This article lists major events and other topics related to classical music in 2018.

Events

1 January January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the year. ...

– Barbara Laister-Ebner performs the zither solo in ''

Tales from the Vienna Woods "Tales from the Vienna Woods" (german: "Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald", links=no, italic=no, occasionally ) is a waltz by Johann Strauss II. Composed in 1868, , Op. 325, was one of six Viennese waltzes by Johann Strauss II which featured a vir ...

'' at the 2018

Vienna New Year's Concert The Vienna New Year's Concert () is an annual concert of classical music performed by the Vienna Philharmonic on the morning of New Year's Day in Vienna, Austria. The concert occurs at the Musikverein at 11:15. The orchestra performs the sam ...

, the first female zither player to do so in the history of the concert. Laister-Ebner also performed with the Vienna Philharmonic in the 30 December 2017 and 31 December 2017 performances of the same programme. *

2 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. * 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. ...

– The Paxton Festival announces that Helen Jamieson is to stand down as its artistic director in September 2018. *

3 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. * 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except ...

** The Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and Awards announces

Igor Levit Igor Levit (russian: link=no, Игорь Левит; born 10 March 1987) is a Russian-German pianist who focuses on the works of Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt. He is also a professor at the Musikhochschule Hannover. He lives in Berlin. Biography ...

as the recipient of the 2018

Gilmore Artist Award The Gilmore Artist Award is awarded every four years to a concert pianist. The award was established in 1989 by The Gilmore of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Selection criteria In contrast with other music awards, nominees are not aware that they are under ...

. ** The board of the

San Antonio Symphony The San Antonio Symphony was a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season ran from late September to early June. Sebastian Lang-Lessing, its music director from 2010 to 2020, was the last to serve in that ...

announces the cancellation of the remaining concerts of the orchestra's 2017–2018 season. ** The Ojai Festival announces the appointment of

Matthias Pintscher Matthias Pintscher (born 29 January 1971) is a German composer and conductor. As a youth, he studied the violin and conducting. Life and career Pintscher was born in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia. He began his music studies with Giselher Klebe in ...

as the festival's music director for its 2020 season. *

5 January Events Pre-1600 *1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France. 1601–1900 *1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French arm ...

– Following her appointment as the new chairwoman of the Symphony Society of San Antonio, Kathleen Weir Vale announces a reversal of the prior 3 January 2018 board decision to suspend the remainder of the orchestra's 2017–2018 season. The previous chair of the organisation, Alice Viroslav, resigned the post on 4 January 2018. *

8 January Events Pre-1600 * 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying. * 871 – Æthelred I and Alfred the Great lead a West Saxon army to repel an in ...

** Arts Council England announces the appointment of Claire Mera-Nelson as director of Music and as director in its London office. ** The La Jolla Chamber Music Society announces the resignation of Kristin Lancino as its president, effective 12 January 2018. A news report the same day stated that

Cho-Liang Lin Cho-Liang Lin (Lin Cho-liang, , born January 29, 1960), born in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is an American violinist who is renowned for his appearances as a soloist with major orchestras. Musical America named him its "Instrumentalist of the Year" in 20 ...

is to stand down as the festival's music director in August 2018. *

10 January Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...

** The Saarland ''Minister für Bildung und Kultur'' announces the appointment of Sébastien Rouland as the next ''Generalmusikdirektor'' of the Saarländische Staatstheater, effective with the 2018–2019 season. ** The

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

announces the resignation of

Charles Dutoit Charles Édouard Dutoit (born 7 October 1936) is a Swiss conductor. He is currently the principal guest conductor for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia and co-director of thMISA Festival in Shanghai In 2017, he became the 103rd recipient of thR ...

as its principal conductor and artistic adviser, with immediate effect, following allegations against Dutoit of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Dutoit had previously been scheduled to vacate the posts in 2019. ** From the Top announces the appointment of Gretchen Nielsen as its first-ever executive director, effective 1 March 2018. *

11 January Events Pre-1600 * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. * 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad ...

** Radio France announces the appointment of Martina Batič as the next music director of the ''Chœur de Radio France'', effective 1 September 2018, with an initial contract of 3 years. ** Sinfonia Viva announces the appointment of Frank Zielhorst as its new principal conductor, with immediate effect. *

12 January Events Pre-1600 * 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. *1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned ...

** The Symphony Society of San Antonio announces a new agreement with the musicians of the

, which allows for restoration of most of the orchestra's remaining 2017–2018 season. ** The

Houston Symphony Orchestra The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. History The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, ...

announces the appointment of John Mangum as its next executive director and chief executive officer, effective 16 April 2018. *

15 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. *1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...

– The Cumnock Tryst announces the appointment of Jean Nicholson as its new festival director. *

17 January Events Pre-1600 *38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey. *1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 people on th ...

– The

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...

announces the appointment of

Lahav Shani Lahav Shani ( he, להב שני; born 7 January 1989, Tel Aviv) is an Israeli conductor and pianist. Biography Shani is the son of Michael Shani, a choral conductor. He began piano lessons at age 6 with Hannah Shalgi. He continued his piano st ...

as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season. *

18 January Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later. * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople fail. *1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chi ...

– The Southbank Centre announces that Jude Kelly is to stand down as its artistic director, effective May 2018. * 22 January – The ''Académie des Beaux-Arts'' announces that

Laurent Petitgirard Laurent Petitgirard (born 10 June 1950, in Paris) is a French classical composer and conductor. Biography and career Laurent Petitgirard studied piano with Serge Petitgirard and composition with Alain Kremski. He has worked as conductor with do ...

is to conclude his music directorship of the ''Orchestre Colonne'', two years ahead of the original schedule. *

23 January Events Pre-1600 * 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor. * 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao. *1264 &nda ...

** The

Ernst von Siemens Ernst Albrecht von Siemens (9 April 1903 in Kingston upon Hull – 31 December 1990 in Starnberg) was a German industrialist. Life Siemens was born in England when his father Carl Friedrich von Siemens was director of Siemens Brothers and return ...

Music Foundation announces

Beat Furrer Beat Furrer (born 6 December 1954) is a Swiss-born Austrian composer and conductor. He has served as professor of composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz since 1991. He was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2018 ...

as the recipient of the 2018

Ernst von Siemens Music Prize The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (short: Siemens Music Prize, german: link=no, Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis) is an annual music prize given by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste (Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) on behalf of the Ernst vo ...

. ** The

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the same name date b ...

announces that

Robert Spano Robert Spano ( ; born 7 May 1961, Conneaut, Ohio) is an American conductorDavidson, Justin. "CLASSICAL MUSIC: Looking for Magic: Mixing visuals and language into a performance is just part of conductor Robert Spano's pursuit of orchestral risk" ...

is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2020–2021 season, and subsequently to take the title of conductor laureate. * 25 January **

Creative Scotland Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The or ...

announces the newest round of Regular Funding recipients for its next three-year programme, which includes the losses of £300,000 for the

Dunedin Consort Dunedin Consort is Scotland's leading baroque ensemble based in Edinburgh, Scotland, recognised for its vivid and insightful performances and recordings. Formed in 1995 and named after Din Eidyn, the ancient Brittonic Celtic name of Edinburgh Cast ...

and of £550,000 for the Hebrides Ensemble. ** The

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

announces the naming of

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian conductor best known for his interpretations of Mahler, Strauss and Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. During his lifetime he was ...

as an honorary member of the orchestra. ** The musicians of the

Vermont Symphony Orchestra The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a symphony orchestra based in, and supported in part by, the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is one of the few, and the oldest, state-supported symphony orchestras in the United Sta ...

vote to unionise. *

26 January Events Pre-1600 * 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. *1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people. *1564 – The Council of Trent ...

–

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

announces that

Stephen Cleobury Sir Stephen John Cleobury ( ; 31 December 1948 – 22 November 2019)29 January Events Pre-1600 * 904 – Sergius III is elected pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher. * 946 – Caliph Al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Emir Mu'izz al-Dawla, ru ...

** Newspaper accounts report that the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

intends to dismantle its sound and reference libraries across Australia, with a single library to be retained in Melbourne. ** The

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien'', or RSO Wien) is the orchestra of the Austrian national broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). Unlike most other Austrian orchestras, the RSO Wien has a sub ...

announces the appointment of

Marin Alsop Marin Alsop ( �mɛər.ɪn ˈæːl.sɑːp born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor, the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate o ...

as its next chief conductor, effective 1 September 2019, with an initial contract of 3 years. She is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of the Vienna RSO. *

30 January Events Pre-1600 * 1018 – Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen. *1287 – King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom. 1601–1900 *1607 – An estimate ...

** The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation announces

Hans Abrahamsen Hans Abrahamsen (born 23 December 1952) is a Danish composer born in Kongens Lyngby near Copenhagen. His '' Let me tell you'' (2013), a song cycle for soprano and orchestra, was ranked by music critics at ''The Guardian'' as the finest work of t ...

as the recipient of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2019. ** The

Orchestre de Paris The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris. History In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Co ...

announces that

Daniel Harding Daniel John Harding (born 31 August 1975) is a British conductor. Biography Harding was born in Oxford. He studied trumpet at Chetham's School of Music and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra at age 13. At age 17, Harding assembled ...

is to stand down as its principal conductor, following the close of the 2018–2019 season. ** The Richmond Symphony announces that Steven Smith is to conclude his tenure as its music director, following the close of the 2018–2019 season. *

1 February Events Pre-1600 *1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. *1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mona ...

** The

Buxton Festival The Buxton Festival is an annual summer festival of opera, music and (since 2000) a literary series, held in Buxton, Derbyshire, England since its beginnings in July 1979. The 2020 festival would have run but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 cri ...

announces the appointment of Michael Williams as its next chief executive officer, effective April 2018. ** The

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional ra ...

, under the direction of

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studied compositio ...

, gives the first performance of the Symphony in B♭ by

Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...

since its 1935 premiere. ** Austin Opera announces the dismissal of Richard Buckley as its artistic director and principal conductor, with immediate effect, after allegations of harassment of an unspecified nature. *

6 February Events Pre-1600 *1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop. 1601–1900 *1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death ...

– Creative Scotland announces restoration of £300,000 funding for 3 years to the Dunedin Consort. *

7 February Events Pre-1600 * 457 – Leo I becomes the Eastern Roman emperor. * 987 – Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros, Byzantine generals of the military elite, begin a wide-scale rebellion against Emperor Basil II. *1301 – ...

State Opera of South Australia State Opera South Australia (SOSA) is a professional opera company in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1976. History State Opera South Australia was established in 1976 as a statutory corporation under the ''State Opera of South Aus ...

announces the appointments of Yarmila Alfonzetti as its next executive director, and of Stuart Maunder as its next artistic director. ** The

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

announces the appointment of David Binder as its next artistic director. *

8 February Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. *1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. *1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Ma ...

– The La Jolla Music Society announces the appointment of

Inon Barnatan Inon Barnatan (born 1979 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American/Israeli classical pianist. Biography Inon Barnatan lives in New York City. Music career He studied with Victor Derevianko, Maria Curcio and Christopher Elton at The Royal Academy of Mus ...

as the next music director of its SummerFest programme, effective with the 2019 summer season. *

9 February Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Zeno is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. *1003 – Boleslaus III is restored to authority with armed support from Bolesław I the Brave of Poland. *1539 – The first recorded race is held o ...

** The

Symphoniker Hamburg The Symphoniker Hamburg (''Hamburg Symphony Orchestra'') is a German orchestra based in Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 1957, it is one of the city's three largest orchestras. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra is the orchestra in residence in the Lae ...

announces the appointment of

Sylvain Cambreling Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor. Biography Trained as a trombone player, Cambreling studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He joined l' Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (OSL) as a trombonist in 1971. In 197 ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. **

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby, oversaw the building of the first opera house on a newl ...

announces the appointments of Robert K. Meya as its next general director and of Alexander Neef as the first-ever artistic director of the company. In addition,

Harry Bicket Harry Alexander Clarence Bicket (born 1961) is a British conductor, harpsichordist and organist. He is particularly associated with the baroque and classical repertoire. Bicket was educated at Radley College, Christ Church, Oxford, where ...

is to be elevated from chief conductor of the company to its music director. All three appointments are scheduled to be effective as of 1 October 2018. *

11 February Events Pre-1600 *660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. * 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming o ...

– 50 years after its composition, Richard Reason's ''Dylan Thomas Song Cycle'' receives its first performance at Conway Hall. *

13 February Events Pre-1600 * 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the '' Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome. *1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th. * 1462 – The ...

** The

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most ...

announces the appointment of David Robertson as its next director of conducting studies, effective with the 2018–2019 academic year. ** The

San Diego Symphony The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. The orchestra is resident at Copley Symphony Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera. History On December 6th 1910, t ...

announces the appointment of

Rafael Payare Rafael Payare (born 23 February 1980) is a Venezuelan conductor. Background Born in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, Payare's parents were Trina Torres de Payare, an elementary school teacher, and Juan R. Payare, a cartographer for the city. He began ...

as its next music director, effective 1 July 2019. *

14 February Events Pre-1600 * 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt. * 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...

– The

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its primary concert venue is the Centennial Concert Hall, and the orchestra also performs throughout the province of Manitoba. The WSO presents an averag ...

announces the appointment of Daniel Raiskin as its next music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season. *

15 February Events Pre-1600 * 438 – Roman emperor Theodosius II publishes the law codex Codex Theodosianus * 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia. * 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tib ...

** The ''Centre de musique baroque de Versailles'' announces the election of Pierre Coppey as its next president. ** The

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

announces that

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin, CC (; born Yannick Séguin;David Patrick Stearns, "Nezet-Seguin signs Philadelphia Orchestra contract". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', 19 June 2010. 6 March 1975) is a Canadian ( Québécois) conductor and pianist. He i ...

is to take the title of music director as of the 2018–2019 season, two seasons earlier than originally announced. *

19 February Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...

– National Sawdust announces Kayla Cashetta, Emma O’Halloran, and X. Lee as the first-ever prize winners of its inaugural Hildegard Competition "for emerging women and non-binary composers". *

20 February Events Pre-1600 *1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated. *1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland ...

