Mstislav Leopoldovich "Slava" Rostropovich was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered to be one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces, forming long-standing friendships and artistic partnerships with composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris, Leonard Bernstein and Benjamin Britten.
The Emerson String Quartet, also known as the Emerson Quartet, is a professional string ensemble – in residence at the Stony Brook University. During the 1980s the musical ensemble was in residence at The Hartt School located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Choosing American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson as namesake, the quartet formed at the Juilliard School as a student ensemble. They turned professional in 1976, with both of their violinists having studied under the tutelage of the renowned Oscar Shumsky, alternating as first and second violinists. When it was formed, the Emerson Quartet was one of the first with the two violinists alternating chairs.
The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after a previous organisation of the same name of the 18th century. The musicians play on either original instruments or modern copies of instruments from the period of time the music was composed. They generally play Baroque and Classical music, though they have also played some new compositions for baroque orchestra in recent years.
Nicholas Daniel is a British oboist and conductor. In 2003 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Leicester International Music Festival.
Dame Mitsuko Uchida, DBE, born 20 December 1948) is a classical pianist and conductor, born in Japan and naturalised in Britain, particularly noted for her interpretations of Mozart and Schubert.
Yuri Abramovich Bashmet is a Russian conductor, violinist, and violist.
David Geringas is a Lithuanian cellist and conductor who studied under Mstislav Rostropovich. In 1970 he won the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He also plays the baryton, a rare instrument associated with music of Joseph Haydn.
Robert Saxton is a British composer.
The Purcell School for Young Musicians is a specialist music school for children, located in the town of Bushey, south Hertfordshire, England, and is the oldest specialist music school in the UK. The school was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal in 2003, which was received on behalf of the school by Prince Charles, who is a patron of the school. Sir Simon Rattle is honorary president of the school. Many of the pupils subsequently study at the Royal College of Music or Royal Academy of Music. In 2015, the School became the very first Fazioli Pianoforti Centre of Excellence.
The Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.
Richard Egarr is a British conductor and keyboard player, performing on the harpsichord, fortepiano, organ and modern piano. He is the director of the period instrument orchestra the Academy of Ancient Music. He has been appointed as Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.
The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this Order. The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas was instituted in 1928. It features the Columns of Gediminas, one of the national symbols of Lithuania.
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School.
Paul Goodwin is an English conductor, and former oboist.
The Mozart Medal is a name, after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for various awards:
Samuel Simons Sanford was an American pianist and educator.
Miriam Allan is an Australian Soprano.
Teodor Currentzis is a Greek-Russian conductor, musician and actor.
Alexander Sladkovsky is the chief conductor and artistic director of the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra and has received the title of People's Artist of Russia. He graduated from Moscow and St.Petersburg conservatories. The orchestra was the first to be recorded by Medici.tv and Mezzo TV. From 2013, Sladkovsky is signed to Sony Music Entertainment Russia.
Robert Cohen is a British concert cellist.
