Jeremy Denk has been named Musical America's 2014 Instrumentalist of the Year. One of classical music's highest honors, the award will be presented by the venerable performing arts resource at its annual ceremony on December 17, when Denk will be joined by Audra McDonald (Musician of the Year), George Benjamin (Composer of the Year), Pablo Heras-Casado (Conductor of the Year), and the International Contemporary Ensemble (Ensemble of the Year). Describing the unique combination of achievements that led to Denk's selection, Musical America explained: "His flourishing concert schedule, the second release in his Nonesuch recording contract (Bach's Goldberg Variations), his widely read blog called 'Think Denk,' and articles for the New Yorker, which led to a Random House book commission, attest to his multi-faceted artistry.

"The announcement crowns a sensational fall season for the pianist, who won a 2013 MacArthur "genius grant" Fellowship in September, and whose recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations topped the Billboard "Classical Albums" and "Traditional Classical Albums" charts last week. As the Wall Street Journal observes, "of all America's up-and-coming classical instrumentalists, Jeremy Denk…might well be the most interesting."