** Longborough Festival Opera announces the appointment of Polly Graham, daughter of festival founders Martin and Lizzie Graham, as its new artistic director, with immediate effect. ** The

Juilliard String Quartet The Juilliard String Quartet is a classical music string quartet founded in 1946 at the Juilliard School in New York by William Schuman. Since its inception, it has been the quartet-in-residence at the Juilliard School. It has received nume ...

announces the appointment of Areta Zhulla as its new first violinist, effective September 2018, replacing Joseph Lin, who is to remain on the Juilliard faculty. ** The

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Cir ...

announces the appointment of James M Johnson as its next executive director, effective 30 April 2018. ** The

Omaha Symphony Orchestra The Omaha Symphony is a professional orchestra performing more than 200 concerts and presentations annually in Omaha, Nebraska and throughout the orchestra's home region. The orchestra was established in 1921. It is considered a major American o ...

announces the resignation of James M Johnson as its executive director, as of the end of April 2018. ** The

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is an American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. LACO presents its Orchestral Series concerts at two venues, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA's Royce Hall. History James Arkatov, ...

announces the appointment of

Jaime Martín Jaime Martín (born 1 September 1965) is a Spanish conductor and flautist. Biography Born in Santander, Spain, Martín began his music studies on the flute at age 8, and became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain at age 13. He was ...

its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. *

21 February Events Pre-1600 *452 or 453 – Severianus, Bishop of Scythopolis, is martyred in Palestine. *1245 – Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland, is granted resignation after confessing to torture and forgery. * 1440 – The Pru ...

** The

Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (Liège Royal Philharmonique in English) is a Belgian symphony orchestra, based in Liège. The primary concert venue and administrative base of the OPRL is the ''Salle Philharmonique de Liège' ...

announces the appointment of Gergely Madaras as its next music director, effective 1 September 2019, with an initial contract of 3 years. ** G. Schirmer, Inc. announces its acquisition of the worldwide publishing rights to the works of

Julius Eastman Julius Eastman (October 27, 1940 – May 28, 1990) was an American composer, pianist, vocalist, and performance artist whose work is associated with musical minimalism. He was among the first composers to combine minimalist processes with elements ...

. *

22 February Events Pre-1600 *1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. *1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand ...

** A news report states that

is to stand down as music director of the

Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra, based in Belfast, is the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall. It also gives concerts across the United Ki ...

as of the end of his current contract, at the close of the 2018–2019 season. ** The Takács Quartet announces the retirement of its violist, Károly Schranz, effective 1 May 2018, and the appointment of Harumi Rhodes as its new violist. *

1 March Events Pre-1600 *509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia. * 293 – Emperor Diocletian a ...

** The

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the smallest of the six orchestras established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). History The Tasmanian Symphony Orchest ...

announces that Nicholas Heyward is to stand down as its managing director at the end of the 2017–2018 season. ** The ''Dresdner Musikfestspiele'' announces

Joyce DiDonato Joyce DiDonato (née Flaherty; born February 13, 1969) is an American lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano. She is notable for her interpretations of operas and concert works in the 19th-century romantic era in addition to works by Handel and Mozar ...

as the recipient of its annual Prize, for 2018, for her work in music education. *

6 March Events Pre-1600 *12 BCE – The Roman emperor Augustus is named Pontifex Maximus, incorporating the position into that of the emperor. * 632 – The Farewell Sermon (Khutbah, Khutbatul Wada') of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. * 845 &nda ...

– The

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

announces the appointments of Serge Dorny as its next ''Intendant'', and of

Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski (; born 4 April 1972) is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Michail Jurowski, and grandson of Soviet film music composer Vladimir Michailovich Jurowski. Early life Born in Moscow, Jurowski began his ...

as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'', effective with the 2021–2022 season. * 7 March – The city of Aachen announces the appointment of Christopher Ward as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'', effective 1 August 2018. *

8 March Events Pre-1600 *1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem '' Shahnameh''. *1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. *1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bou ...

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in Englis ...

announces the appointment of Stuart Murphy as its next chief executive, effective 3 April 2018. **

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

announces its 'Venus Blazing' programme for the 2018–2019 academic year, with the commitment that music by female composers is to comprise at least 50% of the selections for its public performances. *

10 March Events Pre-1600 *241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates: The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end. * 298 – Roman Emperor Maximian concludes his campaign in North Africa and makes a tr ...

–

Paul Plishka Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...

sings his final performance with the

, his 1,672nd appearance with the company, prior to his retirement. * 12 March – The

announces the full termination of its relationship with its former music director,

James Levine James Lawrence Levine (; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March ...

, after a 3-month investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him. This action includes the rescinding of his title of music director emeritus and dismissal of him as artistic director of its young artists program. *

14 March Events Pre-1600 *1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland. *1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguenot ...

– The

Royal Society of Musicians The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a declaration of trust sign ...

announces the appointment of Charlotte Penton-Smith as its first ever chief executive. *

16 March Events Pre-1600 * 934 – Meng Zhixiang declares himself emperor and establishes Later Shu as a new state independent of Later Tang. *1190 – Massacre of Jews at Clifford's Tower, York. *1244 – Over 200 Cathars who refuse to rec ...

– A news report indicates that Michael Christie is to conclude his tenure as music director of

Minnesota Opera Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded as the Center Opera Company in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as '' Where the Wild Things Are'' by Oliv ...

at the close of the 2017–2018 season. * 20 March – The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe announces the appointment of Nicole Braunger as its new director of opera (''Operdirektorin''), the first woman to be named to the post, effective with the 2018–2019 season. *

24 March Events Pre-1600 *1199 – King Richard I of England is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting in France, leading to his death on April 6. *1387 – English victory over a Franco- Castilian-Flemish fleet in the Battle of Margate ...

–

Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hundre ...

announces the prize winners of its inaugural Glyndebourne Opera Cup competition: ** Overall winner: Samantha Hankey ** Second place: Jacquelyn Stucker ** Third place: Elbenita Kajtazi ** Ginette Theano prize (for most promising talent):

Emily Pogorelc Emily Pogorelc is an American operatic soprano. She is a member of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and has performed leading roles internationally. Life Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Pogorelc studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Phil ...

** Media prize: Samantha Hankey ** Audience prize: Elbenita Kajtazi *

26 March Events Pre-1600 * 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. *1021 – On the feast of Eid al-Adha, the death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, is ...

– The

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...

announces the appointment of Matías Tarnopolsky as its next president and chief executive officer, effective August 2018, with an initial contract of 5 years. *

27 March Events Pre-1600 *1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom. *1329 – Pope John XXII is ...

– The Santa Rosa Symphony announces the appointment of Francesco Lecce-Chong as its next music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. * 28 March ** The

Vienna Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, german: Wiener Symphoniker) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the The ...

announces the appointment of

Andrés Orozco-Estrada Andrés Orozco-Estrada (born 14 December 1977) is a Colombian violinist and conductor, with dual nationality in Colombia and Austria. Early life Born in Medellín, Orozco-Estrada studied music at the Instituto Musical Diego Echavarría and le ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. ** The

High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...

rules in favour of violist Christopher Goldscheier in his lawsuit against the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...

, Covent Garden, for hearing damage from 'acoustic shock'. ** The Theater Kiel announces the appointment of Benjamin Reiners as its new ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD), effective with the 2019–2020 season. *

4 April Events Pre-1600 * 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines. * 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground. * 611 – ...

** The

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a mem ...

announces the appointment of James Murphy as its next chief executive, effective in the summer of 2018. ** Kentucky Opera announces that its general director, Ian Derrer, is to stand down from the post in June 2018. *

5 April Events Pre-1600 * 823 – Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I. * 919 – The second Fatimid invasion of Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, sets out from Raqqada at the head of hi ...

** The Buxton International Festival announces that its artistic director, Stephen Barlow, is to stand down from the post in late July 2018. ** The

Dallas Opera The Dallas Opera is an American opera company located in Dallas, Texas. The company performs at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, one venue of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. History The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic ...

announces the appointment of Ian Derrer as its next general director and chief executive officer, effective July 2018. *

6 April Events Pre–1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus. * 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. * 13 ...

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by ...

announces the appointment of Andrew Jorgensen as its next general director, effective 1 July 2018. ** Debora L. Spar announces her resignation as president of the

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

. *

10 April Events Pre-1600 * 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople. * 837 – Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles). *1407 ...

– The

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on f ...

announces that

Sir Andrew Davis Sir Andrew Frank Davis (born 2 February 1944) is an English conductor. He is conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Early life and education Born in Ashridge, t ...

is to stand down as its chief conductor at the end of December 2019. *

17 April Events Pre-1600 *1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized. *1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of H ...

** The

Minnesota Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Emi ...

announces the appointment of Michelle Miller Burns as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 1 September 2018. ** The

Virginia Symphony Orchestra The Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is an American orchestra administratively based in Norfolk. The VSO performs concerts in various venues in Virginia, including: * Chrysler Hall, Norfolk * The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia ...

announces that

JoAnn Falletta JoAnn Falletta (born February 27, 1954 in Queens, New York) is an American conductor. Biography Falletta was raised in the borough of Queens in an Italian-American household. She was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard Sc ...

is to conclude her tenure as its music director in June 2020. *

18 April Events Pre-1600 * 796 – King Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered in Corbridge by a group led by his ealdormen, Ealdred and Wada. The ''patrician'' Osbald is crowned, but abdicates within 27 days. *1428 – Peace of Ferrara b ...

– Walter Vergnano submits his resignation as Intendant of the Teatro Regio of Turin, 15 months ahead of the expiration date of his contract. *

20 April Events Pre-1600 * 1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII. 1601–1900 *1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament. *1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake destroys ...

– The

Royal Danish Opera The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first se ...

announces the appointment of Kasper Holten as its next director. * 24 April – The Teatro Regio of Turin announces the nomination of William Graziosi as its next Intendant, in a communication to the Italian Ministry of Culture. *

25 April Events Pre-1600 *404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion. * 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenians, Armenian rebellion ag ...

– The

Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie ( English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, whic ...

announces the discontinuation of its ECHO Awards, after protests at the rap duo Kollegah and Farid Bang receiving an award based on sales numbers for their album ''Jung, Brutal, Gutaussehend 3'', several lyrics from which have been deemed to be anti-Semitic. In protest, several classical music artists have returned their previous ECHO Awards, including

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

, and

Christian Thielemann Christian Thielemann (born 1 April 1959) is a German conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. He was artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival from 2013 to 2022, and a regular conductor at the Bayreuth Fe ...

. *

26 April Events Pre-1600 *1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. *1348 – Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe. *1478 ...

–

Gianandrea Noseda Gianandrea Noseda (born 23 April 1964, Sesto San Giovanni, Italy) is an Italian conductor. Biography Noseda studied piano and composition in Milan. He began conducting studies at age 27. He furthered his conducting studies with Donato Renzet ...

submits his resignation as music director of the Teatro Regio of Turin. *

27 April Events Pre-1600 * 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ''ludi saeculares''. * 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of ...

– The 2018 Malko Competition announces its prize winners: ** 1st prize: Ryan Bancroft ** 2nd prize: Anna Rakitina ** 3rd prize: Alessandro Bonato *

28 April Events Pre-1600 * 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire. * 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory ove ...

– The Erie Chamber Orchestra performs its final concert before disbanding, after 40 years of existence. *

30 April Events Pre-1600 *311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends. * 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois. *1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his ...

– The

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...

announces the appointment of Matthew Loden as its next chief executive officer, effective July 2018. *

1 May Events Pre-1600 * 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. * 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. * 1169 &ndas ...

– The

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially classical music) and the performing arts are ...

announces the appointment of Aidan Oliver as its next chorus director, effective autumn 2018. *

2 May Events Pre-1600 *1194 – King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. *1230 – William de Braose is hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great. *1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned ...

– The

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (German: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln) is a German radio orchestra based in Cologne, where the orchestra mainly performs at two concert halls: the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz and the Kölner Philharmonie. Histor ...

announces the appointment of Cristian Măcelaru as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. *

8 May Events Pre-1600 *453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin. * 413 – Emperor Honorius signs an ...

– The

Salzburg Easter Festival The Salzburg Easter Festival (German: ''Osterfestspiele Salzburg'') is an annual festival of opera and classical music held in Salzburg, Austria during Easter week. For most of the festival's history, the resident orchestra of the Easter Festival ...

announces that

Peter Ruzicka Peter Ruzicka (born 3 July 1948) is a German composer and conductor of classical music. He was director of the Hamburg State Opera, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Hamburg and the Salzburg Festival. Ruzicka was managing director and Intendant of t ...

is to stand down as its managing director on 30 June 2020. *

9 May Events Pre-1600 * 328 – Athanasius of Alexandria, Athanasius is elected Patriarch of Alexandria. *1009 – Norman conquest of southern Italy#Lombard revolt, 1009–1022, Lombard Revolt: Lombard forces led by Melus of Bari, Melus rev ...

** The

Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra The is a Japanese symphony orchestra administratively based in Tokyo. The orchestra primarily performs concerts in Tokyo at the Suntory Hall, but also gives concerts at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. The orchestra also performs in Yokohama at ...

announces the appointment of Sebastian Weigle as its next chief conductor, effective 1 April 2019, with an initial contract of 3 years. ** The

Radio Filharmonisch Orkest The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (''Radio Philharmonic Orchestra''; Dutch abbreviation RFO) is a Dutch radio orchestra, based in Hilversum. The RFO performs under the aegis of the ''Muziekcentrum van de Omroep'' (Broadcasting Music Centre; NMBC), an ...

(RFO) announces the appointment of Karina Canellakis as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. The RFO is the first Dutch orchestra ever to name a female conductor as its chief conductor. ** The

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NedPhO; nl, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest) is a Dutch symphony orchestra based in Amsterdam. History The NedPhO was formed in 1985 from the merger of three orchestras: the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestr ...

(NedPhO) announces that

Marc Albrecht Marc Albrecht (born 1964) is a German conductor who lives in The Netherlands. He was chief conductor of the Dutch National Opera, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra from 2009 to 2020. Biography Born in H ...

is to conclude his chief conductorship of the NedPhO, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and Dutch National Opera after the close of the 2019–2020 season. ** The

announces

Jessye Norman Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...

as the 105th recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal. **

Florentine Opera The Florentine Opera Company is one of Wisconsin's oldest professional performing arts centers and the sixth-oldest opera company in the United States. The company presents three to five staged productions per season largely from the standard ope ...

announces the resignation of William Florescu as its general director, with immediate effect. On 16 May, the company released a further statement that Florescu's resignation was related to allegations of sexual misconduct. *

10 May Events Pre-1600 *28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. *1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edwa ...

