Memorable classical performances of 2008

It's never easy compiling a top 10 list for classical music.

There never is enough room to include all your favorites, and consequently you have to make what appear to be arbitrary decisions to narrow down your selections.

And even so, notable performances still end up getting left out. So with this in mind, here is my top 10 list for 2008 (in chronological order):

1. Frederica von Stade: Her recital at Brigham Young University in January was a wonderful way to start off the new year. Her warm, inviting stage personality was infectious and infused her singing with an appealing intimacy that showed she is still a magnificent singer.

2. Horacio Gutierrez: After battling cancer in 2007, Gutierrez came back strong. His performance of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Utah Symphony was perceptive, musical and beautifully nuanced. Gutierrez showed he is still one of the greatest pianists of any generation.

3. Takacs Quartet: One of the truly great string quartets and a group that can rival the Amadeus and Budapest Quartets for its expressive musicality and keen perceptiveness.

4. Larry Rachleff: His reading of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 (which he conducted from memory) with the Utah Symphony brought insight and clarity to this complex work. Hopefully, he is a serious contender to replace Keith Lockhart as the symphony's next music director.

5. Fry Street Quartet: The complete Beethoven quartet cycle the FSQ played in October was absolutely stunning. It's certainly a group to reckon with among today's top quartets.

6. Guarneri Quartet: This season is the Guarneri's last, and fortunately for us the foursome stopped in Salt Lake City in October. The Ravel Quartet they played at their concert was eloquent and moving, and theirs is still, without question, the definitive interpretation of this French musical masterpiece.

7. David Angus: His debut with the Utah Symphony was highlighted by an expansive yet poetic perusal of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony. He deserves to be considered by the symphony's music director search committee.

8. Arild Remmereit: His Utah Symphony debut was impressive, with a profoundly sensitive account of Brahms' Symphony No. 3 as the concert's high point. He is a very expressive conductor who would bring to the orchestra some needed eloquence.

9. Kronos Quartet: The premiere contemporary music ensemble, the Kronos is still at the top of its game, as it showed when it played Terry Riley's "Sun Rings" at Kingsbury Hall in November.