2026 in classical music
| List of years in classical music |
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This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2026.
| By location |
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| By genre |
| By topic |
Events
[edit]- 1 January
- At the 2026 Vienna New Year's Concert, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin perform the "Sirenen Lieder" of Josephine Amann-Weinlich and the "Rainbow Waltz" of Florence Price, in orchestrations by Wolfgang Dörner, the second time that the concert has featured music by female composers and the first time that the concert has featured more than one female composer.[1] The inclusion of the Florence Price selection also marks the first appearance of music by a composer from outside Europe and by a composer of colour.[2] The orchestra and conductor presented these works in the 30 December 2025 and 31 December 2025 performances of the same programme.
- The Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse officially takes national status in France, with the new name of the Orchestre national de Mulhouse.[3]
- 6 January – The Opéra national de Paris announces the appointment of Semyon Bychkov as its next music director, effective 1 August 2028, with an initial contract of four years.[4]
- 7 January
- Aurora Orchestra announces that John Harte is to stand down as its chief executive in July 2026.[5]
- The London Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of John Harte as its next managing director, effective in August 2026.[6]
- 9 January – The board of directors of Washington National Opera votes to relocate from the Kennedy Center and to discontinue productions there.[7]
- 12 January – The Orchestra of the Swan announces the appointment of Zoë Curnow as its next executive director, effective 1 April 2026.[8]
- 13 January – The Park Avenue Armory announces the appointment of Deborah Warner as its artistic director, with immediate effect.[9]
- 14 January – The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam announces Liam Nassereddine as the winner of its 'Concertgebouw Young Talent Award'.[10]
- 15 January – An explosion in the city centre of Utrecht causes the evacuation of the Utrechts Conservatorium.[11]
- 16 January – Washington National Opera announces the planned continuation of its spring 2026 season at George Washington University, following its 9 January decision to vacate the Kennedy Center.[12]
- 20 January – The Metropolitan Opera announces cost-reduction plans to include staff redundancies and salary reductions, and the postponement of one new production originally scheduled for the 2026-2027 season.[13]
- 21 January – The Ernst von Siemens Foundation announces its 2026 prizes:
- 2026 Composer Prizes: Bethan Morgan-Williams, Hovik Sardaryan, Kitty Xiao[14]
- Ensemble Prizes '26: NO HAY BANDA, Ensemble for New Music Tallinn[15]
- 2026 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize: Jordi Savall[16]
- 22 January
- The Cliburn announces the inaugural Cliburn International Competition for Conductors, scheduled for 2028 in Houston.[17]
- The Allentown Symphony Orchestra announces that Diane Wittry is to retire as its music director at the close of the 2027-2028 season.[18]
- 24 January – Denyce Graves gives the final performance of her career at the Metropolitan Opera, as Maria in Porgy and Bess.[19]
- 27 January –
- The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert Treviño as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2026-2027 season, with an initial contract of four years.[20]
- Ex Cathedra announces the appointment of James Burton as its next artistic director, effective with the 2027-2028 season.[21]
- Philip Glass announces the withdrawal of the world premiere of his Symphony No. 15 from its scheduled June 2026 performances at the Kennedy Center.[22]
- 30 January – The Opernhaus Wuppertal announces the appointment of Christian Reif as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2027-2028 season.[23]
- 1 February – The closure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years is announced, to take effect on 4 July 2026, ostensibly for renovation and reconstruction.[24]
- 5 February – The London multi-arts centre Southbank Centre debuts 'Classical Mixtape: A Live Takeover', offering audiences mix their own experience of live looping performances from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Chineke! Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra, over the course of a single evening across a 11-acre site. The evening's performances were programmed by the Centre's six resident orchestras and Head of Classical Music, Toks Dada.[25]
- 8 February – In the Super Bowl LX halftime show, a bespoke string orchestra performs an arrangement of Bad Bunny's song 'Monaco', under the direction of Giancarlo Guerrero.[26]
- 9 February
- The RAI National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Michele Mariotti as its next principal conductor, the first Italian conductor to be named to the post, effective in October 2026, with an initial contract of three seasons.[27]
- Jeffrey Kahane resigns as music director of the San Antonio Philharmonic.[28]
- 10 February
- The Canadian Opera Company announces the appointment of Ian Derrer as its next general director, effective 1 July 2026.[29]
- News reports indicate that Ian Derrer is to conclude his tenure as general director and chief executive officer of Dallas Opera on 30 June 2026, in parallel with his appointment to the Canadian Opera Company.[30]
- 11 February – The Nashville Symphony announces the appointment of Leonard Slatkin as its next music director, effective with the 2026-2027 season, with a set tenure through the 2028-2029 season.[31]
- 12 February – The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra announces that Jaime Martín is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2026-2027 season.[32]
New works
[edit]- Sophia Jani – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra[33]
- Ricardo Lorenz – Humboldt's Nature[34]
- Olga Neuwirth – Zones of Blue (clarinet concerto)[35]
- Annija Anna Zarina – Bloom[36]
New operas
[edit]- Dai Fujikura and Harry Ross – The Great Wave[37]