– The

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Fort Worth, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall. In addition to its symphonic and pops concert series, the FWSO ...

announces that

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya (born 1968) is a Peruvian conductor. He was formerly music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2020 and chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra from 2013 to 2020. He is currently Director ...

is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2019–2020 season. *

12 May Events Pre-1600 * 254 – Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism. * 907 – Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the ...

– The Chiara String Quartet performs its final concert at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 100 ...

in New York City before disbanding. *

13 May Events Pre-1600 *1373 – Julian of Norwich has Visions of Jesus and Mary, visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book ''Revelations of Divine Love''. *150 ...

– Lauren Zhang is announced as the winner of the BBC Young Musician 2018 competition. *

15 May Events Pre-1600 * 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. * 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbog ...

– The

Birgit Nilsson Märta Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano. Although she sang a wide répertoire of operatic and vocal works, Nilsson was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner a ...

Foundation announces

Nina Stemme Nina Maria Stemme (born Nina Maria Thöldte on 11 May 1963) is a Swedish dramatic soprano opera singer. Stemme "is regarded by today's opera fans as our era's greatest Wagnerian soprano". In 2010, Michael Kimmelman wrote of one of Stemme's perf ...

as the recipient of the 2018

Birgit Nilsson Prize The Birgit Nilsson Prize is the largest prize in classical music, awarded approximately every three years to an active artist or institution who has contributed an important chapter to music history. Towards the end of her unparalleled, long an ...

. *

16 May Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. *1 ...

– The

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Seve ...

announces the appointment of Lisa Wong as its director of choruses. * 17 May ** The

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is the symphony orchestra of Flanders (Belgium), based in the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The orchestra is led by chief conductor Elim Chan and honorary conductor Philippe Herreweghe. The organisation, which is o ...

announces the appointment of

Elim Chan Elim Chan (; born 18 November 1986) is a Hong Kong-born conductor. Elim Chan has been the chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra since the 2019-2020 concert season and has been the permanent guest conductor of the Royal Scottish Nati ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. She is the first female conductor ever to be named to the post. **

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

announces the appointment of Eun Sun Kim as its new principal guest conductor, the first female conductor ever named to the post. *

18 May Events Pre-1600 * 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople. * 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of ...

– Eun Sun Kim conducts the opening concert of the Cincinnati May Festival, the first female conductor ever to conduct at the festival. *

21 May Events Pre-1600 * 293 – Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Galerius as ''Caesar'' to Diocletian, beginning the period of four rulers known as the Tetrarchy. * 878 – Syracuse, Sicily, is captured by the Muslim Aghlabi ...

** The Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife announces the appointment of Antonio Méndez as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. ** The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of James Ross as its next music director. * 23 May **

announces the appointment of Daniel Hyde as its next director of Music, effective 1 October 2019. ** The

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (also known simply as Tafelmusik) is a Canadian Baroque orchestra specializing in early music and based in Toronto. They often perform with choir and play period instruments. The orchestra was founded in 1979 by o ...

announces the resignation of William Norris as its managing director, effective 4 July 2018. ** The Solti Foundation U.S. announces Roderick Cox as the recipient of the 2018 Sir

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-serving ...

Conducting Award. *

24 May Events Pre-1600 * 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. *1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. *1276 – Magnus Ladu ...

** The Theater Regensburg announces the appointment of Chin-Chao Lin as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'', effective with the 2018–2019 season. ** The Kansas City Symphony announces that Frank Byrne is to stand down as its executive director on 31 August 2019. ** The Berkeley Symphony announces that Joana Carneiro is to stand down as its music director at the end of the 2017–2018 season, at which time she is to take the title of music director emerita. *

25 May Events Pre-1600 *567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans. *240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. *1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, ...

–

Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue Saint Thomas Church is an Episcopalianism, Episcopal parish church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York at 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue (Manhattan), Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Also known as Sain ...

announces that Daniel Hyde is to stand down as its director of music in 2019. *

28 May Events Pre-1600 *585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from w ...

– The

Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main The Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (german: Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main, italic=no, link=no, HfMDK) is a state Hochschule for music, theatre and dance in Frankfurt and is the only one of its k ...

announces the election of Elmar Fulda as its next president. *

29 May Events Pre-1600 * 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city. *1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops under the ...

Ensemble Musikfabrik The Ensemble Musikfabrik (music factory ensemble) is an ensemble for contemporary classical music located in Cologne. Their official name is Ensemble Musikfabrik Landesensemble NRW e.V. (Ensemble Musikfabrik of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, ...

announces the appointment of Thomas Fichter as its next ''Intendant'' (managing director). ** The

Scottish Chamber Orchestra The Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) is an Edinburgh-based UK chamber orchestra. One of Scotland's five National Performing Arts Companies, the SCO performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and ...

announces the appointment of

Maxim Emelyanychev Maxim Yuryevich Emelyanychev (Максим Юрьевич Емельянычев; born 28 August 1988, Dzerzhinsk) is a Russian conductor, pianist, harpsichordist and cornetist. From a musical family, Emelyanychev studied music at the Nizhny Novgor ...

as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. *

1 June Events Pre-1600 *1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Zhongdu. *1252 – Alfonso X is proclaimed king o ...

– The

(RPS) announces its awarding of honorary membership in the RPS to

Stephen Hough Sir Stephen Andrew Gill Hough (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality (his father was born in Australia in 1926). Biography Hou ...

, the 141st such recipient in the history of the RPS. *

4 June Events Pre-1600 *1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries. * 1561 – The steeple of St Paul's, the medieval cathed ...

– The

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins t ...

announces the appointment of

Fabio Luisi Fabio Luisi (born 17 January 1959) is an Italian conductor. He is currently principal conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Bio ...

as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. * 5 June – The

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its ...

announces the awarding of honorary membership in the orchestra to

. *

7 June Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia at Constantinople (Byzantine Empire). * 879 – Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia under Duke Branimir as an independent state. *1002 – Henry ...

–

Thea Musgrave Thea Musgrave CBE (born 27 May 1928) is a Scottish composer of opera and classical music. She has lived in the United States since 1972. Biography Born in Barnton, Edinburgh, Musgrave was educated at Moreton Hall School, a boarding indepen ...

receives The Queen's Medal for Music 2017, in a private audience with HRH Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. *

8 June Events Pre-1600 * 218 – Battle of Antioch: With the support of the Syrian legions, Elagabalus defeats the forces of emperor Macrinus. * 452 – Attila leads a Hun army in the invasion of Italy, devastating the northern provinces ...

– Queen's Birthday Honours: ** Dame

Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...

is made a

Companion of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometime ...

. **

Simon Keenlyside Sir Simon Keenlyside (born 3 August 1959) is a British baritone who has performed in operas and concerts since the mid-1980s. Biography Early life and education Keenlyside was born in London, the son of Raymond and Ann Keenlyside. Raymond pla ...

is made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are t ...

. **

Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), ''V ...

and Gillian Moore are each made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. **

Alice Coote Alice Coote OBE (born 10 May 1968) is a British lyric mezzo-soprano. Life Coote was born in Frodsham, Cheshire, the daughter of the painter Mark Coote. She was educated at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (though she did not ...

and

Debbie Wiseman Debbie Wiseman, OBE (born 10 May 1963) is a British composer for film and television, known also as a conductor and a radio and television presenter. Biography Wiseman was born in London. She studied at Trinity College of Music Junior Departm ...

are each made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. ** Rosemary Johnson is made a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. *

12 June Events Pre-1600 * 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors. *1240 – At the instigation of Louis IX of Fran ...

– The Philharmonisches Orchester Altenburg-Gera announces that Laurent Wagner is to conclude his tenure as its ''Generalmusikdirektor'' at the close of the 2019–2020 season. *

19 June Events Pre-1600 * 325 – The original Nicene Creed is adopted at the First Council of Nicaea. *1179 – The Battle of Kalvskinnet takes place outside Nidaros (now Trondheim), Norway. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle chang ...

– The

Deutsches Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle Weimar The (DNT) is a German theatre and musical organisation based in Weimar. It is a twin institution, consisting of the theatrical (German National Theatre, now solely based in Weimar) and the symphony orchestra known as the . It has a total of s ...

announces that

Kirill Karabits Kyrylo Karabych ( uk, Кирило Карабиць); born 26 December 1976) is a Ukrainian conductor. Biography Early Life Karabits' father was the conductor and composer Ivan Karabyts. Karabits was born in Kyiv (then in the Ukrainian SS ...

is to stand down as its ''Generalmusikdirektor'' at the close of the 2018–2019 season, following an inability to reach terms on a contract negotiation for extending his tenure. *

20 June Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory. *1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting ...

– The

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He b ...

Philharmonic Orchestra (Zlín) announces the appointment of Tomáš Brauner as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. *

23 June 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societies ...

– The Elora Singers announces the appointment of Mark Vuorinen as its new artistic director, after having served as interim artistic director since March 2018, following the resignation of Noel Edison. * 24 June – Never heard complete during the composer's lifetime, the opera ''Přijď království Tvé'' (''Thy Kingdom Come'') by

Alois Hába Alois Hába (21 June 1893 – 18 November 1973) was a Czech composer, music theorist and teacher. He belongs to the important discoverers in modern classical music, and major composers of microtonal music, especially using the quarter-tone sc ...

receives its first performance at the ''Dny nové opery Ostrava'' (New Opera Days Ostrava) festival. *

25 June Events Pre-1600 * 524 – The Franks are defeated by the Burgundians in the Battle of Vézeronce. * 841 – In the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye, forces led by Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat the armies of Lothair I of ...

– The

Cleveland Institute of Music The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educa ...

announces the severance of its relationship with the

Cavani String Quartet The Cavani String Quartet is an American string quartet based in Cleveland, Ohio. The quartet is named for the 19th century violin makers Giovanni and Vincenzo Cavani. The quartet formed in 1984 and became the Quartet-in-Residence at the Clevela ...

. * 26 June –

Southbank Sinfonia Southbank Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra founded in 2002. Composed of young professionals from around the world, each year it brings together 33 graduate musicians for a programme of performance and professional development. The annual ...

announces the appointment of William Norris as its next managing director, effective July 2018. * 27 June ** The Bochum Symphony Orchestra (''Bochumer Symphoniker'') announces that

Steven Sloane Steven Sloane (born 1958) is an Israeli- American conductor. Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Sloane developed an interest in conducting at age 16. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in music. S ...

is to conclude his tenure as its ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD) at the close of the 2020–2021 season. ** The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Julian Kuerti as its next music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season. ** Kentucky Opera announces the appointment of Barbara Lynne Jamison as its next general director, effective 15 August 2018. *

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– John von Rhein, classical music critic of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' since 1977, retires from his post. *

2 July Events Pre-1600 * 437 – Emperor Valentinian III begins his reign over the Western Roman Empire. His mother Galla Placidia ends her regency, but continues to exercise political influence at the court in Rome. * 626 – Li Shimin, the ...

** Zurich Opera announces the appointment of

as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'', effective in 2021. In parallel, the company announces that

is to stand down as its GMD in 2021. ** The

announces the appointment of

Vasily Petrenko Vasily Eduardovich Petrenko (russian: Васи́лий Эдуа́рдович Петре́нко; born 7 July 1976) is a Russian-British conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the European Union Youth Orchestra, music director of the Ro ...

as its new music director, effective with the 2021–2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. ** The

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...

(RLPO) announces that

is to conclude his tenure as its chief conductor as of the end of the 2020–2021 season, and subsequently to take the title of conductor laureate of the RLPO. ** Elizabeth Rowe, principal flautist of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1 ...

, files a lawsuit against the orchestra under the new Massachusetts Equal Pay Law, alleging salary inequities by the orchestra. *

3 July Events Pre-1600 * 324 – Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. * 987 – Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Revolu ...

– The Governor General of Canada announces the investiture of François Mario Labbé and Earl Stafford as members of the Order of Canada. *

4 July Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...

– The Susan Chilcott Scholarship announces soprano Gemma Summerfield as the final recipient of the Chilcott Award. *

5 July Events Pre-1600 * 328 – The official opening of Constantine's Bridge built over the Danube between Sucidava (Corabia, Romania) and Oescus (Gigen, Bulgaria) by the Roman architect Theophilus Patricius. *1316 – The Burgundian and M ...

– The Irish

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ( ga, An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to promote a ...

announces that the

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO; previously known as RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra) is the largest professional orchestra in Ireland. Housed at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, since January 2022, it used ...

is to come under the remit of the National Concert Hall. *

9 July Events Pre-1600 *118 – Hadrian, who became emperor a year previously on Trajan's death, makes his entry into Rome. * 381 – The end of the First Council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople by the Roman Emperor Theodosi ...

– ORA Singers announces the appointment of

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...

as its new president. *

– The

New West Symphony The New West Symphony is a regional professional symphony orchestra serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1995. The orchestra's players are professional musicians drawn from the rich pool of classical musicians in the Los An ...

announces the appointment of

Stephanie Wilson Stephanie Diana Wilson (born September 27, 1966) is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She flew to space onboard three Space Shuttle missions, and is the second African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison. her 42 days i ...

as the director of development. *

10 July Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 645 – Isshi Incident: Prince ...

– The

announces the appointment of Jennifer Boomgaarden as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 4 September 2018. *

11 July Events Pre-1600 * 472 – After being besieged in Rome by his own generals, Western Roman Emperor Anthemius is captured in St. Peter's Basilica and put to death. * 813 – Byzantine emperor Michael I, under threat by conspiracies, ...

** The Japan Art Association announces

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale i ...

as the 2018 Praemium Imperiale recipient in the field of music. ** The San Antonio Symphony announces the appointment of Michael Kaiser as its interim executive director, with immediate effect, and a scheduled conclusion at the close of 2018. ** From the Top announces that

Christopher O'Riley Christopher O'Riley is an American classical pianist and public radio show host. He was the host of the weekly National Public Radio program ''From the Top''. O'Riley is also known for his piano arrangements of songs by alternative. Early lif ...

is no longer to serve as host of its eponymous radio programme. * 24 July – The first performance of the new opera ''der verschwundene hochzeiter'' at the Bayreuth Festival takes place, the first world premiere at the Bayreuth Festival since 1882. * 25 July – The first night of the new

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...

production of ''

Lohengrin Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolf ...

