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

Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was in the Kremlin last week for a celebration of his 80th birthday. President Vladimir Putin presented him with the Order of Service to the Fatherland Medal, praising Rostropovich's musical and humanitarian activities, saying, "In all the world you are known not only as a brilliant cellist and gifted conductor but as a confirmed defender oif human rights and freedom of spirit and an uncompromising fighter for the ideals of democracy." As for Slava, he said, "I feel myself the happiest man in the world." The record Label EMI plans to celebrate rostropovich's 80th by offering music lovers download access to his entire EMI discography as cellist, conductor, and pianist. Exclusively available at itunes, the musical treasure trove includes eleven currently unavailable albums, two of which have never been issued on CD.

What do composer Paul Moravec and albert Einstein have in common? They are both part of the Princeton think tank where Einstein pondered the mysteries of the universe. Moravec has just been named artist in residence and will introduce new works and lead the Institute for advanced study's annual concert series. Moravec has written over 90 compositions, including the 2004 Pulitzer prize-winning "Tempest Fantasy".

It's been 30 years since the American Composers Orchestra played it's first concert at Alice Tully Hall and announced it's mission: to perform and foster new, recent and overlooked works by American composers. Last week, the orchestra celebrated it's anniversary with an ambitious and diverse program that included one world and two New York Premieres. Dennis Russell Davies, one of the orchestra's founders, led the band in music by composers Vijay Iyer, Harold Meltzer, Kurt Rohde, and Steven Mackey.

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 1st, 2007 by Randy Kinkel courtesy of KBAQ.

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Title: April 1st, 2007
Author: Randy Kinkel
Publisher: KBAQ 89.5 FM
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