2007 in classical music

Events

• January 1 — George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Commonwealth New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame. Imogen Cooper and John Rutter are appointed CBE.^[1]
• February – A lightning strike severely damages the ageing organ at Llandaff Cathedral, which has to be replaced.^[2]
• February 26 – Gramophone magazine reports on its website a confession by William Barrington-Coupe that he released recordings by other pianists under the name of his wife Joyce Hatto, claiming that she was unaware of the deception.^[3]
• April 29 – The first precollege music conservatory for the Arab-speaking population of Israel opens in Shfaram.^[4]
• May 16–20 – The European Festival of Youth Choirs is held in Basel, Switzerland.
• 4–August 11 – The Three Choirs Festival is held at Gloucester, with a programme including Benjamin Britten's War Requiem and Mahler's Symphony No 8.^[5]
• 24 August – The Faenol Festival in North Wales, masterminded by Bryn Terfel, opens with a concert featuring Girls Aloud. Other artists appearing during the weekend include Rebecca Evans, Carlos Alvarez, and Michael Ball.^[6]
• September 22–29 – The 35th North Wales International Music Festival is held at St Asaph.
• November 9 – At the Hindu Novemberfest, Carnatic vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan and Western Classical pianist Anil Srinivasan première tracks from their collaborative album Colour of Rain.^[7]

New works

The following composers' works were composed, premiered, or published this year, as noted in the citation.

A

• Kalevi Aho – Oboe Concerto^[8]

• Lera Auerbach – Symphony No. 1 "Chimera"

B

C

D

• Michael Daugherty – Deus ex Machina^[9]

E

F

• Lorenzo Ferrero – Fantasy Suite, for flute, violoncello and piano

G

• Sofia Gubaidulina
  • Ravvedimento, for cello and four guitars
  • In Tempus Praesens, concert for violin and orchestra

H

• Nigel Hess – Piano Concerto

I

J

K

• Wojciech Kilar – Symphony No. 5 Advent Symphony, for choir and orchestra or instrumental ensemble

L

• Claude Ledoux – Canto a due for B♭ clarinet and cello

M

N

O

P

• Martijn Padding – And Trees Would Sing, for counter tenor/high tenor and trombone quartet

• Brice Pauset – Vier variationen, for flute, percussion, piano and string trio

Q

R

S

• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Klang^[10]
  • Balance, for flute, English horn, and bass clarinet
  • Glück (Bliss), for oboe, English horn, and bassoon
  • Hoffnung (Hope), for violin, viola, and cello
  • Glanz (Brilliance), for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and viola
  • Treue (Fidelity), for E-flat clarinet, basset horn, and bass clarinet
  • Erwachen (Awakening), for soprano saxophone, trumpet, and cello

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Opera premieres

• Alice in Wonderland (Unsuk Chin, David Henry Hwang; June 30)^[11]
• Appomattox (Philip Glass, Christopher Hampton; October 5)^[12]
• Frau Margot (Thomas Pasatieri, Frank Corsaro; June 2)^[13]
• Monkey: Journey to the West (Chen Shi-Zheng, Damon Albarn; 28 June)^[14]

Ballet

• Lorenzo Ferrero – Franca Florio, regina di Palermo^[15]

Albums

• Haydn Piano Sonatas – Fazıl Say^[16]
• P. D. Q. Bach and Peter Schickele: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour – Peter Schickele^[17]

Musical films

• War/Dance^[18]
• Water Flowing Together^[19]

Deaths

• January 1 – Julius Hegyi, American conductor, 83^[20]
• January 3 – János Fürst, Hungarian conductor and violinist, 71^[21]
• January 21 – Mina Foley, New Zealand coloratura soprano, 76^[22]
• January 28 – Karel Svoboda, Czech songwriter and composer, 68 (suicide)^[23]
• December 5 – Karlheinz Stockhausen, German avant-garde composer, 79^[24]
• December 16 – Harald Genzmer, German composer and academic, 98^[25]

Major awards

Classical Brits

Source:^[26]

• Singer of the Year — Anna Netrebko
• Musician of the Year — Leif Ove Andsnes
• Young British Classical Performer — Ruth Palmer
• Album of the Year — Paul McCartney – Ecce Cor Meum
• Soundtrack of the Year — Planet Earth – George Fenton
• Critics' Award — Freiberg Baroque Orchestra/RIAS Kammerchoir/Rene Jacobs - Mozart/La Cler
• Lifetime Achievement In Music — Vernon Handley

Grammy Awards

• See 50th Grammy Awards

See also

• 2007 in music