'' takes place, directed by

Yuval Sharon Yuval Sharon is an American opera and theater director from Naperville, Illinois, based in Los Angeles. In 2017, he won the MacArthur Genius Grant. Early life and education Sharon was born in 1979 in Chicago to two Israeli parents. He earned a B. ...

, the first American director to head a production at the Bayreuth Festival. * 26 July ** The

Academy of Ancient Music The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a British period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after an 18th-century organisation of the same name (originally the A ...

announces that

Richard Egarr Richard Egarr (born 7 August 1963) is a British conductor and keyboard player. Biography Born in Lincoln, Egarr received his early musical training as a choirboy at York Minster and at Chetham's School of Music. He was an organ scholar at Clare ...

is to stand down as its music director at the close of the 2020–2021 season. ** ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' publishes an article by

Anne Midgette Anne Midgette (born June 22, 1965) is an American music critic who was the first woman to write classical music criticism regularly for ''The New York Times''. She was the chief classical music critic of ''The Washington Post'' from 2008 to 2 ...

and Peggy McGlone that details past allegations of sexual misconduct by violinist William Preucil, conductor

Daniele Gatti Daniele Gatti (born 6 November 1961) is an Italian conductor. He is currently chief conductor of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, artistic advisor of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and music director of the Orchestra Mozart. Biography Gatti was born ...

, and opera administrator Bernard Uzan. *

27 July Events Pre-1600 *1054 – Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth, King of Scotland, somewhere north of the Firth of Forth. *1189 – Friedrich Barbarossa arrives at Niš, the capital of Serbian King Stefan ...

** The Teatro Massimo di Palermo announces the appointment of Omer Meir Wellber as its next music director, effective January 2020. ** The

announces the suspension of its concertmaster (leader), William Preucil, one day after publication in ''The Washington Post'' of allegations of sexual misbehaviour dating from 1998 against him. * 1 August ** Oberlin College announces that Andrea Kalyn is to stand down as the Dean of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music after the autumn 2018 semester. ** The

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

announces the appointment of Andrea Kalyn as its next president, effective January 2019. *

2 August Events Pre-1600 *338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean. *216 BC – The Carthaginian ar ...

** The

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ( nl, Koninklĳk Concertgebouworkest, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). Considered one of the world's leading orchestras, Queen Beatrix conferred the "R ...

dismisses Daniele Gatti as its chief conductor, with immediate effect, after allegations of sexual misbehaviour against various female musicians, including musicians of the orchestra. ** The Portland Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Eckart Preu as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. *

9 August Events Pre-1600 *48 BC – Caesar's Civil War: Battle of Pharsalus: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt. * 378 – Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople: A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens i ...

–

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

announces the appointment of Stephen Langridge as its next artistic director, effective spring 2019. *

10 August Events Pre-1600 * 654 – Pope Eugene I elected to succeed Martinus I. * 955 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor defeats the Magyars, ending 50 years of Magyar invasion of the West. * 991 – Battle of Maldon: The E ...

– The

gives the first concert of its first-ever tour to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

at City Hall, Cape Town, the first American orchestra ever to perform in South Africa. *

11 August Events Pre-1600 *32nd century BC, 3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya civilization, Maya, begins. *25th century BC, 2492 BC – ...

–

Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. ...

announces the appointment of Mischa Santora as its next music director. * 20 August – The

Malmö Symphony Orchestra The Malmö Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Malmö Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish orchestra, based in Malmö. Since 2015, it has been resident at the Malmö Live Concert Hall. The orchestra has a complement of 94 musicians. History The orchestra was fo ...

announces the appointment of Robert Trevino as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. * 22 August – The

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

reports music faculty David Daniels as on leave of absence, following allegations by singer Samuel Schultz of sexual assault by Daniels and his then-partner Scott Walters against him in 2010 at

. * 27 August ** The

announces the appointment of Keith Cerny as its next president and chief executive officer, as of January 2019. ** Calgary Opera announces that Keith Cerny is to stand down as its general director in January 2019. *

31 August Events Pre-1600 *1056 – After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora Porphyrogenita (11th century), Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. *1057 – Abdication of Byzantine Emperor Mi ...

– The

Leeds International Piano Competition The Leeds International Piano Competition, informally known as The Leeds and formerly the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess o ...

announces the appointment of Fiona Sinclair as its next chief executive, eff3ective 1 October 2018. * 5 September ** The

Staatstheater Darmstadt The Staatstheater Darmstadt (Darmstadt State Theatre) is a theatre company and building in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, presenting opera, ballet, plays and concerts. It is funded by the state of Hesse and the city of Darmstadt. Its history began in ...

announces the appointment of Daniel Cohen as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'', effective October 2018, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. ** The

Lucerne Festival Lucerne Festival is one of the leading international festivals in the world of classical music and presents a series of classical music festivals based in Lucerne, Switzerland. Founded in 1938 by Ernest Ansermet and Walter Schulthess, it curre ...

announces that

has stood down as principal conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy, with immediate effect. *

6 September Events Pre-1600 * 394 – Battle of the Frigidus: Roman emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills Eugenius the usurper. His Frankish ''magister militum'' Arbogast escapes but commits suicide two days later. *1492 – Christopher Colu ...

** Opera Vlaanderen announces the appointment of Alejo Pérez as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season. **

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...

announces the appointment of Aidan Lang as its next general director, effective July 2019. **

Seattle Opera Seattle Opera is an opera company based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as its first general director until 1983. The company's season runs from August through late May, comprising five or six operas of e ...

announces that Aidan Lang is to stand down as its general director in June 2019. *

7 September Events Pre-1600 * 70 – A Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem. * 878 – Louis the Stammerer is crowned as king of West Francia by Pope John VIII. * 1159 – Pope Alexander III is chosen. *1191 – ...

– The

announces the appointment of Eivind Aadland as its next chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective in 2020. *

8 September Events Pre-1600 * 617 – Battle of Huoyi: Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path to his capture of the imperial capital Chang'an and the eventual establishment of the Tang dynasty. *1100 – Election of Antipope Theodo ...

– At the Philharmonie de Paris, Ralph van Raat gives the world premiere performance of the ''Prélude, Toccata et Scherzo'' by

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mon ...

, originally composed in 1944, but banned by Boulez from live performance during his lifetime. * 12 September ** The

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

announces that Stéphane Lissner is to conclude his tenure as its general director at the conclusion of his contract of August 2021. **

Florida Grand Opera Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. It is the oldest performing arts organization in Florida and the seventh oldest opera company in the United States. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of ...

(FGO) announces that Susan T. Danis is to remain as the company's general director, following revelation of a defamatory letter by former FGO employee Graham Fandrei. ** The La Jolla Music Society announces that Susan T. Danis has rescinded her acceptance of the posts of its president and chief executive officer, in tandem with her decision to remain with Florida Grand Opera. *

13 September Events Pre-1600 *585 BC – Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Sabines, and the surrender of Collatia. *509 BC – The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Rome's Capitoline Hill ...

** The Theater Magdeburg announces the appointment of Anna Skryleva as its new General Music Director (''Generalmusikdirektorin''), effective with the 2019–2020 season. ** The

Warsaw Philharmonic The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( pl, Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, it is one of Poland's oldest musical institutions. History The orchestra was conceived on ...

announces the appointment of

Andrey Boreyko Andrey Boreyko (russian: Андре́й Ви́кторович Боре́йко, Andrey Viktorovich Boreyko, pl, Andrzej Borejko; born 22 July 1957) is a Polish-Russian conductor. He has Polish ancestry on his father's side and Russian ancestry ...

as its next artistic director and music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season. ** The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of

Bramwell Tovey Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer. Life and career Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...

as the new artistic advisor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, with immediate effect. * 14 September – The

announces ratification of a new contract by unions for the company's orchestra, chorus and other groups to allow Sunday matinee performances by the company for the first time ever, starting with the 2019–2020 season. * 15 September – The

announces Eric Lu as the winner of its 19th competition. *

16 September Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Pope Honorius I is posthumously excommunicated by the Sixth Ecumenical Council. * 1400 – Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers. 1601–1900 *1620 – A determined band of 35 religi ...

– The

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

announces the suspension of principal oboe Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey from the orchestra, following allegations of sexual misconduct against them. *

17 September Events Pre-1600 * 1111 – Highest Galician nobility led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba and the bishop Diego Gelmírez crown Alfonso VII as "King of Galicia". *1176 – The Battle of Myriokephalon is the last attempt by the Byzantine Empir ...

– The Staatskapelle Halle announces the appointment of

Ariane Matiakh Ariane Matiakh (born 1980) is a French conductor. Biography The daughter of two opera singers, Matiakh obtained prizes in piano, chamber music, conducting at the ''Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Reims'' and piano accompaniment at the ...

as the new General Music Director (''Generalmusikdirektorin'') of the Theater, Oper und Orchester GmbH Halle, effective with the 2019–2020 season, the first female conductor ever to be named to the posts. * 18 September ** The Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz announces

Jörg Widmann Jörg Widmann (born 19 June 1973) is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. In 2018, Widmann was the third most performed contemporary composer in the world. Formerly a clarinet and composition professor at the University of Music Freib ...

as the 2018 winner of the ''Robert Schumann-Preis für Dichtung und Musik'' (Robert Schumann Prize for Poetry and Music). ** The

announces the appointment of Gustavo Gimeno as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. * 19 September – The Dresden Philharmonic announces the appointment of

Marek Janowski Marek Janowski (born 18 February 1939 in Warsaw) is a Polish-born German conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. Childhood Janowski grew up in Wuppertal, near Cologne, after his mother traveled there at the s ...

to his second tenure as its chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. *

22 September Events Pre-1600 * 904 – The warlord Zhu Quanzhong kills Emperor Zhaozong, the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty, after seizing control of the imperial government. * 1236 – The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of the ...

–

Gemma New Gemma New (born 27 December 1986) is a New Zealand-born conductor. In 2022 she was appointed principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the orchestra's 75-year history. Biography ...

conducts the opening concert of the 2018–2019 season of the

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest professional symphony or ...

, the first female conductor ever to do so. * 24 September ** The Bergische Symphoniker announces the appointment of Daniel Huppert as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD), effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. ** The Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater and Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin announce that Daniel Huppert is to conclude his tenure as the company's GMD at the close of the 2019–2020 season. *

26 September Events Pre-1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar dedicates a temple to Venus Genetrix, fulfilling a vow he made at the Battle of Pharsalus. * 715 – Ragenfrid defeats Theudoald at the Battle of Compiègne. * 1087 – William II is crow ...

– The

Jena Philharmonic The Jenaer Philharmonie is a German symphony orchestra based in Jena, Germany. History The orchestra was founded in 1934 with the intent to revive and continue the old traditions of the "Collegium musicum Jenense" and the academic concerts by the ...

announces the departure of Juliane Wandel as its ''Intendantin'', just prior to the start of the 2018–2019 season. *

28 September Events Pre-1600 *48 BC – Pompey disembarks at Pelusium upon arriving in Egypt, whereupon he is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy XIII. * 235 – Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus ...

** The Tiroler Landestheater und Symphonieorchester Innsbruck announces the appointment of Kerem Hasan as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. **

Washington National Opera The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Perform ...

announces the appointment of Evan Rogister as its new principal conductor, with immediate effect, with an initial contract through the 2021–2022 season. * 2 October ** The Orchestre national d'Île-de-France announces the appointment of Case Scaglione as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season. ** The

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO) is an American orchestra based in San Francisco. PBO is dedicated to historically informed performance of Baroque, Classical and early Romantic music on original instruments. The orchestra performs its ...

announces that

Nicholas McGegan James Nicholas McGegan OBE (born 14 January 1950 in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England) is a British harpsichordist, flutist, conductor and early music expert. Biography McGegan received his early education at Nottingham High School. He sub ...

is to stand down as its music director after the 2019–2020 season, and to take the title of music director laureate. *

3 October Events Pre-1600 * 2457 BC – Gaecheonjeol, Hwanung (환웅) purportedly descended from heaven. South Korea's National Foundation Day. *52 BC – Gallic Wars: Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius C ...

– The

Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in ...

announces the appointment of

Klaus Mäkelä Klaus Mäkelä (born 17 January 1996) is a Finnish conductor and cellist. He is currently chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, music director of the Orchestre de Paris, and artistic partner and chief conductor-designate of the Royal Concertg ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. * 4 October ** The

BBC Philharmonic The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at MediaC ...

announces the appointment of

Omer Meir Wellber Omer Meir Wellber (Hebrew: עומר מאיר ולבר; born 28 October 1981, Beersheba) is an Israeli conductor and composer. Biography Wellber began musical studies at age 5, on accordion and piano. He became a composition student of Tania Tale ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. ** The

MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 50 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.0 billion and ...

announces its 2018 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, which include composer Matthew Aucoin and violinist Vijay Gupta. **

Leila Josefowicz Leila Bronia Josefowicz ( ; born October 20, 1977) is an American-Canadian classical violinist. Biography Josefowicz was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. When she was a young child her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she sta ...

is awarded the Avery Fisher Prize for her championing of contemporary music. * 9 October ** The orchestra musicians of

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

take industrial action, in protest at the contract offering from company management that proposes reductions in the size of the orchestra. ** The Ames, Totenberg Stradivarius is formally lent to Nathan Meltzer, an 18-year old violin student at the Juilliard School, the first violinist to be presented with the instrument since its recovery. * 10 October –

Boston Baroque Boston Baroque is the oldest period instrument orchestra in North America. It was founded in 1973 by the American harpsichordist and conductor, Martin Pearlman, to present concerts of the Baroque and Classical repertoire on period instruments, d ...

announces the appointment of Jennifer Ritvo Hughes as its next executive director, effective 26 November 2018. * 11 October – The

Theater Basel Theater Basel is the municipal theatre of the city of Basel, Switzerland, which is home to the city's opera and ballet companies. The theatre also presents plays and musicals in addition to operas and operettas. Because the theatre does no ...

announces the appointment of Kristiina Poska as its next General Music Director (GMD; ''Generalmusikdirektorin''), effective with the 2019–2020 season. * 14 October – The orchestra musicians of

ratify a new labour agreement with the company's management, ending the work stoppage and acceding to most of the management demands. * 16 October – The Göttingen International Handel Festival announces the appointment of

George Petrou George Petrou ( el, Γιώργος Πέτρου) is a Greek conductor, pianist and stage-director. Biography George Petrou was born in Greece. He studied at the Athens Conservatoire, the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He ...

as its next artistic director, effective with the 2021–2022 season. *

18 October Events Pre-1600 * 33 – Heartbroken by the deaths of her sons Nero and Drusus, and banished to the island of Pandateria by Tiberius, Agrippina the Elder dies of self-inflicted starvation. * 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philo ...

