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Meet the Virtuosos

	John Adams Composer John Adams is one of America's most frequently performed composers. His operatic and symphonic works pioneered a compositional style harnessing the rhythmic energy of Minimalism, the orchestral colors of late-Romanticism and 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 to listen to John Adams.
	Marin Alsop Marin Alsop is the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and 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. Click here to listen to Marin Alsop.
	Piotr Anderszewski Pianist Piotr Anderszewski has appeared in recent seasons with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston, Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In April 2002 he received the prestigious Gilmore award, and was awarded the Szymanowski Prize in 1999. Mr. Anderszewski is also the subject of two short films directed by Bruno Monsaingeon. Click here to listen to Piotr Anderszewski.
	Vladimir Ashkenazy Since winning the 1955 Chopin Competition, Vladimir Ashkenazy has become one of the most revered pianists of our time. As a conductor he enjoys ongoing associations with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, in addition to making guest appearances with major orchestras around the world. He is the new Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Sydney Symphony. Click here to listen to Vladimir Ashkenazy.
	Emanuel Ax Emanuel Ax captured public attention in 1974 when, at age 25, he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. He regularly appears with major symphony orchestras, performs solo recitals and is an active chamber music recitalist with longstanding colleagues, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Yefim Bronfman. Click here to listen to Emanuel Ax.
	Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach needs no introduction. Click here to listen to some of today's virtuosos talking about Bach and his music.
Photo by LM Mazzucco	Zuill Bailey Zuill Bailey performs with the orchestras of Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota and Dallas among other leading ensembles around the world. As a recitalist, he is a member of the Perlman-Schmidt-Bailey Trio, the Artistic Director of El Paso Pro Musica and Artistic Director designate of the Sitka Summer Music Festival and Series. Click here to listen to Zuill Bailey.
Photo by EMI-David Thompson	Manuel Barrueco Manuel Barrueco is recognized internationally as both a superb and elegant musician. His more than thirty year career includes concerto and recital performances throughout the U.S. and Europe. In addition to performing the standard repertoire, Barrueco has recorded new music by Arvo Pärt and Roberto Sierra, and collaborated with Al Di Meola and Andy Summers (The Police). Click here to listen to Manuel Barrueco.
Photo by Timothy White	Joshua Bell 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 to listen to Joshua Bell.
	Herbert Blomstedt 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 to listen to Herbert Blomstedt.
	The Canadian Brass Founded in 1970, the Canadian Brass has made well over 70 recordings and commissioned 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. Click here to listen to the Canadian Brass.
	Misha Dichter Now in the fifth decade of his international career, Misha Dichter's musical roots link directly to the Russian Romantic School and the German Classical style. He is widely considered a specialist in the repertoire of Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Beethoven and is a regular performer in the leading international venues.Click here to listen to Misha Dichter.
Photo by hansspeekeenbrink-nl	Danielle de Niese Danielle de Niese's career began early - at age 18, she became the youngest singer ever to enter the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. A year later she made her MET debut in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Since then Ms. de Niese has performed with the Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, Netherlands Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Click here to listen to Danielle de Niese.
	Simone Dinnerstein Pianist Simone Dinnerstein gained international attention with her 2007 recording of Bach's "Goldberg Variations." The CD earned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Classical Chart in its first week. Click here to listen to Simone Dinnerstein.
Photo by Shelia Rock	Mark Elder Mark Elder became Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra in 2000 after serving as Music Director of the English National Opera from 1979 to 1993. Noted for his Elgar and Shostakovich interpretations, he regularly conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and leads the Royal Opera, Covent Garden and the MET. Click here to listen to Mark Elder.
	JoAnn Falletta 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 to listen to JoAnn Falletta.
	Till Fellner Austrian pianist Till Fellner's international career was launched in 1993 when he won First Prize at the Clara Haskil Competition in Vevey, Switzerland. Since then Till Fellner has appeared regularly with leading international orchestras and at the major music centers and festivals throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. Click here to listen to Till Fellner.
