Musicians to Know

The following collection of classical music ensembles and soloists
brings together performers whom I have either heard live or on recording
or know to be of the highest quality in their interpretations,
technical ability, mastery of specific repertoire or general musicality.

Soloists

Piano
Emanuel Ax » Website
Yefim Bronfman » Website
Mikhail Pletnev » Biography
Alexander Toradze
Mitsuko Uchida
Krystian Zimerman

Organ
Olivier Latry » Biography
Thomas Murray
Todd Wilson » Recordings • Biography

Violin
Hilary Hahn
Gil Shaham

Double-Bass
Edgar Meyer » Website

Flute
Joshua Smith » Website

Lute
Paul O’Dette » Biography

Voice
Janice Chandler, soprano
Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano
Jane Eaglen, soprano » Website
Renée Fleming, soprano » Website
Simon Keenlyside, baritone
Sylvia McNair, soprano » Website
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Quasthoff, bass-baritone » Website
Deborah Voigt, soprano » Website

Conductors

Orchestral
Claudio Abbado
Pierre Boulez
Richard Hickox
James Levine » Biography
Jahja Ling » Biography
Michael Tilson Thomas » Website (at SF Symphony)

Choral
Philippe Hereweghe
Paul Hillier
Robert Porco » Biography

Historical Practice
Christopher Hogwood » Website

Orchestras

Symphony
The Cleveland Orchestra » Website
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra » Website

Baroque
The Academy of Ancient Music » Website
Musica Antiqua Köln (Cologne) » Website

Chamber Ensembles

String Quartets
Artis Quartett Wein » Website

Vocal Ensembles / Choruses

Chanticleer » Website
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge » Website
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge » Website
The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge » Website
The Choir of Westminster Cathedral, London » Website
Chor des Städt. Musikvereins zu Düsseldorf
(Chorus of the Municipal Music Society of Düsseldorf)
Collegium Vocale Gent » Website
La Chapelle Royale, Paris
Monteverdi Choir » Website
The Tallis Scholars » Website
Theatre of Voices » Website
Westminster Singers