Gustavo Dudamel Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera. Early life Dudamel was b ...

is announced as the recipient of the 2018 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. ** A news report in ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...

'' indicates that pianist Leon Bates has formally retired, following a diagnosis of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. *

21 October Events Pre-1600 * 1096 – A Seljuk Turkish army successfully fights off the People's Crusade. * 1097 – First Crusade: Crusaders led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemund of Taranto, and Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, begin the Siege of A ...

– The ''Requiem'' of

Alexander Kastalsky Alexand(e)r Dmitriyevich Kastalsky (russian: Александр Дмитриевич Кастальский) ( – 17 December 1926) was a Russian composer and folklorist. Kastalsky was born in Moscow to protoiereus (a title roughly equivalent ...

, composed during World War I, receives its world premiere performance in its full 17-movement version at the

Washington National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the ca ...

, conducted by

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fath ...

. * 24 October – The

dismisses William Preucil as its concertmaster (leader) and Massimo La Rosa as its principal trombonist with immediate effect, after a 3-month investigation into charges of sexual misconduct by each of them that determined the charges to be valid. * 27 October – The ''Mass Via Victrix'' of Sir

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the Un ...

receives its first-ever complete performance, 99 years after its composition, in Cardiff by the

BBC National Orchestra of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation ...

, the BBC National Chorus of Wales, and vocal soloists Kiandra Howarth, Jess Dandy, Ruairi Bowen, and Gareth Brynmor John. *

5 November Events Pre-1600 * 1138 – Lý Anh Tông is enthroned as emperor of Vietnam at the age of two, beginning a 37-year reign. *1499 – The '' Catholicon'', written in 1464 by Jehan Lagadeuc in Tréguier, is published; this is the first B ...

– The

Dartington International Summer School Dartington International Summer School is a summer school and festival of music held on the medieval estate of Dartington Hall and is a department of the Dartington Trust. Operation First established at Bryanston School in 1948 (largely throu ...

and Festival announces the appointment of

Sara Mohr-Pietsch Sara Mohr-Pietsch (; born 1980) is a British music broadcaster who works principally for BBC Radio 3. Early life and education Mohr-Pietsch was born in London to a mother of Polish and a father of German descent. She sang in her school's choral ...

as its next artistic director, effective January 2019, with her first programmed season scheduled to occur in 2020. *

6 November Events Pre-1600 * 447 – A powerful earthquake destroys large portions of the Walls of Constantinople, including 57 towers. * 963 – Synod of Rome: Emperor Otto I calls a council at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Pope John XII is dep ...

–

announces the appointment of Ben Glassberg as the new principal conductor of the Glyndebourne Tour, with an initial contract of 3 years. *

12 November Events Pre-1600 * 954 – The 13-year-old Lothair III is crowned at the Abbey of Saint-Remi as king of the West Frankish Kingdom. *1028 – Future Byzantine empress Zoe takes the throne as empress consort to Romanos III Argyros. *13 ...

– The

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The orchestra performs primarily at the Bradley Symphony Center in Allen-Bradley Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for Florentine ...

announces the appointment of Ken-David Masur as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. * 13 November – The

announces the appointment of Corey Cowart as its next executive director, effective 1 January 2019. *

15 November Events Pre-1600 * 655 – Battle of the Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. *1315 – Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy: The Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I in the Battle of Mo ...

– G. Schirmer, Inc. announces its acquisition of the worldwide publishing rights to the works of Florence Price. *

16 November Events Pre-1600 * 951 – Emperor Li Jing sends a Southern Tang expeditionary force of 10,000 men under Bian Hao to conquer Chu. Li Jing removes the ruling family to his own capital in Nanjing, ending the Chu Kingdom. *1272 – Whi ...

** The Würth Philharmoniker announces the appointment of Claudio Vandelli as its next chief conductor, effective 1 January 2020. ** Jacques Boucher and Valerie Tryon are each appointed a member of the Order of Canada. *

20 November Events Pre-1600 * 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor. * 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels. *1194 – Palermo is conquered by Henry ...

– The Symphony No 2 of

, composed in 1983, receives its world premiere performance at Alice Tully Hall, New York City, with the Mannes Orchestra conducted by Luciano Chessa, who also edited the score. *

23 November Events Pre-1600 *534 BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage. *1248 – Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. *1499 – Pretender to the thr ...

– The Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition 2018 announces Felix Mildenberger as its winner, which includes the appointment of Mildenberger as the new assistant conductor of the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

for a 2-year period. *

26 November Events Pre-1600 * 783 – The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her king from retaking the throne from Mauregatus. * 1161 – Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dynasty ...

** The

Hong Kong Sinfonietta The Hong Kong Sinfonietta (Chinese: ) is a professional symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sect ...

announces that Yip Wing-sie is to conclude her tenure as its music director at the close of the 2019–2020 season. ** The

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music educatio ...

announces the appointment of Sara Ascenso as its first-ever lecturer in Musicians' Health and Wellbeing, the first UK music institution ever to institute such a post. *

3 December Events Pre-1600 * 915 – Pope John X crowns Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor (probable date). 1601–1900 *1775 – American Revolutionary War: becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Sta ...

** The

Orchestre National de Lyon The Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL) is a French orchestra based in Lyon. Its primary concert venue is l'Auditorium de Lyon. The orchestra operates with the help of a subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture and from the Rhône-Alpes regional ...

announces the appointment of Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider as its next music director, effective September 2020, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. **

Chetham's School of Music Chetham's School of Music () is an independent co-educational music school in Manchester, England. Chetham's educates students between the ages of 8 and 18, all of whom enter via musical auditions. Students receive a full academic education a ...

announces the appointment of Tom Redmond as its next director of music, effective September 2019. ** The

Hochschule für Musik Dresden ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...

announces the appointment of Axel Köhler as its next ''Rektor''. ** Joel Bons is announced as the recipient of the 2019 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for his work ''Nomaden''. *

4 December Events Pre-1600 * 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. * 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated on 6 D ...

** The

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...

announces that

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music dir ...

is to stand down as its principal conductor after the close of the 2020–2021 season. ** The

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The p ...

announces the appointment of

as its new music director, with immediate effect. *

5 December Events Pre-1600 *63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations. * 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville. * 1033 – The Jordan Rift Valley earthquake destroys multipl ...

** The

San Francisco Symphony The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fra ...

announces the appointment of Esa-Pekka Salonen as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. ** The

announces that

Osmo Vänskä Osmo Antero Vänskä (born 28 February 1953) is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist, and composer. Biography Vänskä started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic (1971–76). He then became the principal cl ...

is to conclude his tenure as its music director after the close of the 2021–2022 season. * 6 December – The

Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz The Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz (State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate) is the largest and leading symphony orchestra of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, based in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. It gives concerts in Rhineland-Palati ...

announces the appointment of Michael Francis as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. *

7 December Events Pre-1600 *43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius. * 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...

Graz Opera The Graz Opera (German: Oper Graz) is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Graz. The orchestra of the opera house also performs concerts as the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (''Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester''). History Opera h ...

and the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra announce the appointment of Roland Kluttig as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. In parallel, Oksana Lyniv is to stand down as GMD of both posts at the close of the 2019–2020 season. ** The Landestheater Coburg announces that Roland Kluttig is to conclude his tenure as GMD of the company at the close of the 2019–2020 season. ** The

Südwestrundfunk Südwestrundfunk (SWR; ''Southwest Broadcasting'') is a regional public broadcasting corporation serving the southwest of Germany , specifically the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The corporation has main offices ...

(SWR) announces that Peter Boudgoust is to stand down as its ''Intendant'' (artistic director) in mid-2019, ahead of his current contract. * 8 December – At the Konserthuset Stockholm, Karina Canellakis conducts the annual

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfre ...

concert with the

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( sv, Kungliga Filharmonikerna or , literal translations, "Royal Philharmonic" or "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm. Its principal venue is the Konserthuset. H ...

, the first female conductor ever to conduct the Nobel Prize concert. * 10 December – The

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the performing arts in the United States. It is part of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The school was founded by Calvin Brainerd ...

places Stephen Shipps on administrative leave, following accusations of sexual misconduct by Shipps dating back to 1978. * 14 December – The

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (Cantonese: 香港管弦樂團), commonly abbreviated as HKPO or HKPhil (Cantonese: 港樂), is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1947 as an amateur orchestra under the name Si ...

announces the appointment of Benedikt Fohr as its next chief executive, effective 1 April 2019. * 17 December – The Philharmonie Südwestfalen announces the appointment of Nabil Shehata as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. *

19 December Events Pre-1600 *1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. *1187 – Pope Clement III is elected. *1490 – Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy. *1562 – T ...

** The

Royal Scottish National Orchestra The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Throughout its history, the Or ...

announces the appointment of Alistair Mackie as its next chief executive, effective April 2019. ** The

Florida Orchestra The Florida Orchestra is an American orchestra based in the tri-city area of Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Florida. It was founded as the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony upon the 1968 merger of the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and the Tam ...

announces the appointment of Mark Cantrell as its next president and chief executive officer. * 21 December **

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 18 ...

announces the appointment of

Tan Dun Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and ...

as the new dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, effective 1 July 2019. ** The Washington Chorus announces the appointment of Stephen Marc Beaudoin as its new executive director, effective 4 February 2019. *

27 December Events Pre-1600 * 537 – The second Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is consecrated. *1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World. *1521 &nda ...

– The Governor General of Canada announces the appointment of John Rea to the Order of Canada. *

28 December Events Pre-1600 * 418 – A papal conclave begins, resulting in the election of Pope Boniface I. * 457 – Majorian is acclaimed as Western Roman emperor. * 484 – Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and becomes king of the V ...

– UK New Year's Honours: **

Nicola Benedetti Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti (born 20 July 1987) is an Italian-British classical solo violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She w ...

and

Nitin Sawhney Nitin Sawhney , D.Mus (; born 1964) is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian an ...

are each made a

Commander of the Order of British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. ** Christian Blackshaw, Stephen Darlington, David Hill, and Jacqueline Tyler are each made a

. ** Shirley Thompson is made an

New works

– ''Three Pieces for Orchestra'' *

John Luther Adams John Luther Adams (born January 23, 1953) is an American composer whose music is inspired by nature, especially the landscapes of Alaska, where he lived from 1978 to 2014. His orchestral work '' Become Ocean'' was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize ...

– ''Become Desert'' *

Samuel Carl Adams Samuel Adams (born December 30, 1985) is an American composer. He was born in San Francisco, California. He is a recipient of a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship. Life and career Adams grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he performed double b ...

** Chamber Concerto ** Movements (for us and them) *

George Alexander Albrecht George Alexander Albrecht (15 February 1935 – 21 December 2021) was a German conductor and composer, who also worked as a musicologist and academic teacher. A prolific composer at a young age, he was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Staatsope ...

– ''Requiem für Syrien'' (Requiem for Syria) *

Louis Andriessen Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Although ...

– ''Agamemnon'' *

Georges Aperghis Georges Aperghis ( el, Γιώργος Απέργης; born 23 December 1945) is a Greek composer working primarily in the field of experimental music theater but has also composed a large amount of non- programmatic chamber music. He lives in Fra ...

– ''Intermezzi'' *

Darin Atwater Soulful Symphony is a 75-piece American symphony orchestra founded in 2000 by composer Darin Atwater, who serves as the symphony's artistic director and conductor. The symphony is based in Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) i ...

– ''South Side: Symphonic Dances'' * Malin Bång – ''splinters of ebullient rebellion'' * Richard Barnard – ''In Cambridge Town'' * Gerald Barry – Organ Concerto * Gerard Beljon – ''Planctus Cygni'' * Iain Bell – ''Aurora'' *

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include '' T ...

** ''Keyboard Engine'' ** ''Donum Simoni MMXVIII'' * Bishi – ''The Good Immigrant'' * Johannes Boris Borowski ** ''As if'' ** ''Up and Down'' * Laura Bowler – ''/ˌfɛmɪˈnɪnɪti/.'' * Benjamin C.S. Boyle – ''Voyages'' * Rory Boyle – ''Songs of the Marshes'' * Charlotte Bray – ''Reflections in Time'' * Ewan Campbell – ''Frail Skies'' * Philip Cashian – Piano Concerto ('The Book of Ingenious Devices') * Giancarlo Castro – Trumpet Concerto *

Christopher Cerrone Christopher Cerrone (born March 5, 1984) is an American composer based in New York City. He was a 2014 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a 2014 Fromm Foundation commission recipient, a 2015 Rome Prize winner in Music Composition, and has received n ...

** ''A Natural History of Vacant Lots'' ** Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ("Breaks and Breaks") * Lyle Chan – ''Three Bilitis Movements'' * Enrico Chapela – ''Espressio Doppio'' (for two clarinets and orchestra) * Guillaume Connesson – ''Les Horizons Perdus'' (violin concerto) * Olivier Cuendet – ''Foresta incantata'' * Kim Cunio – ''Psalm 137'' ("By the rivers of Babylon") * Joe Cutler – ''Elsewhereness'' *

Richard Danielpour Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer. Early life Danielpour was born in New York City of Persian Jewish descent and grew up in New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. He studied at Oberlin College and the New E ...

– ''Carnival of the Ancients'' *

Brett Dean Brett Dean (born 23 October 1961) is an Australian composer, violist and conductor. Biography Brett Dean was born, raised and educated in Brisbane. He started learning violin at the age of eight, and later studied viola with Elizabeth Morgan a ...

– Cello Concerto *

Bryce Dessner Bryce David Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American composer and guitarist based in Paris, as well as a member of the rock band the National. Dessner's twin brother Aaron is also a member of the group. Together they write the music, in col ...

– Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra *

Avner Dorman Avner Dorman (Hebrew: אבנר דורמן; born April 14, 1975 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-born composer, educator and conductor. Education Dorman holds a doctorate in music composition from the Juilliard School, where he studied as a C ...

– ''Eternal Rhythm'' (percussion concerto) *

Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove (born 18 July 1959) is an English composer of opera, choral works, plays, films, and orchestral and chamber music. He has arranged a number of operas for English Touring Opera and the City of Birmingham Touring Opera (now Birmi ...

