21Q: Musical America picks best musicians of the year....

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21Q

Daily posts from Bee writers on movies, theater, media, fashion, music and pop culture.

November 10, 2009

Musical America picks best musicians of the year....

Well, that yearly tradition of naming the best in musical categories by Musical America is here again.

And soon-to-be Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor Riccardo Muti has snagged the top prize for 2010.

Mezzo-soprano Elina Garanča (pictured, right) has been given the nod as Best Vocalist of the year.

Musical America, a monthly online musical trade publication for classical music, was founded in 1898. It has been awarding the "Musician of the Year" prize since 1960, when it was awarded to Leonard Bernstein.

Muti begins conducting in Chicago in the fall of 2010. His musical resume is long and impressive. It includes the music directorship of The Philadelphia Orchestra (between 1980 to 1992). He was also chief conductor of London's Philharmonia Orchestra from 1972 to 1982, and music director of the Milan's Teatro alla Scala from 1986 to 2005.

The 33-year-old Garanča, who is better known in Europe than she is in the U.S., will make her Metropolitan Opera debut next year in "Carmen". It is a role that the Latvian-born mezzo has performed frequently.

Other category winners for 2010:

Louis Andriessen - Composer of the year
Joshua Bell - Instrumentalist of the year
Warren Jones - Collaborative Pianist of the year.

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