Following Ma on the list of top artists are violinist Andr_ Rieu, who charted with four albums, and the 5 Browns, whose self-titled debut album was the second-best-selling album of the year. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, violinist Joshua Bell, soprano Ren_e Fleming, Anonymous 4, Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, pianist Leon Fleisher, and soprano Anna Netrebko round out the list.
Following Ennio Morricone and The 5 Browns on the album list are Rieu's Tuscany, the Silk Road Ensemble's Silk Road Journey: Beyond the Horizon, and Bell's Romance of the Violin.
Sony BMG Masterworks was the top classical label, with 11 albums on the chart; the company's Sony Classical division was the top imprint.
The top classical-crossover artist was Il Divo, on the strength of its first two albums. Also on the crossover artist list are Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Sarah Brightman. The bestselling crossover CDs of the year were Il Divo, Groban's Closer, Bocelli's Andrea, the soundtrack to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Il Divo's Christmas Collection.
A report on Billboard's year-end jazz roundup will appear on PlaybillArts.com tomorrow.