Musical America, publisher of the annual International Directory for the Performing Arts and of the daily Musical America news site, has announced its 2021 Artists of the Year: mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, soprano Julia Bullock, pianist Igor Levit, and opera and music-theater director Beth Morrison. Barton, Bullock, and Morrison are being honored as Artists of the Year and, in a new designation, as “Agents of Change”: Barton for using her visibility to speak out about issues such as diet culture in opera; Bullock for addressing social justice and diversity in opera and in her one-woman show Perle Noire; and Beth Morrison for her work with up-and-coming composers, including Du Yun and Ellen Reid, in her Beth Morrison Projects. Levit was named Recording Artist of the Year in recognition of his determination to continue performing this year, including live-streaming a marathon performance of Satie’s Vexations. The temporary restructure of the awards replaces the usual categories of Conductor, Instrumentalist, Composer, Vocalist, and Musician of the Year. The 2021 honorees will be recognized in a virtual ceremony via Facebook Live on December 6 at 4 p.m. ET. The event coincides with the publication of the 2021 Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts.
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