MUSIC / A classical year in question: The shortlist for 14 categories of the Classical Music Awards 1994, sponsored by Kenwood and in association with BBC Music Magazine and the Independent . . .

THE JUDGES have now released their shortlists for all but one of the categories of the Classical Music Awards 1994, sponsored by Kenwood, and in association with BBC Music Magazine and the Independent, to be presented on 21 January at the Royal Albert Hall. Independent and BBC Music Magazine readers have already voted for the Personality of the Year and their choice will also be announced on the night. BBC2 will screen the ceremony on 22 January.

CONDUCTOR OF THE YEAR

Claudio Abbado, John Eliot Gardiner, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, Simon Rattle.

ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR

Chamber Orchestra of Europe, City of Birmingham SO, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic.

OPERA PRODUCTION

Cleopatra e Cesare (Staatsoper, Berlin), Oedipus Rex (Saito Kinen Festival, Japan), Pelleas et Melisande (Netherlands Opera), Stiffelio (Royal Opera House).

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

Savonlinna Opera Festival (Finland), Tender is the North (Barbican / Wigmore Hall), Salzburg Festival, Kremerata (Lockenhaus, Austria), Opera de Lyon reopening.

CHAMBER GROUP OF THE YEAR

Assad Duo, Emerson String Quartet, Kronos Quartet, Nash Ensemble, Tokyo String Quartet.

SINGER OF THE YEAR (MALE)

Jose Carreras, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Sergei Leiferkus, Bryn Terfel.

SINGER OF THE YEAR (FEMALE)

Cecilia Bartoli, Galina Gorchakova, Jessye Norman, Anne Sofie von Otter, Dawn Upshaw.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Sarah

Chang, Alison Hagley, Tasmin Little, Amanda Roocroft, Janice Watson.

INSTRUMENTALIST

Yuri Bashmet, Lynn Harrell, Gidon Kremer, Christian Lindberg, Yo-Yo Ma.

EARLY MUSIC GROUP

Monteverdi Choir and associated groups, New London Consort, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Adams Death of Klinghoffer (Elektra Nonesuch), Britten Gloriana (Argo), Gorecki Symphony No 3 (Elektra), Schoenberg Erwartung/Cabaret Songs (Philips), Prokofiev War & Peace (Philips).

COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

Henryk Gorecki Concerto Cantata, Toru Takemitsu Archipelago S, Magnus Lindberg Corrente II, Hans Werner Henze Requiem, Witold Lutoslawski Symphony No 4.

TELEVISION PRODUCTION

Oedipus Rex (from Saito Kinen Festival), The Sorceress (with Kiri Te Kanawa), The Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (South Bank Show), The Vampyr (BBC opera-as-soap).

CHORUS OF THE YEAR

Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Swedish Radio Choir, Tapiola Choir, King's College Choir Cambridge, Bayreuth Festival Chorus.

SPECIAL TICKET OFFER

Call 071-403 3331 now, quoting this Independent offer, to secure a 30 per cent discount on tickets for the Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 21 January, which will include live performances and recordings. The pounds 35 tickets are available at pounds 24.50, pounds 25 tickets at pounds 17.50, and pounds 15 tickets at pounds 10.50. Credit card service available upon request. Maximum eight tickets per application; closing date 14 January 1994. These prices are subject to a small booking fee.

(Photographs omitted)