is the founder, music director, and conductor of Boston Baroque, the orchestral ensemble and chorus that performs repertoire from Monteverdi to Beethoven. Click here for a list of Martin Pearlman clips. |
 Photo by Watanabe |
Murray Perahia In more than 30 years of performing, American pianist, Murray Perahia, has become one of the most sought-after pianists of our time. In addition to performing in all of the major international music centers and with every leading orchestra, he is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, with whom he has toured as conductor and pianist throughout the U-S, Europe, Japan, and South East Asia. Coming in 2008. |
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After winning the First Prize in the 1960 Warsaw Chopin Competition, pianist Maurizio Pollini established an international career of major importance. He is especially noted for his performances of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms and Webern. Pollini's recent recording of Chopin Nocturnes was awarded a Grammy for the Best Instrumental Soloist Performance. Click here for a list of Maurizio Pollini clips. |
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Pianist Awadagin Pratt won the Naumburg Competition in 1992, and was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1994. Mr. Pratt has performed throughout the United States and worldwide. He is the founder of the Pratt Music Foundation, an organization that provides scholarships for music lessons for students (K - 12). Click here for a list of Awadagin Pratt clips. |
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Pianist Menahem Pressler is considered one of the world's most distinguished and honored musicians. He is the original founding member of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio. His career spanning six decades also includes numerous solo appearances with many of the world's leading orchestras. Click here for a list of Menahem Pressler clips. |
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Guitarist David Russell performs regularly throughout the world. A blending of his Scottish heritage and Spanish-influenced upbringing contributes to Mr. Russell's individual sound and interpretive style. A two-time winner of the Julian Bream Guitar Prize, Mr. Russell is also a past winner of the Andres Segovia and Francisco Tarrega competitions. Click here for a list of David Russell clips. |
 Photo by Grant Leighton |
Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg has performed with many of the world's preeminent conductors and orchestras. She has also collaborated with such artists as the Assad brothers, Mark O'Connor and Roger Kellaway. In 2005 Salerno-Sonnenberg founded a new recording label, NSS Music. Click here for a list of Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg clips. |
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Violinist Gil Shaham is internationally recognized as one of today's most virtuosic and engaging classical performers. While still in high school, his international career launched overnight when he filled in at the last minute for Itzhak Perlman with the London Symphony Orchestra. He plays the 1699 "Countess Polignac" Stradivarius. Click here for a list of Gil Shaham clips. |
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Clarinetist David Shifrin performs as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Mr. Shifrin is Artistic Director of Chamber Music Northwest and has been an Artist Member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1989 and served as its Artistic Director from 1992 until 2004. He’s championed new music for clarinet and orchestra by American composers John Adams, Joan Tower, David Schiff and John Corigliano. Click here for a list of David Shifrin clips. |
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Rolf Smedvig Rolf Smedvig is the lead trumpet player in the Empire Brass. Prior to joining the EB, conductor Seiji Ozawa picked him to become the Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1979, he became the orchestra's Principal Trumpet player, a post he held until 1982, when he left the orchestra to devote his full time to the Empire Brass and to his career as a soloist. Coming in 2008. |
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Guitarist David Starobin's performances and recordings include both the standard repertoire and 20th and 21st century music. Composers including Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Gunther Schuller and Milton Babbitt have dedicated new works to him, producing a repertoire of more than three hundred new pieces. Click here for a list of David Starobin clips. |
 Photo by John Pearson |
Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman is one of the leading clarinet soloists and chamber musicians performing today. With his appearances with more than a hundred orchestras, recitals and forays into new music and jazz he has defied categorization. He has opened up possibilities for the instrument by commissioning new works and through the first clarinet recitals in the histories of both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. Click here for a list of Richard Stoltzman clips. |
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Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is universally respected for his mastery of color and nuance, especially in his performances of Satie, Debussy, Liszt, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. At age eighteen, he won the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. Mr. Thibaudet is an award winning, Grammy nominated recording artist with over 30 recordings. Click here for a list of Jean-Yves Thibaudet clips. |
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Composer Michael Torke helped chart the post-Minimalism movement by incorporating techniques from the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Torke’s compositions include his “Color Music” series, “Javelin”, composed for the 1996 Olympics, an opera “Strawberry Fields”, and two ballets, “The Contract” and “An Italian Straw Hat”. In 1998 Torke was appointed Associate Composer of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Click here for a list of Michael Torke clips. |
 Photo by Christian Steiner |
Andre Watts Pianist Andre Watts burst upon the music world at 16, when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic as part of the Young People's Concert series. Two weeks later, his career launch received a secondary blast when Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for Glenn Gould with the New York Philharmonic. Celebrating more than 50 years of performing, Andre Watts remains one of today's most honored and celebrated American musicians. Coming in 2008. |
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Pianist Orion Weiss is a rising star with recital and concerto performances throughout the country. He's also the winner of several prestigious national awards and international competitions. In his first recording, he teams up with cellist Julie Albers for performances of Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Piatigorsky (Harmonia Mundi). Click here for a list of Orion Weiss clips. |
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Long recognized as one of the world's leading flutists, Ransom Wilson is also a conductor and teacher. In addition to serving as both music director and principal conductor of Solisti New York, he recently served as assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Mr. Wilson is the new Music Director of the North Carolina High School for the Arts. Click here for a list of Ransom Wilson clips. |