- Olga Neuwirth and Elfriede Jelinek – Monster's Paradise[38]
- Matthias Pintscher and Daniel Arkadij Gerzenberg – Das kalte Hertz[39]
Recordings
[edit]- Nadia Boulanger and Raoul Pugno – La ville morte (first recording)[40]
- David Lang – 'the sense of senses' (first recording)[41]
- Gabriela Ortiz – Yanga, Dzonot (first recordings), Seis Piezas a Violeta[41]
Deaths
[edit]- 2 January
- Ritva Auvinen, Finnish opera singer, 93[42]
- Lajos Rovátkay, Hungary-born harpsichordist and musicologist resident in Germany, 92[43]
- 3 January – Mesut İktu, Turkish baritone and pedagogue, 78[43]
- 5 January – Andrew Carter, British choral composer and pedagogue, 86[44]
- 6 January – Rhoda Levine, American opera director, 93[45]
- 7 January – Ihor Blazhkov, Ukrainian conductor, 89[43]
- 11 January
- Andrew Clements, British music critic, 75[46]
- John Wallace, British trumpeter, composer and arts educator, 75[47]
- 22 January – Peter Hanser-Strecker, German music publisher, 83[48]
- 24 January – Kazuhito Yamashita, Japanese guitarist, 64[49]
- 25 January – Jeroen Bal, Dutch orchestral pianist, 52[50]
- 2 February – Niek Wijns, Dutch clarinetist, 69[51]
- 5 February – Tamás Vásáry, Hungarian pianist and conductor, 92[52]
- 10 February – Uwe Dierksen, German trombonist, 66[53]
- 11 February – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor, 92[54]
Major awards
[edit]2026 Musical America Award Winners
[edit]- Artist of the Year: Emanuel Ax[55]
- Composer of the Year: Gabriela Lena Frank[56]
- Conductor of the Year: Jakub Hrůša[57]
- Vocalist of the Year: Gerald Finley[58]
- Impresario of the Year: Martha Gilmer[59]
2026 Grammy Awards
[edit]- Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Donnacha Dennehy – Land of Winter; Alarm Will Sound (Nonesuch)
- Best Choral Performance: Gabriela Ortiz – Yanga; Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Los Angeles Master Chorale; Grant Gershon, chorus master; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Platoon)
- Best Classical Compendium: Gabriela Ortiz – Yanga, Los Angeles Philharmonic,Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Los Angeles Master Chorale; Grant Gershon, chorus master; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Platoon)
- Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Shostakovich – The Cello Concertos; Yo-Yo Ma; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Telemann: Ino - Opera Arias For Soprano; Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra; Amanda Forsythe, soprano; Robert Mealy, Paul O'Dette, and Stephen Stubbs, conductors (CPO)
- Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Gabriela Ortiz – Dzonot
- Best Opera Recording: Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer – Intelligence; Janai Brugger, J'Nai Bridges, Jamie Barton, Caitlin Lynch, Michael Mayes, Nicholas Newton, Joshua Blue; Houston Grand Opera Orchestra; Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera)
- Best Engineered Album, Classical: Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 / Mason Bates – Resurrexit; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Manfred Honeck, conductor; Mark Donahue and John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Reference Recordings)
- Best Orchestral Performance: Olivier Messiaen – Turangalîla-Symphonie; Yuja Wang, piano; Cécile Lartigau, ondes martenot; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Deutsche Grammophon)
References
[edit]- ^ Christoph Irrgeher (1 January 2026). "Der Dirigent strahlte im Publikum: Neujahrskonzert mit Tschuff-Tschuff". Der Standard. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Christoph Irrgeher (29 December 2025). "Diversität im Dreivierteltakt beim Neujahrskonzert". Der Standard. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Louis-Valentin Lopez (2 January 2026). ""Une nouvelle page qui s'ouvre" : l'Orchestre de Mulhouse devient "orchestre national en région"". France Musique. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Appointment of Semyon Bychkov as Music Director of the Opéra national de Paris" (Press release). Opéra national de Paris. 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Some news from the Aurora office team" (Press release). Aurora Orchestra. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ "Press Announcement: London Symphony Orchestra Names Next Managing Director" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Adam Nagourney (9 January 2026). "Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Zoë Curnow appointed as Executive Director" (Press release). Orchestra of the Swan. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Park Avenue Armory Appoints Deborah Warner as New Artistic Director" (Press release). Park Avenue Armory. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Concertgebouw Young Talent Award voor Liam Nassereddine" (Press release). Concertgebouw. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Explosie in Utrecht: Conservatorium ontruimd". NPO Klassiek. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Reggie Ugwu (16 January 2026). "Washington National Opera Finds a Stage Outside the Kennedy Center". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Adam Nagourney (20 January 2026). "Despite Drastic Financial Steps, Met Opera Turns to Layoffs and Cuts". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Composer Prizes Awarded to Bethan Morgan-Williams, Hovik Sardaryan, and Kitty Xiao" (Press release). Ernst von Siemens Foundation. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Ensemble Prizes '26 to NO HAY BANDA and Ensemble for New Music Tallinn" (Press release). Ernst von Siemens Foundation. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Jordi Savall Receives the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize" (Press release). Ernst von Siemens Foundation. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ Derrick Bryson Taylor (22 January 2026). "The Cliburn, Known for Piano Competitions, Will Hold One for Conductors". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Allentown Symphony's leader for 31 years announces she is stepping down". Lehigh Valley News. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ Adam Nagourney (26 January 2026). "Denyce Graves Says Goodbye to the Opera Stage After 40 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Orchestra FGE îl numește pe Robert Treviño dirijor principal începând cu Stagiunea 26/27" (Press release). George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Ex Cathedra announces James Burton as next Artistic Director succeeding founder Jeffrey Skidmore after 57 years" (Press release). Ex Cathedra. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ Adam Nagourney (27 January 2026). "Philip Glass Withdraws From Kennedy Center, as Its Symphony Vows to Play On". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Christian Reif wird ab 2027/28 Generalmusikdirektor" (Press release). Stadt Wuppertal. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ Adam Nagourney and Julia Jacobs (1 February 2026). "T---p Says Kennedy Center Will Close for 2-Year Reconstruction Project". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "The Southbank Centre announces Classical Mixtape: a multi-venue takeover bringing together over 200 musicians from six orchestras for one night only | Southbank Centre". www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ Megan McDonald (8 February 2026). "Yes, That Was Sarasota Orchestra Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero in the Super Bowl Halftime Showl". Sarasota Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ "Michele Mariotti al vertice dell'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai" (Press release). RAI Cultura. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Jack Morgan (9 February 2026). "Yet another blow to the San Antonio Philharmonic as music director resigns". Texas Public Radio. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "The Canadian Opera Company appoints Ian Derrer as next General Director" (Press release). Canadian Opera Company. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Marcheta Fornoff (10 February 2026). "Dallas Opera leader will leave Texas, take new role in Toronto". KERA. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ "Leonard Slatkin Announced as the Nashville Symphony's Music Director" (Press release). Nashville Symphony. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ "Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) Appoints Jaime Martín Music Director Laureate Beginning with the 2027–28 Season" (PDF) (Press release). Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ William McGinney (13 February 2026). "DSO premieres compelling Violin Concerto alongside Russian favorites". Texas Classical Review. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ "Los Angeles Philharmonic concert programme, 12-15 February 2026". Los Angeles Philharmonic. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Antoine Lévy-Leboyer (10 February 2026). "Sir Simon Rattle impresses with Henze's Das Floss der Medusa in Munich". Seen and Heard International. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Clare Varney (23 January 2026). "Jaap van Zweden, the Dutch wanderer, returns to the Concertgebouw Orchestra". Bachtrack. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ David Smythe (1 February 2026). "East meets West in Dai Fujikura's The Great Wave at Scottish Opera". Bachtrack. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ Jeffrey Arlo Brown (1 February 2026). "The 'Gigantic, Fecal Baby' Inside Every Populist Ruler". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ Jeffrey Arlo Brown (9 January 2026). "A Fairy Tale Opera Trades the Moral for the Mysterious". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Andrew Clements (1 January 2026). "Boulanger: La Ville Morte album review – The celebrated teacher's early opera is brought back to life". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ a b Seth Colter Walls, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, David Weininger, Oussama Zahr, Arya Roshanian (8 January 2026). "5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Katri Tihilä (2 January 2026). "Oopperalaulaja Ritva Auvinen on kuollut". YLE (Finnish Radio). Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b c Keith Bramich (January 2026). "Lajos Rovátkay". Classical Music Daily. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ "Andrew Carter dead at 86". The Diapason. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Adam Nossiter (17 January 2026). "Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ Martin Kettle and Imogen Tilden (11 January 2026). "Andrew Clements, Guardian's classical music critic, dies aged 75". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Obituary: John Wallace, 1949-2026" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Der Verlag Schott Music gibt den Tod seines langjährigen Verlegers und Vorsitzenden der Geschäftsführung bekannt". NMZ. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Gitarist Kazuhito Yamashita (1961-2026) had geen orkest nodig voor symfonisch werk". NPO Klassiek. 28 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Orchestra pianist Jeroen Bal has passed away" (Press release). Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Stille kracht achter Nederlands Blazers Ensemble Niek Wijns (69) overleden". NPO Klassiek. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ Tim Page (17 January 2026). "Tamas Vasary, Pianist of Power and Sensitivity, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "We Say Farewell: Uwe Dierksen" (Press release). Ensemble Modern. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Matthias Keller (12 February 2026). "Zum Tod von Helmuth Rilling: Der Bach-Papst". BR Klassik. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Stuart Isacoff (January 2026). "Artist of the Year: Emanuel Ax". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Heidi Waleson (January 2026). "Composer of the Year: Gabriela Lena Frank". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Clive Paget (January 2026). "Conductor of the Year: Jakub Hrůša". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Mark Thomas Ketterson (January 2026). "Vocalist of the Year: Gerald Finley". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Gerard McBurney (January 2026). "Impresario of the Year: Martha Gilmer". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