– ''The Kerry Christmas Carol'' * Melissa Dunphy – ''Suite Remembrance'' * Bushra El-Turk – 'Crème Brûlée on a Tree' * Melody Eötvös – ''Ruler of the Hive'' *

Peter Eötvös Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

– ''Now, Miss!'' * Eriks Esenvalds ** ''The Pleiades'' ** ''Shadow'' ** ''On Friendship'' * Roshanne Etezady – ''Diamond Rain'' * Frithjof Eydam – ''27'' * Suzanne Farrin – ''Hypersea'' *

Samantha Fernando Samantha Fernando (born Lankaaluge Samantha Fernando on 25 March 1985) is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Chilaw Marians Cricket Club. He was born in Chilaw. Fernando made a si ...

– ''Formations'' * Ivan Fedele – ''Air on air'' * Ross Fiddes – ''Love Stories'' * Cheryl Frances-Hoad ** ''Between the Skies, the River and the Hills'' (piano concerto) ** ''Last Man Standing'' (text by Tamsin Collison) *

Luca Francesconi Luca Francesconi (born 17 March 1956) is an Italian composer. He studied at the Milan Conservatory, then with Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio. Early years Luca Francesconi was born in Milan. His father was a painter who edited ''Il C ...

– ''Daedalus'' * Patrick Friel – ''A Line Alive'' *

Ashley Fure Ashley Fure (born 1982) is an American composer. She has received the Rome Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2017), and her composition ''Bound to the Bow'' (2016) was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Early life Fure grew up in ...

– ''Filament'' * Brad Gill – 'Drop off the body' * Marcus Goddard – ''Violin Concerto'' * Alex Gowan-Webster – ''Cantio Invocatione'' * Stuart Greenbaum – ''Tide Moon Earth Sun'' (Concerto for harp and strings) * Galina Grigorjeva – ''Chant'' *

Helen Grime Helen Grime (born 1981) is a Scottish composer whose work, ''Virga'', was selected as one of the best ten new classical works of the 2000s by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Though she was born in York, England, Grime's parents returned ...

(music) and Fiona Benson (texts) – ''Bright Travellers'' * Helen Grime – ''Woven Space'' * Sydney Guillaume – ''Alleluia Amen'' * Elliott Gyger – ''Baptism by Fire'' *

Juliana Hall Juliana Hall (born 1958) is an American composer of art songs, monodramas, and vocal chamber music. She has been described by the NATS Journal of Singing as "one of our country’s most able and prolific art song composers for almost three decades ...

– ''Cameos (mezzo soprano version)'' * Geoffrey Hanson – ''Death be not Proud'' * Holly Harrison – ''Airbender'' (for bassoon and string quartet) * Fritz Hauser – ''Transitions'' * Ted Hearne – ''Brass Tacks'' * Markus Hechtle – ''Lichtung'' * Christian Henking – ''Nunc habemus endiviam'' *

Jennifer Higdon Jennifer Elaine Higdon (born December 31, 1962) is an American composer of contemporary classical music. She has received many awards, including the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her Violin Concerto and three Grammy Award for Best Contemp ...

** ''Low Brass Concerto'' ** Tuba Concerto * York Höller – Viola Concerto *

Simon Holt Simon Holt (born 21 February 1958) is an English composer. Biography Simon Holt was born in Bolton, Lancashire on 21 February 1958. Educated at Bolton School, Holt immersed himself in organ, piano and visual art during his sixth form years. ...

** ''Llanto (para las chumberas)'' (''Lament

or the prickly pears Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Mis ...

') ** 4th Quartet ('Cloud House') *

Toshio Hosokawa is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. He studied in Germany but returned to Japan, finding a personal style inspired by classical Japanese music and culture. He has composed operas, the oratorio ''Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima'' ...

– ''Klänge der Lethe'' * Joseph Howard – ''Painkiller'' * Thomas Hyde ** Symphony ** ''Les at Leisure'' (comedy overture) * Leonardo Idrobo – ''unspoken (scene V)'' * Lisa Illean – ''Weather a Rare Blue'' * Gabriel Jackson – ''Stabat Mater'' * Joel Järventausta – ''Tumma'' * Sarah Jenkins – ''And the sun stood still'' * Patrick John Jones – ''Betelgeuse Astral Funicular'' * Samuel Jones – Flute Concerto * Vera Kappeler – ''Wolk'' * Alireza Khiabani – ''greenafter...an iranian perpetual dance'' *

Daniel Kidane Daniel Kidane (born 1986) is a British composer. His piece "Woke" opened the last night of the 2019 Proms. In 2016 his "Sirens" was one of a group of five short works commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Sh ...

– ''Dream Song'' * Jan Esra Kuhl – ''again'' * Hanna Kulenty – Double Cello Concerto * Gary Kulesha – Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra *

Helmut Lachenmann Helmut Friedrich Lachenmann (born 27 November 1935) is a German composer of contemporary classical music. His work has been associated with "instrumental musique concrète". Life and works Lachenmann was born in Stuttgart and after the end ...

– ''My Melodies'' (for 8 horns and orchestra) * James Ledger – String Quartet No 2 ('The Distortion Mirror') *

Nicola LeFanu Nicola Frances LeFanu (born 28 April 1947) is a British composer, academic, lecturer and director. Life Nicola LeFanu was born in Wickham Bishops, Essex, England, to William LeFanu and Elizabeth Maconchy (also a composer, later Dame Elizabeth M ...

(music) and Wendy Cope (text) – ''St Hilda of Whitby'' * Jonathan Leshnoff – Violin Concerto No 2 * David Ludwig and Katie Ford – ''The Anchoress'' *

Tod Machover Tod Machover (born November 24, 1953, in Mount Vernon, New York), is a composer and an innovator in the application of technology in music. He is the son of Wilma Machover, a pianist and Carl Machover, a computer scientist. He was named Direc ...

– ''Philadelphia Voices'' *

Steven Mackey Steven ("Steve") Mackey (born February 14, 1956) is an American composer, guitarist, and music educator. Life As a musician growing up listening to and performing vernacular American musics as well as classical music, Mackey's compositions are ...

– ''Joy Rhythm Study'' (for string quintet) * Sir

James MacMillan Sir James Loy MacMillan, (born 16 July 1959) is a Scottish classical composer and conductor. Early life MacMillan was born at Kilwinning, in North Ayrshire, but lived in the East Ayrshire town of Cumnock until 1977. His father is James MacMi ...

(music) and

Charles Hamilton Sorley Captain Charles Hamilton Sorley (19 May 1895 – 13 October 1915) was a British Army officer and Scottish war poet who fought in the First World War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Loos in October 1915. Life and work Born in Po ...

(poems) – ''All the Hills and Vales Along'' * Benedict Mason – ''Ricochet'' * Christian Mason – ''Man Made'' * David Matthews – Symphony No 9 * Hermann Meier – ''Stück'' (for piano and large orchestra) *

Anna Meredith Anna Howard Meredith (born 12 January 1978) is a Scottish composer and performer of electronic and acoustic music. She is a former composer-in-residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and former PRS/RPS Composer in the House with Si ...

– ''Five Telegrams'' * Jared Miller – ''Luster'' * Jocelyn Morlock – ''Night, Herself'' *

Nico Muhly Nico Asher Muhly (; born August 26, 1981) is an American contemporary classical music composer and arranger who has worked and recorded with both classical and pop musicians. A prolific composer, he has composed for many notable symphony orchestras ...

– ''Liar'' (Suite from ''Marnie'') *

Isabel Mundry Isabel Mundry (born 20 April 1963) is a German composer. Life and work Isabel Mundry was born in Schlüchtern ( Germany) in 1963 and studied composition at the Hochschule der Künste and electronic music, musicology and history at the Berlin T ...

** ''Hey!'' ** ''Mouhanad'' * Brigitta Muntendorf – ''Ballett'' for eleven musicians *

** ''La Vida es Sueño'' ** ''Whirlwind'' * Andrew Norman – ''Sustain'' * Lucas Niggli – ''Flood'' * Kris Oelbrandt ** ''Peace Cantata'' ** ''Seven Manieren van Minne'' * Elizabeth Ogonek – ''The Water Cantos otes from quiet places' * Anastasia Pahos – ''Psalm 22'' ("The Lord is My Shepherd") *

Roxanna Panufnik Roxanna Panufnik (born 24 April 1968) is a British composer of Polish heritage. She is the daughter of the composer and conductor Sir Andrzej Panufnik and his second wife Camilla, née Jessel. Panufnik was born in London. She attended Bedales ...

– ''Songs of Darkness, Dreams of Light'' * Gérard Pesson – 'Sur ce que j'ai fait cette musique dans une grande lenteur & mélancolie' * Lara Poe – ''Mirror Rim'' * Jānis Petraškevičs – ''Dead Wind'' * Francis Pott – ''Ardor Amoris'' * Stephen Pratt – ''Symphonies of Time and Tide'' *

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieve ...

– ''The Fifth Season'' * Deborah Pritchard – ''River Above'' *

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, ...

– ''Music for Ensemble and Orchestra'' * Eve Risser – ''Furakèla'' * Katharina Rosenberger – ''Meeresgesänge'' * Christopher Rouse – Bassoon Concerto * Roberto Rusconi – String Quartet No. 5 ('Algorithm in one movement') * Clemens Rynkowski – Concerto for Theremin and Orchestra *

Aulis Sallinen Aulis Sallinen (born 9 April 1935) is a Finnish contemporary classical music composer. His music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". Sallin ...

** Eight miniatures for solopiano ** Chamber Music IX Op. 112 ''Nocturne'' for singer and strings *

Rebecca Saunders Rebecca Saunders (born 19 December 1967) is a London-born composer who lives and works freelance in Berlin. In a 2017 ''Classic Voice'' poll of the greatest works of art music Art music (alternatively called classical music, cultivated mu ...

** ''Unbreathed'' (for string quartet) ** ''O, Yes & I'' * Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini – ''torso'' *

Steffen Schleiermacher Steffen Schleiermacher (born Halle, 3 May 1960) is a German composer, pianist, and conductor.Homepage
of Steffen ...

– ''Relief'' für Orchester * Denis Schuler – ''The fugitive from heaven'' * Salvatore Sciarrino – ''Cresce veloce un cristallo'' * Adam Schoenberg – ''Orchard in Fog'' (Violin Concerto) * Nina Šenk – ''Baca'' * Rodney Sharman – ''Shared Harmony'' *

Caroline Shaw Caroline Adelaide Shaw (born August 1, 1982) is an American composer, violinist, and singer. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her a cappella piece ''Partita for 8 Voices'' and the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Contemporar ...

** ''Seven Joys'' ** ''Second Essay (Echo)'' (for string quartet) ** ''Third Essay (Ruby)'' (for string quartet) *

Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR Sta ...

– Duo for violin and cello * Sean Shepherd – ''Abstract Expressionism'' * Noam Sheriff – ''Lenny'' (symphonic sketches for orchestra) * Angela Elizabeth Slater – ''Soaring in Stasis'' * Linda Catlin Smith – ''Uncertain'' (for 8 voices) * Sarah Kirkland Snider – ''Mass for the Endangered'' *

Tyshawn Sorey Tyshawn Sorey (born July 8, 1980) is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music. Sorey has received accolades for performances, recordings, and compositions ranging from improvised solo percussion to opera, ...

(music) and Terrance Hayes (text) – ''Cycles of My Being'' * Simone Spagnolo (music) and Giordano Trischitta (text) – ''Faust, Alberta'' * James Stephenson – ''Pillars'' (concerto for low brass and orchestra) * Oscar Strasnoy – ''d'amore'' * Petra Strahovnik – ''Prana'' *

Mike Svoboda Michael Svoboda (born 1960) is an American composer and trombonist who lives and works in Switzerland. Life Born in Guam, Svoboda grew up in Chicago and studied composition and conducting at the University of Illinois. In 1981, he came to German ...

– ''Coro di Spiriti'' * Paweł Szymański – ''Fourteen Points – Woodrow Wilson Overture'' *

Dobrinka Tabakova Dobrinka Tabakova ( Bulgarian: Добринка Табакова; born 1980, Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian-British composer. Early life and education Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to medical physicists Vassilka and Slavi ...

– ''Tectonic'' * Steven Takasugi – ''Howl'' * Joby Talbot – ''Ink Dark Moon'' (Guitar Concerto) *

– ''Buddha Passion'' * Conrad Tao – ''Everything Must Go'' * Iris ter Schiphorst – ''JEDER'' * Helen Thomson (music) and Greg Lehman (text) – ''A Tasmanian Requiem'' *

– ''Sinfonia Della Passione'' * Calliope Tsoupaki – ''Salto di Saffo'' * Leslie Uyeda (music) and Lorna Crozier (text) – ''Midnight Watch'' * Reza Vali – ''Ormavi'' * Bram van Camp – ''Music for 5 instruments'' * Jan van de Putte – ''Cette agitation perpétuelle, cette turbulence sans but'' * Philip Venables ** ''The Gender Agenda'' ** ''Venables Plays Bartók'' (violin concerto) *

Julian Wachner use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = ...

– ''Epistle Mass'' * Errollyn Wallen – Concerto for Violin, Viola and Accordion * Rolf Wallin – Violin Concerto ('Whirld') *

Huw Watkins Huw Thomas Watkins (born 13 July 1976) is a British composer and pianist. Born in South Wales, he studied piano and composition at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, where he received piano lessons from Peter Lawson. He then went on to re ...

– ''Spring'' * Lara Weaver – ''Christus factus est'' *

Judith Weir Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer serving as Master of the King's Music. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office. Biography Weir was born in Cambridge, England, to Scottish paren ...

** Piano Quintet ** Oboe Concerto * Jessica Wells ** ''Rhapsody'' for solo oud ** ''Copenhagen Christmas'' * Sally Whitwell – ''Three by Three'' *

** ''

Partita Partita (also ''partie'', ''partia'', ''parthia'', or ''parthie'') was originally the name for a single-instrumental piece of music (16th and 17th centuries), but Johann Kuhnau (Thomaskantor until 1722), his student Christoph Graupner, and Johann ...