Photo: Budapest Festival Orchestra	Iván Fischer Conductor Iván Fischer founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra in 1983 and has appeared with them in important concert series and festivals throughout the world. He also appears regularly as guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is the former Principal Conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC. Click here to listen to Iván Fischer.
	Sir James Galway As one of the most recorded classical artists performing today, Sir James Galway is one of the busier performers in classical music. The 2011 season sees Galway appearing all over the world in concert - including performances in Russia, Israel, Hungary, Germany, Italy and his adopted country of Switzerland. Click here to listen to Sir James Galway.
	Evelyn Glennie Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. Dame Evelyn has commissioned one hundred and thirty-three new works for solo percussion. Click here to listen to Dame Evelyn Glennie.
	Roy Goodman 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 to listen to Roy Goodman.
	Hilary Hahn 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 to listen to Hilary Hahn.
Photo by Copley	Matt Haimovitz Cellist Matt Haimovitz made his debut at age 13 with the Israel Philharmonic. He has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic and reaches out to new audiences by performing all-Bach recitals in bars and clubs. Other pioneering efforts include expanding the cello repertoire by inviting composers to pair the solo cello with non-traditional ensembles. Click here to listen to Matt Haimovitz.
Photo by Christian Steiner	Lynn Harrell 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 to listen to Lynn Harrell.
	Jennifer Higdon 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 to listen to Jennifer Higdon.
	Sharon Isbin 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 to listen to Sharon Isbin.
	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 world's primary orchestras. Click here to listen to Paavo Järvi.
Photo by Marco Borgreve	The King's Singers An ensemble that knows few musical boundaries, the King's Singers are universally regarded as one of the world's finest vocal ensembles. From Gesualdo to Bach to the Beatles, and as advocates for new music, the ensemble represents the highest and more engaging intersection of musicianship, entertainment and British wit. Click here to listen to the King's Singers.
	Yolanda Kondonassis 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 to listen to Yolanda Kondonassis.
	Lang Lang Pianist Lang Lang has played sold out concerts in every major city in the world, and performed with the world’s leading orchestras. In August 2008, over 2 billion people viewed his performance in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. During the summer of 2008, his biography, “Journey of a Thousand Miles” was published by Random House in eight languages. Click here to listen to Lang Lang.
	Cho-Liang Lin Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang Lin is noted internationally for the eloquence of his playing and superb musicianship. In over 30 years of performing he has appeared in numerous solo engagements with major orchestras, and is also a frequent chamber music recitalist. Cho-Liang Lin is the Artistic Director of La Jolla SummerFest in San Diego. Click here to listen to Cho-Liang Lin.
	Andrew Litton 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 to listen to Andrew Litton.
	Lorin Maazel Lorin Maazel began conducting lessons at age seven. His New York Philharmonic debut came in 1942. He was only twelve years old. Lorin Maazel has conducted more than one hundred and fifty orchestras in no fewer than five thousand opera and concert performances. He has made over three hundred recordings, winning 10 Grands Prix du Disques.Click here to listen to Lorin Maazel.
	Anne Akiko Meyers Anne Akiko Meyers first gained national prominence at age 11 when she twice performed on 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. She regularly performs with the preeminent orchestras throughout the United States, Japan, Australia and Europe. She has premiered new works by John Corigliano, Jennifer Higdon, Arvo Pärt and Joseph Schwantner. Click here to listen to Anne Akiko Meyers.
	Olli Mustonen 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, Mustonen 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 to listen to Olli Mustonen.
	Anne-Sophie Mutter Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter launched her solo career in 1976. Since then, she has performed concerts in all the major music centers of Europe, U-S and Asia. She is an active chamber musician, and an advocate for new music. Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutoslawski and Sir André Previn have each dedicated new works to her. Click here to listen to Anne-Sophie Mutter.
	Anna Netrebko Since her Salzburg Festival debut in 2002, Anna Netrebko has performed with all of the world's major opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, London's Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera and many more. Her signature roles include Donna Anna (Mozart's Don Giovanni); Mimi (Puccini's La Boheme); Violetta (Verdi's La Traviata) and the title role in his Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti). Click here to listen to Anna Netrebko.
