Talk about your favorite musician.

You should say:

a)    Who your favorite musician is

b)    What type of music he/she plays/played

c)    How popular he/she is/was

and explain why he/she is your favorite.

SAMPLE ANSWER 2

I’m going to talk about one of my favorite musicians, Wolfgang Mozart, born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart was capable of playing multiple instruments, and he started to play in public at the age of 6.

Different from any other composers in musical history, Mozart wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every one. His best-admired work is in opera,  piano concerto, sonata, and symphony. It was his taste and his range of expression that made him become one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. Mozarts’ famous musical pieces are the Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, The Marriage of Figaro, and the Piano Concerto No. 21 ('Elvira Madigan') in C major.

Mozard is my favorite musician mainly because I am impressed by his talent. Mozard knows how to get the best from the instruments and how to accommodate the specific tastes of particular audiences. For example, his Symphony No. 41 ('Jupiter') in C major is majestic and impressive with a playful lightness of touch and humor, which is a perfect mix of friendly accessible tunes and musical genius. In addition, so much of what I love about Mozart is the way his music “smiles through the tears.” Mozart also offers moments of unbridled joy and pure happiness. Whenever I listen to Mozart’s music, I feel happy, hopeful, and rewarded. 

USEFUL WORDS & PHRASES

1.         To be capable of doing something /ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/ - (B2):  to be able to do something effectively and skillfully, and to achieve results

2.         Different from something: unlike something

3.         Composer /kəmˈpoʊ.zɚ/ (n) – (B2): a person who writes music

4.         To compose /kəmˈpoʊz/ (v): to produce music

5.         Genre /ˈʒɑːn.rə/ (n):  a particular subject or style of literature, art, or music

6.         To excel in something /ɪkˈsel/ - (C2): to be extremely good at something

7.         Best-admired (adj): best-respected

8.         Symphony /ˈsɪm.fə.ni/ (n): a long piece of music for an orchestra, usually with four movements (= parts)

9.         Concerto /kənˈtʃɜː.təʊ/ (n): a long piece of music for one or more main solo instruments and an orchestra

10.     Sonata /səˈnɑː.tə/ (n): a piece of music in three or four parts, either for a piano or for another instrument, such as a violin, sometimes also with a piano

11.     It + be + noun + that ….:  cleft sentence is used to emphasize something

E.g.:  It was his taste and his range of expression that made him become one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.

12.     Range of expression  /reɪndʒ əv ɪkˈspreʃ.ən/:  (in music) all the musical notes that a singer can sing or a musical instrument is able to produce

13.     Impress /ɪmˈpres/ (v)- (B2):  to cause someone to admire or respect you

14.     Impressive /ɪmˈpres.ɪv/ (adj):  If someone is impressive, you admire or respect that person for their special skills or abilities

15.     Accommodate /əˈkɑː.mə.deɪt/ (v): to suit / to give what is needed to someone.

16.     Specific /spəˈsɪf.ɪk/ (adj) – (B2):  particular

17.     Majestic /məˈdʒes.tɪk/ (adj): beautiful, powerful, or causing great admiration and respect

18.     Accessible /əkˈses.ə.bəl/ (adj) – (B2): able to be reached or easily got

19.     Genius /ˈdʒiː.ni.əs/ (n) – (C1):  very great and rare natural ability or skill, especially in a particular area such as science or art, or a person who has this

E.g.: Musical genius

20.     So much of what I love about …is….

E.g.: So much of what I love about Mozart is the way his music “smiles through the tears.”

21.     Unbridled /ʌnˈbraɪ.dəld/ (adj): not controlled or limited

22.     Pure /pjʊr/(adj):  complete

E.g.:  pure happiness