Musical America names Kaija Saariaho Composer of the Year

Kaija Saariaho

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Musical America, the U.S. publishing company for performing arts, has announced its 2008 Musician of the Year, continuing a tradition that dates back nearly a half-century, when Leonard Bernstein received the award, in 1960.
      Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho was named the Composer of the Year, being among the few contemporary composers to achieve public acclaim as well as universal critical respect, according to the publishers.
     
Saariaho has new commissions from several major orchestras in the U.S. and Europe, while her second opera, Adriana Mater will receive its U.S. premiere at the Santa Fe Opera next summer.
      In 2005 the Musical America Award was given to the Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, while the Conductor of the Year 2006 was the Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen.


Links:
  Kaija Saariaho (Wikipedia)
  Musical America Announces 2008 Awards

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