Barbara Cook is Musical America's Vocalist of the Year

Soprano Barbara Cook, who began 2006 by being the first female pop singer to be presented by the Metropolitan Opera when she made her solo concert debut at the MET in January, will end the year by being the first pop performer to be named Vocalist of the Year when Musical America, the international directory of the performing arts, presents its annual awards at Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse on Wednesday, December 20.

Other 2007 Awardees include conductor Bernard Haitnik (Musician of the Year), William Bolcom (Composer of the Year), pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Instrumentalist of the Year) and the Kennedy Center's Michael Kaiser (Impresario of the Year.).

"Since 1898, Musical America, long considered the bible for the classical music industry, has been the definitive source for contact information world-wide for the performing arts. For the last 46 years, Musical America has presented its annual honors. Recent past winners of Musical America's Vocalist of the Year award include Rolando Villazon, Susan Graham, Deborah Voigt, Rene Pape, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Dawn Upshaw, Renee Fleming and Anne Sophie von Otter," state press notes.

Cook, who made her Broadway debut as the leading lady of 1951's Flahooley, received a Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for her portrayal of Marian Paroo in the original production of The Music Man. She also originated the roles of Cunegonde in Candide and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. Other Broadway credits include Plain and Fancy, The Gay Life, Any Wednesday and The Grass Harp. In the last few decades, the former ingenue has increasingly turned to the worlds of concert and cabaret. Mostly Sondheim was nominated for a Best Special Theatrical Event Tony in 2002, and in addition to />/>Barbara Cook's Broadway (available on DRG along with Mostly Sondheim), she appeared in />/>Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre. Her many albums include "Count Your Blessings," "It's Better with a Band," "Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II," "Close as Pages in a Book," "The Champion Season: Live at the Cafe Carlyle" and "Tribute."

Visit www.musicalamerica.com for more information.