Photo by Marion Ettlinger	Tarik O'Regan Tarik O'Regan is a two-time British Composer Award winner. His 2008 recording, "Threshold of Night," received two GRAMMY nominations. His compositions have been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He is currently working on an operatic adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'. Click here to listen to Tarik O'Regan.
	Martin Pearlman 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 to listen to Martin Pearlman.
	Menahem Pressler 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 to listen to Menahem Pressler.
	Vadim Repin Vadim Repin began playing the violin at age five and gave his first performance with orchestra when he was even years old. His international breakthrough came in 1989, when Repin became the youngest-ever winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Since that time, Vadim Repin has appeared with the world's leading orchestras and conductors. Click here to listen to Vadim Repin.
	Pascal Rogé Pascal Rogé is one of the leading interpreters of French piano music. In much of his current performing he is joined by his wife, Ami Rogé and regularly appears in the major music centers. Many consider his recordings of Debussy, Satie and Ravel to be among the definitive recordings of the French piano literature. Click here to listen to Pascal Rogé.
	Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg 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 to listen to Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.
	Gil Shaham 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 to listen to Gil Shaham.
	Orli Shaham Pianist Orli Shaham's repertoire includes Mozart, Prokofiev, Ravel and John Adams. She has performed with the Cleveland and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Regular festival appearances include Ravinia, Aspen and Spoleto. She is also a frequent chamber music recitalist and performs in major venues in New York, Washington, DC, and Munich. Click here to listen to Orli Shaham.
	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. Click here to listen to Rolf Smedvig.
	Robert Spano As Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano has brought the ensemble to international prominence. He's a strong voice for new music and has premiered works by Jennifer Higdon, Michael Gandolfi and Osvaldo Golijov. Mr. Spano also guest conducts the leading North America and European orchestras and is highly regarded as an operatic conductor. Click here to listen to Robert Spano.
Photo by Chris Lee	Thomas Stacy Thomas Stacy is the English horn player with the New York Philharmonic. He has performed as soloist with the orchestra more than 65 times with Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis, Erich Leinsdorf, Zubin Mehta, Sir Neville Mariner and Kurt Masur. Mr. Stacy has performed premieres of more than 25 works written especially for him and is the most recorded English horn player in the world. Click here to listen to Thomas Stacy.
	Stile Antico Stile Antico is now established as one of the most original and exciting new voices in choral singing. They perform regularly throughout Europe and North America, and their recordings have enjoyed international success, receiving the Diapason d'Or de l'année, the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and twice attracting GRAMMY nominations. Click here to listen to Stile Antico.
	Richard Stoltzman Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman is one of the leading clarinet soloists and recitalists performing today. Through his appearances with more than a hundred orchestras, recitals, and his creative forays into new music and jazz, he has defied categorization. Stoltzman has opened up possibilities for the clarinet by seamlessly traveling across different musical borders.Click here to listen to Richard Stoltzman.
	Jean-Yves Thibaudet 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 to listen to Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
	Michael Tilson Thomas Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) is Music Director of the SF Symphony Orchestra. His career has included leadership positions with the Boston S-O, the LA Philharmonic and the New World S-O. MTT and the SFSO launched the "Keeping Score" PBS television series and multimedia project in 2006. Click here to listen to Michael Tilson Thomas.
Photo by Robin Holland	Michael Torke 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, the opera "Strawberry Fields", and two ballets. In 1998 Mr. Torke was appointed Associate Composer of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Click here to listen to Michael Torke.
	Yuja Wang Since her 2005 debut, the Chinese born pianist has performed with many of the world's prestigious orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and the NY Philharmonic. Of her debut (all-Chopin) recording, Gramophone magazine wrote she displayed a "rare instinct for poetry." Yuja Wang was named the Classic FM Gramophone Awards 2009 Young Artist of the Year. Click here to listen to Yuja Wang.