'' ** Violin Concerto No. 2 * Emma Wilde – ''El Blanco Día'' * Chris Williams – 'Pass to us the cups from which sorrow is forgotten' * Alison Willis – 'A Light Not Yet Ready to Go Out' * Alex Woolf (music) and Gillian Clarke (new text) – ''Requiem'' * Christopher Wright – Symphony * Stephen Yates – ''Bat-Music''

New operas

* Giorgio Battistelli and Sarah Woods – '' Wake'' * Lembit Beecher and Hannah Moscovitch – ''Sky on Swings'' * Sir George Benjamin and

Martin Crimp Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Au ...

– '' Lessons in Love and Violence'' * Michael Betteridge (music) and Ingunn Lara Kristjansdottir (libretto) – ''#echochamber'' or ''#bergmálsklefinn'' * Jonas S. Bohlin (music and libretto) and Torbjörn Elensky (libretto) – ''Tristessa'' *

Tansy Davies Tansy Davies (born 29 May 1973, Bristol) is an English composer of contemporary classical music. She won the BBC Young Composers' Competition in 1996 and has written works for ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orc ...

and Nick Drake – ''The Cave'' * Paul Dean and Rodney Hall – ''Dry River Run'' * Christian Diendorfer and Hermann Schneider – ''Die Wand'' * Leonard Evers and Flora Verbrugge – ''GOLD!'' * Nathan Fletcher and Megan Cohen – ''A Bridge for Three'' *

Dai Fujikura Dai Fujikura ( ja, 藤倉大 ''Fujikura Dai''; born 27 April 1977) is a Japanese-born composer of contemporary classical music. Biography Dai Fujikura was born in 1977 in Osaka, Japan. He moved to London when he was 15 to study at Dover Coll ...

and Hannah Dübgen – ''Der Goldkäfer'' * John Glover and Erin Bregman – '' Precita Park'' * David Hertzberg – ''The Rose Elf'' *

and

Marcel Beyer Marcel Beyer (born 23 November 1965) is a German writer. Life Marcel Beyer was born in Tailfingen, Württemberg, and grew up in Kiel and Neuss. From 1987 to 1991 he studied German language and literature, English studies and literary studies at ...

– ''Erdbeben.Träume.'' * Emily Howard and Selma Dimitrijevic – ''To See the Invisible'' *

Michael Jarrell Michael Jarrell (born 8 October 1958) is a Swiss composer and academic teacher, whose operas, such as '' Cassandre'', have been performed internationally. Life Born in Geneva, Jarrell studied at the Geneva Conservatoire, and later with Klaus ...

– ''Bérénice'' *

György Kurtág György Kurtág (; born 19 February 1926) is a Hungarian classical composer and pianist. He was an academic teacher of piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967, later also of chamber music, and taught until 1993. Biography György ...

– ''

Fin de partie ''Endgame'', by Samuel Beckett, is an absurdist, tragicomic one-act play about a blind, paralyzed, domineering elderly man, his geriatric parents and his doddering, dithering, harried, servile companion in an abandoned shack in a post-apocalypti ...

'' * David Lang (music) and Anne Carson & Claudia Rankine (libretto) – ''The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock'' * Klaus Lang – ''der verschwundene hochzeiter'' *

Elena Langer Elena Langer (born 1974 in Moscow) is a Russian-born British composer of opera and other contemporary classical music. Her work has been performed at the Royal Opera House, Zurich Opera, Carnegie Hall, Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performi ...

and Emma Jenkins – ''Rhondda Rips It Up!'' *

Thomas Larcher Thomas Larcher (born 16 September 1963, in Innsbruck) is an Austrian composer and pianist. Biography and Work Thomas Larcher completed his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna under Heinz Medjimorec and Elisabeth Leon ...

and Friederike Gösweiner – ''Das Jagdgewehr'' (The Hunting Gun) *

and Simon Robson – ''Schoenberg in Hollywood'' *

Missy Mazzoli Missy Mazzoli (born October 27, 1980) is an American composer and pianist who is a member of the composition faculty at the Mannes College of Music. She has received critical acclaim for her chamber, orchestral and operatic work. In 2018 she becam ...

and

Royce Vavrek Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born Brooklyn-based librettist, playwright, dance scenarist, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Mikael Karlsson, Ricky Ian Gordon, Paola ...

– ''Proving Up'' *

Ella Milch-Sheriff Ella Milch-Sheriff (Hebrew: אלה מילך-שריף) is an Israeli composer, winner of ACUM award for lifetime achievfment (2022). Born in Haifa, Israel, Milch-Sheriff began her career as a composer at the age of 12. During her military servi ...

and Savyon Liebrecht – ''Die Banalität der Liebe'' *

Huang Ruo Huang Ruo (黃若, born 1976) is a Chinese-born composer, pianist and vocalist who now lives in the United States. Biography Born on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China in 1976, Huang was taught piano and composition from the age ...

and

David Henry Hwang David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays '' FOB'', ''Golden Child'', and '' Yello ...

– ''An American Soldier'' (new expanded version) * Gity Razaz – ''Fault Lines'' *

and Yona Kim – ''Benjamin'' *

David Sawer David Sawer (born 14 September 1961), is a British composer of opera and choral, orchestral and chamber music. Biography Sawer was born in Stockport, England. After attending Ipswich School, he studied music at the University of York where he ...

and Rory Mullarkey – ''The Skating Rink'' * Johannes Maria Staud and Durs Grünbein – ''Die Weiden'' *

Mark-Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE (born 10 June 1960) is a British composer of classical music. Biography Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex. He began composing at age nine and at fourteen began studying at the junior section of the Royal College of M ...

and Rory Mullarkey – ''Coraline'' * Marco Tutino (music), Luca Rossi and Wolfgang Haendele (libretto) – ''Falscher Verrat'' *

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and se ...

and Daniel MacIvor – ''Hadrian''

Albums

Iannis Xenakis Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes as Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; el, Γιάννης "Ιωάννης" Κλέαρχου Ξενάκης, ; 29 May 1922 – 4 February 2001) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde ...

– ''Terretekorth'', ''Nomos Gamma'', ''Metastaseis A'' *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

– ''Chant funèbre'' (first commercial recording), ''Le Faune et la Bergère et al.'' (

Lucerne Festival Orchestra The Lucerne Festival Orchestra is a European ''ad hoc'' seasonal orchestra based at the annual Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. History The Lucerne Festival had featured a resident orchestra as far back as 1938, with Arturo Toscanini conducting ...

;

Riccardo Chailly Riccardo Chailly (, ; born 20 February 1953) is an Italian conductor. He is currently music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, since 2016, and music director of La Scala, since 2017. Prior to this, he held chief conducting position ...

) *

Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his dystopian satire '' A Clockwork ...

– ''The Bad-Tempered Electronic Keyboard'' * Steven Burke – ''In Time's Wake'' / ''Spring Fever'' / ''Fusion'' / ''Dream Forms'' * Benet Casablancas – 'The Art of the Ensemble' (''Dove of Peace'' / ''Homage to Picasso'' / Octeto / ''Four Darks in Red'' ''Mokusei Gardens'' / ''...der graue Wald sich unter ihm schüttelte'' / ''Dance, Song and Celebration'') * Laura Schwendinger – ''Creature Quartet: Hymn for Lost Creatures'' / ''Sudden Light'' / String Quartet / ''Song for Andrew'' *

George Walker George Walker may refer to: Arts and letters *George Walker (chess player) (1803–1879), English chess player and writer *George Walker (composer) (1922–2018), American composer *George Walker (illustrator) (1781–1856), author of ''The Cost ...

– Sinfonia No 5 (two versions, first recording; Sinfonia Varsovia; Ian Hobson) *

Philippe Boesmans Philippe Boesmans (17 May 1936 – 10 April 2022) was a Belgian pianist, composer and academic teacher. He studied to be a pianist at the Royal Conservatory of Liège, and was self-taught as a composer, influenced by the Liège Group of Henri Pou ...

(music) and Joel Pommerat (libretto) – ''Pinocchio'' *

Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. Bio ...

(music) and Terrence McNally (libretto) – ''Great Scott'' * Sir

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...

– ''The Beatitudes'' (first commercial recording) ''et al.'' (Emily Birsan, Ben Johnson;

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

and

BBC Symphony Chorus The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras. Brief history Background In its early years, t ...

; Sir Andrew Davis) * Robert Aldridge (music) and Herschel Garfein (libretto) – ''Sister Carrie'' *

Brian Ferneyhough Brian John Peter Ferneyhough (; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer. Ferneyhough is typically considered the central figure of the New Complexity movement. Ferneyhough has taught composition at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and ...

– ''La Terre Est Un Homme'', ''Plötzlichkeit'' *

Grażyna Bacewicz Grażyna Bacewicz Biernacka (; 5 February 1909 – 17 January 1969) was a Polish composer and violinist. She is the second Polish female composer to have achieved national and international recognition, the first being Maria Szymanowska in the e ...

– Piano Quintets Nos 1 & 2 / Quartet for Four Violins / Quartet for Four Cellos * James Tenney – ''Harmonium'' * Philip Venables – ''Below the Belt'' * Gillian Whitehead – ''Shadows Crossing Water'' * Christian Wolff – 'Two Orchestra Pieces' (''John, David''; ''Rhapsody'') * John Adams (music) and Peter Sellars (libretto) – ''Doctor Atomic'' *

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's '' ...

– 'Orchestral Works, Volume I' (Symphonies Nos 4 & 8; Divertimento in D, op 58; ''Variations on a Scottish Theme'', op 72) *

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

– ''A Quiet Place'' (chamber version by Garth Edwin Sunderland; first recording) *

Mason Bates Mason Wesley Bates (born January 23, 1977) is a Grammy award-winning American composer of symphonic music and DJ of electronic dance music. He is the first composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and he has also be ...

(music) and Mark Campbell (libretto) – ''The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs'' *

Sergei Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

– 'Rachmaninoff Plays Symphonic Dances (Newly Discovered 1940 Recording)' * Jörg Widmann – ''

Arche ''Arche'' (; grc, ἀρχή; sometimes also transcribed as ''arkhé'') is a Greek word with primary senses "beginning", "origin" or "source of action" (: from the beginning, οr : the original argument), and later "first principle" or "element". ...

'' * ''

: The Great Live Recordings''

Deaths

** Peter Evans, British music scholar and expert on the music of

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, 88 **

Robert Mann Robert Nathaniel Mann (July 19, 1920 – January 1, 2018) was a violinist, composer, conductor, and founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet, as well as a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music. Mann, the first violinist at Ju ...

, American violinist and founding member of the

, 97 *

Colin Brumby Colin James Brumby (18 June 1933 – 3 January 2018) was an Australian composer and conductor. Biography Brumby was born in Melbourne and educated at the Glen Iris State School, Spring Road Central School, and Melbourne Boys' High School. He s ...

, Australian composer, 84 **

Luigi Alberto Bianchi Luigi Alberto Bianchi (1 January 1945 – 3 January 2018) was an Italian violinist and violist. Life Bianchi was born in 1945 in Rimini, into a musical family, and from the age of six he had violin lessons.Miroslav Miletić, Croatian composer, pedagogue and instrumentalist, 92 *

6 January Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eve ...

–

Walther Dürr Walther Dürr (27 April 1932 – 6 January 2018) was a German musicologist. He is especially known for his research of the work of Franz Schubert. From 1965 to 1997 Dürr was editor of the '' Neue Schubert-Ausgabe'', with particular responsibility ...

, German music scholar and specialist in the music of

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

, 85 *

7 January Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting. *1325 – Alfonso IV ...

– Will Gay Bottje, American composer, 92 *

– Reinhard Ulbricht, German orchestral violinist and music professor, 90 *

–

Pierre Pincemaille Pierre-Marie François Pincemaille (8 December 1956 – 12 January 2018) was a French organist, improviser, and pedagogue. He was known for his organ improvisations, both in concert and on CD and for his recordings of Charles-Marie Wido ...

, French organist, 61 *

13 January Events Pre-1600 *27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. * 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing s ...

– Josette Alviset, French arts administrator, music educator, musician, and past director of the ''Musée de l'Opéra de Vichy'', 80 * 14 January – Paul Lustig Dunkel, American flautist and conductor, 74. *

–

Anshel Brusilow Anshel Brusilow (August 14, 1928 – January 15, 2018) was an American violinist, conductor, and music educator at the collegiate level. Early life and education Brusilow was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1928, the son of Ukrainian Jewi ...

, American violinist, conductor, and educator, 89 *

24 January Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Counc ...

– Renaud Gagneux, French composer, 70 *

** Robert Capanna, American music administrator and composer, 65 ** Ed Birdwell, American music and arts administrator and former French horn player, 81 *

– Robert Rattray, British-born opera house administrator and musicians' agent, 67 *

– Alan Stout, American composer and music professor, 85 * 5 February – Caroline Brown, British cellist and founder of the

Hanover Band The Hanover Band is a British orchestra specialised in historically informed performance, founded by its artistic director, Caroline Brown. The group's website explains the name thus: '' 'Hanover' signifies the Hanoverian period 1714-1830 and ' ...

, 64 *

– Paul Danblon, Belgian composer, opera director and administrator, and journalist, 86 *

–

Jóhann Jóhannsson Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...

, Icelandic composer, 48 *

10 February Events Pre-1600 *1258 – Mongol invasions: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, bringing the Islamic Golden Age to an end. *1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn, sparking ...

–

Raimund Herincx Raimund Frederick Herincx (23 August 1927 in LondonGrove, ''Herincx, Raimund'' – 10 February 2018), was a British operatic bass-baritone. Through a varied international career, Herincx performed in most of the world's great opera houses and wit ...

, British baritone, 90 *

12 February Events Pre-1600 *1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sophie performed the first post-mortem autopsy for the purposes of teaching and demonstration at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna. *1429 – English forces under S ...

– László Melis, Hungarian composer and violinist, 64 *

– Lee Lamont, American artist manager, 86 *

– Milan Křížek, Czech composer, pedagogue and violist, 91 *

17 February Events Pre-1600 *1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau. *1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of B ...

– Gustav Zimmermann, German orchestral violinist, 85 *

26 February Events Pre-1600 *747 BC – According to Ptolemy, the epoch (origin) of the Nabonassar Era began at noon on this date. Historians use this to establish the modern BC chronology for dating historic events. * 364 – Valentinian I is pr ...

Juan Hidalgo Codorniu Juan Hidalgo Codorniu (14 October 1927 – 26 February 2018) was a Spanish composer, poet, an action and visual artist. Biography Hidalgo was born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. After studying piano and composition in Barcelona and Paris wit ...

