Page 138 - Alison Balsom Quiet City FULL BOOK

And a large part of its success, is owed to the artists who bring the music to life.

To mark 30 years of Classic FM, we’ve selected 30 of the greatest classical
musicians who are performing and recording today. We pay tribute to their
musicianship, their star appeal, critical acclaim, and the broader impact they’ve
had on music, the arts, and education worldwide.

In alphabetical order, here is our top 30...

Read more: Classic FM’s Rising Stars – 30 young musicians we’re celebrating
in 2022

1. Marin Alsop – conductor

American conductor Marin Alsop has been a crucial figure in progressing
classical music over the past century. With a string of ‘firsts’ to her name,
her historic move to the helm of the Baltimore Symphony in 2007 made
her the first woman appointed director of a major US orchestra. Today,
she is chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and
Conductor Emeritus of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and a
staunch campaigner for music and arts education.

Read more: The 30 greatest classical composers of all time

Marin Alsop reveals 10 things in a conductor’s brain during a
symphony concert
Play Video

2. Martha Argerich – pianist

Arguably the best living pianist, Martha Argerich is revered for her
interpretations of 19th and 20th-century piano music. With Deutsche
Grammophon the Argentine musician has recorded the solo works of
Bach and Liszt, and concertos of Chopin and Prokofiev, and continues to
perform today with concert dates coming up in Europe and the Middle
East. In recent years she has devoted much of her time to supporting
young musicians.

3. Alison Balsom – trumpeter

Forward-looking, genre-crossing, with a refreshingly personable style –
English trumpeter Alison Balsom is one of 2022’s classical superstars. Her
latest album Quiet City, a celebration of modern American music in
contrast to her 2019 celebration of the era of the natural trumpet, is No.1
in the UK’s Classical Artist Album Chart as of September 2022.