It's KBAQ's "This week in classical music" -- an update on what's happening in the classical music world... I'm Randy Kinkel.

Nominations for the Classical Brit awards are in—and among them, a pop star—Sting has been nominated for his album of songs by John Dowland, called "Songs from the Labyrinth", released by Deutsche Gramophone last fall. Other album of the year contenders include Bryn Terfel, the Sixteen, and Mexican Tenor Rolando Villazon. IN the best contemporary composer category, American Composer john Adams , Karl Jenkins and peter Maxwell Davies vie for the top spot. In the instrumentalist of the year category, the field includes Nicola Benedetti, Trumpeter Alison Balsom and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. The winner of album of the year is chosen by Classical FM listeners and Classic FM magazine readers; voting starts April 10th.

Soprano Ruth Ann Swenson says she feels snubbed by the Metropolitan opera. She's currently singing in Handel's Giulio Cesare" just six weeks after finishing chemotherapy for breast cancer. After two decades of regular performances, Swenson is scheduled for just five "Traviatas" next season, then nothing beyond that. Swenson says, "It's Hurtful... I've never let them down...I think I'm not skinny enough for him". Met manager Peter Gelb denies that the diva's Met career is over. "we try to balance our seasons with new talent... I would love to see her singing at the Met in the future as well. We have to find the right repertoire."

In four minutes of bidding Monday, a "late period" Stradivarius Violin went for a high price of 2.4 million dollars. a Toronto violin dealer made the winning bid for an anonymous client. The instrument is known as the "Solomon, Ex-Lambert".

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the KBAQ website at KBAQ.org... be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me at noon every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries. I'm Randy Kinkel, for KBAQ's "This week in Classical Music" on 89.5 KBAQ Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.

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April 8th, 2007 by Randy Kinkel courtesy of KBAQ.

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Title: April 8th, 2007
Author: Randy Kinkel
Publisher: KBAQ 89.5 FM
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