, Spanish composer and artist, 90 **

Richard Hundley Richard Albert Hundley (September 1, 1931 – February 25, 2018) was an American pianist and composer of art songs for voice and piano. Early life Hundley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was seven years old he moved to his paternal gra ...

, US pianist and composer, 86 *

2 March Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his '' bucellarii'' are almost cut of ...

–

Jesús López Cobos Jesús López Cobos (25 February 1940 – 2 March 2018) was a Spanish conductor. Early life and career López Cobos was born in Toro, Zamora, Spain. He studied at Complutense University of Madrid and graduated with a degree in philosophy. Lat ...

, Spanish conductor, 78 *

3 March Events Pre-1600 * 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan. *1575 &nda ...

–

Virgilijus Noreika Virgilijus Kęstutis Noreika (; 22 September 1935 – 3 March 2018) was a Lithuanian tenor. Early life and education Noreika was born in Šiauliai and graduated with honors from the Lithuanian State Conservatory in 1958. A year earlier, whil ...

, Lithuanian opera singer, 82 *

– Milko Kelemen, Croatian composer, 93 * 11 March – Axel Wilczok, German orchestral violinist and past leader (''Konzertmeister'') of the Staatskapelle Berlin, 66 * 12 March – Olly Wilson, American composer, 80 *

** Otomar Kvěch, Czech composer, 67 ** Marilyn J. Ziffrin, American composer and pedagogue, 91 * 20 March – Dilbar Abdurahmonova, Uzbekistani conductor, violinist and teacher, 81 * 23 March – José Antonio Abreu, Venezuelan economist and founder of El Sistema, 78 * 28 March ** Lívia Rév, Hungarian concert pianist, 101 ** Philip De Groote, South African-born cellist and founding member of the Chilingirian Quartet, 68 * 31 March – Michael Tree, American violist and founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet, 84 * 1 April ** Michel Sénéchal, French tenor, 91 ** Patrick Kavanaugh, composer, conductor and author, 63 * 9 April ** Felix Chen, Taiwanese conductor, 75 ** J.D. McClatchy, American poet and opera librettist, 72 *

– John Oliver, American choral conductor and founder of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, 75 * 14 April ** Jean-Claude Malgoire, French conductor, 77 ** Milan Škampa, Czech violist and past member of the Smetana Quartet, 89 * 15 April – Peter Lloyd, British orchestral flautist, 86 * 21 April ** Graciela Agudelo, Mexican pianist and composer, 72 ** Huguette Tourangeau, Canadian mezzo-soprano, 78 * 24 April – Lydia Walton Ignacio Russo, Filipina-American pianist and pedagogue, 87 *

– Wanda Wilkomirska, Polish violinist and violin pedagogue, 89 *

– Hermann Krebbers, Dutch violinist and former concertmaster (leader) of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, 94 * 7 May – Roman Toi, Estonian-born composer, choir conductor and organist active in Canada, 101 *

– Jonathan Sternberg, American conductor and music professor, 98 * 11 May ** Hyun-Woo Kim, Korean-born American orchestral violinist, 65 ** Matt Marks, American composer and French horn player, and founding member of Alarm Will Sound, 38 *

** Glenn Branca, American composer and guitarist, 69 ** Daniel Webster, American classical music critic and journalist for ''

'', 86 *

– Katia Popov, Bulgarian-born American orchestral violinist, 50 * 20 May – Dieter Schnebel, German composer, 88 *

– Rebecca Tyree, American choral conductor and music educator, 62 *

– Piet Kee, Dutch organist and composer, 90 *

** Mati Palm, Estonian bass-baritone, 78 ** Mary Ellen Hutton, American classical music critic and journalist for the ''Cincinnati Post'', 77 *

– Rosa Briceño Ortiz, Venezuelan conductor and pianist, 61 *

– Andrew Massey (conductor), Andrew Massey, British-born American conductor, 72 *

– Joyce Blackham, British operatic mezzo-soprano, 84 * 9 June – Kristine Ciesinski, American soprano, 65 * 10 June – Leonid Gotman, Russian-born American orchestral violinist, 66 * 15 June – Enoch zu Guttenberg, German conductor, 71 * 16 June – Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Russian conductor, 87 * 18 June – Martin Fischer, German orchestral violinist, 86 (death announced on this date) *

– Dominik Połoński, Polish cellist, 41 *

– Bo Nilsson, Swedish composer, 81 * 29 June – Franz Beyer (musicologist), Franz Beyer, German musicologist and violist, 96 * 7 July – Paul Fetler, American composer and academic, 98 * 8 July – Oliver Knussen, British composer and conductor, 66 * 22 July – Brian Kellow, American writer, journalist and editor, 59 * 25 July – Glen Roven, American composer and musical theatre conductor, 61 * 28 July – Günter Piesk, German orchestral bassoonist, 97 * 1 August – Charles Hamlen, American classical music artist manager and charity official, 75 * 4 August – Maruska Blyszczak, Australian opera wardrobe designer, 75 * 8 August – Arthur Davies (tenor), Arthur Davies, British tenor, 77 *

– Michael Stairs, American organist and music instructor, 72 * 13 August – Rubén D'Artagnan González, Argentine orchestral violinist and past concertmaster (leader) of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 79 * 23 August ** Ronald Arnatt, British-born choir master, organist, composer, and pedagogue, 88 **

, American composer, 96 * 24 August – James Mallinson, British classical recording engineer, 75 * 25 August – Noam Sheriff, Israeli composer and conductor, 83 * 1 September – Kenneth Bowen (tenor), Kenneth Bowen, Welsh tenor, 86 *

– Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor and founder of I Solisti Veneti, 84 *

– Sheng Zhongguo, Chinese violinist, 77 *

– Tito Capobianco, Argentine opera director and administrator resident in the United States, 87 * 18 September ** David DiChiera, American opera administrator and founder of Michigan Opera Theater, 83 ** Piotr Lachert, Piotr de Peslin Lachert, Polish pianist and composer, 80 * 19 September – Peter Jansen, Dutch orchestral double bass player, 71 * 21 September – Katherine Hoover, American composer and flautist, 80 * 25 September – Friedhelm Döhl, German composer and pedagogue, 82 * 1 October – Caroline Charrière, Swiss composer, conductor and flautist, 57 *

** Bent Lorentzen, Danish composer, 83 ** Alfred Hubay, American opera house administrative staff member, 93 * 4 October – John Tyrrell (musicologist), John Tyrrell, British musicologist and specialist in the works of Leoš Janáček, 76 * 6 October – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish soprano, 85 * 12 October – Takehisa Kosugi, Japanese composer, 80 *

– Randolph Hokanson, American pianist and university teacher, 103 * 24 October – Darijan Božič, Slovenian composer and conductor, 85 * 25 October – Martin Dalby, Scottish composer and music administrator, 76 * 28 October – Richard Gill (conductor), Richard Gill, Australian conductor and pedagogue, 76 * 31 October – Wolfgang Zuckermann, German-born American harpsichord maker, 96 * 1 November – Ivan March, British music critic, 91 * 2 November – G. Alan Wagner, American baritone and voice professor, 79 *

– Blanche Burton-Lyles, American pianist and curator of the legacy of Marian Anderson, 85 * 17 November – Richard Baker (broadcaster), Richard Baker, British news reader and BBC classical music television & radio presenter, 94 *

– Levine Andrade, India-born British violinist and founding member of the Arditti Quartet, 64 * 24 November – Harold Farberman, American conductor, pedagogue, and composer, 89 * 25 November – Nina Beilina, Russian-born violinist resident in the US, 81 * 29 November – Ulrich Leyendecker, German composer, 72 * 6 December – Andrew Frierson, American bass-baritone, 94 * 15 December – Ralph Koltai, German-born British stage designer for opera, theatre, and ballet, 94 *20 December – Dennis Johnson (composer), Dennis Johnson, American mathematician and composer, 80 *

– Alain Kremski, French pianist and composer, 78 *29 December – Aldo Parisot, Brazilian-born US-based cellist and university pedagogue, 100 *30 December ** Blandine Verlet, French harpsichordist, 76 (death announced on this day) ** Claude Gingras, Canadian music critic, 87

Major awards

Grammy Awards

* Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Franz Schubert – ''Death and the Maiden''; Patricia Kopatchinskaja and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Alpha) * Best Choral Performance: Gavin Bryars – ''The Fifth Century''; The Crossing; PRISM Quartet; Donald Nally, conductor (ECM New Series) * Best Classical Compendium:

– ''All Things Majestic'', Viola Concerto, Oboe Concerto; James Button, oboe; Roberto Diaz, viola; Nashville Symphony; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Naxos) * Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Daniil Trifonov – ''Transcendental'' (Deutsche Grammophon) * Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Jennifer Higdon – Viola Concerto; Roberto Diaz, viola; Nashville Symphony; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Naxos) * Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: ''Crazy Girl Crazy'' – Barbara Hannigan and the Ludwig Orchestra (Alpha) * Best Opera Recording: Alban Berg – ''Wozzeck''; Anne Schwanewilms, Roman Trekel, et al., singers; Chorus of Students And Alumni, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University & Houston Grand Opera Children's Chorus; Houston Symphony; Hans Graf, conductor (Naxos) * Best Engineered Album, Classical: Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 / Barber – ''Adagio for Strings''; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Manfred Honeck, conductor (Reference Recordings) * Best Orchestral Performance: Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 / Barber – ''Adagio for Strings''; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Manfred Honeck, conductor (Reference Recordings) * Best Historical Album:

– The Composer; Robert Russ (music producer), Robert Russ, producer (Sony Classical) * Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost

Royal Philharmonic Society Awards

* Audiences and Engagement: Classically Yours (Orchestras Live in partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council) * Chamber Music and Song: 'Schumann Street' (Spitalfields Music) * Chamber-Scale Composition: James Dillon – ''Tanz/haus Triptych 2017'' * Concert Series and Festivals: 'This is Rattle' (

) * Conductor:

* Creative Communication: 'Becoming a Lied Singer: Thomas Quasthoff and the Art of German Song' (BBC Studios for BBC 4) * Ensemble: The Sixteen * Instrumentalist:

* Large-Scale Composition:

– ''Hibiki'' * Learning and Participation: ''Calderland – A People's Opera'' (509 Arts) * Opera and Music Theatre: 'Monteverdi 450 Trilogy' (Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras) * Singer: Allan Clayton * Young Artists: Sean Shibe

Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2018

* Chamber: Dvořák – Quintets; Boris Giltburg, Pavel Nikl, Pavel Haas Quartet (Supraphon) * Choral: Arvo Pärt, ''Magnificat'', ''Nunc dimittis'' / Alfred Schnittke, ''Psalms of Repentance''; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Kaspars Putniņš, director (BIS) * Concerto: Bartók – Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2; Christian Tetzlaff, violin; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Hannu Lintu, conductor (Ondine) * Contemporary: Pascal Dusapin – String Quartets Nos 6 & 7 etc.: Arditti Quartet; Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; Pascal Rophé, conductor (Aeon) * Early Music: 'Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks, Vol 5'; Blue Heron; Scott Metcalfe (Blue Heron) * Instrumental: Brahms – Piano Pieces, opp 76, 117 & 118; Arcadi Volodos (Sony Classical) * Opera: Berlioz – ''Les Troyens'';

, Michael Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Stéphane Degout, Marianne Crebassa et al., Rhine Opera Chorus, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Strasbourg Philharmonic Choir, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra; John Nelson, conductor (Erato) * Orchestral: Ravel – ''Daphnis et Chloé''; Ensemble Aedes; Les Siècles; François-Xavier Roth, conductor (harmonia mundi) * Recital: 'Agitata'; Delphine Galou; Accademia Bizantina; Ottavio Dantone, conductor (Alpha Classics) * Solo Vocal: 'Secrets'; Marianne Crebassa, Fazıl Say * Recording of the Year: Berlioz – ''Les Troyens''; Joyce DiDonato, Michael Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Stéphane Degout, Marianne Crebassa et al., Rhine Opera Chorus, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Strasbourg Philharmonic Choir, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra; John Nelson, conductor (Erato) * Young Artist of the Year: Lise Davidsen * Label of the Year: harmonia mundi * Artist of the Year: Rachel Podger * Orchestra of the Year: Seattle Symphony Orchestra * Lifetime Achievement Award: Neeme Järvi

Musical America Awards

* Artist of the Year: Daniil Trifonov * Composer of the Year: Julia Wolfe * Conductor of the Year: Carlos Miguel Prieto * Vocalist of the Year: Anthony Roth Costanzo * Ensemble of the Year: JACK Quartet

Juno Awards

* Classical Album of the Year, Solo or Chamber: ''Chopin Recital 3'' – Janina Fialkowska * Classical Album of the Year, Large Ensemble: Chopin: Works for Piano & Orchestra – Jan Lisiecki, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Krzysztof Urbanski * Classical Album of the Year, Vocal or Choral: ''Crazy Girl Crazy'' – Barbara Hannigan, Ludwig Orchestra * Classical Composition of the Year: Jocelyn Morlock – ''My Name is Amanda Todd''

British Composer Awards

* Amateur or Young Performers: Oliver Searle – ''Microscopic Dances'' * Chamber Ensemble: James Weeks – ''Libro di fiammelle e ombre'' * Choral: Judith Weir – ''In the Land of Uz'' * Community or Educational Project: Liam Taylor-West – ''The Umbrella'' * Jazz Composition for Large Ensemble: Cassie Kinoshi – ''Afronaut'' * Jazz Composition for Small Ensemble: Simon Lasky – ''Close to Ecstasy'' * Orchestral: Sir

– ''Deep Time'' * Small Chamber: Rebecca Saunders – ''Inbreathed'' * Solo or Duo: Dominic Murcott – ''The Harmonic Canon'' * Sonic Art: Emily Peasgood – ''Halfway to Heaven'' * Stage Works: Oliver Coates – ''Shoreline'' * Wind Band or Brass Band: Simon Dobson – ''The Turing Test'' * British Composer Award for Innovation: Trevor Wishart * British Composer Award for Inspiration: Sally Beamish

Other

* 2018 Grawemeyer Award Winner in Music: Bent Sørensen (composer), Bent Sørensen – ''L'isola della Città'' (Triple Concerto)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2018 In classical music 2018 in music, Classical Classical music by year Culture-related timelines by year