2013 in classical music

Events

• January 10 – Richard Dare resigns as president of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, following reports of a prior accusation of a sexual offense in 1996 and of exaggerations of his business accomplishments.^[1]
• January 16 – The Houston Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Andrés Orozco-Estrada as its next music director, effective with the 2014–2015 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.^[2]
• February 18 – The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Edward Gardner as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2015–2016 season.^[3]
• March 18 – The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Stefan Solyom as its next chief conductor, as of the 2014–2015 season.^[4]
• April 25 – Santa Fe Opera announces the appointment of Harry Bicket as its next chief conductor, effective 1 October 2013.^[5]
• May 19 – James Levine conducts his first concert after an absence of two years, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.^[6]
• June 22 – American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton wins the "Song Prize" at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.^[7]
• July 1 – Jaime Martín formally becomes principal conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra.^[8]
• August 20 – The Colorado Symphony Orchestra elevates Andrew Litton from its music advisor to Music Director, with immediate effect.^[9]
• September 7 – American orchestral conductor Marin Alsop becomes the first woman to conduct the Last Night of The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
• November 29 – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra announces that Bramwell Tovey is to conclude his tenure as VSO music director after the 2017–2018 season.^[10]
• December 10 – La Scala announced the appointment of Riccardo Chailly as its next music director, effective 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2022.^[11]

New works

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

A

• Hans Abrahamsen – Let Me Tell You, for soprano and orchestra^[12]

• Mark Adamo – Aristotle^{[citation needed]}

• John Adams – Saxophone Concerto^{[citation needed]}

• Thomas Ades – Totentanz^{[citation needed]}

B

• Matej Bonin – Mouvements^{[citation needed]}

C

• Benet Casablancas
  • Tres Interludios, for orchestra^{[citation needed]}
  • Obertura Festiva, for orchestra^{[citation needed]}

D

• Bryce Dessner – Murder Ballads^{[citation needed]}

E

• Brian Elias – Once Did I Breathe Another's Breath^{[citation needed]}

F

• Lorenzo Ferrero – Venice 1976 (A Parody), for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano^{[citation needed]}

• Francesco Filidei
  • Ballata No. 3, for piano and ensemble^{[citation needed]}
  • Due Trascrizioni da Merula e Trabaci, for string quartet^{[citation needed]}
  • Poemetto, for ensemble^{[citation needed]}
  • Silence = Death (Democracy), for 4 percussionists^{[citation needed]}

• Graham Fitkin – Panufnik Variations^{[citation needed]}

• Cheryl Frances-Hoad – Katharsis^{[citation needed]}

• Gabriela Lena Frank – Karnavalito No. 1^{[citation needed]}

G

• Philip Glass
  • String Quartet No. 6^{[citation needed]}
  • Two Movements for Four Pianos^{[citation needed]}

• Edward Gregson – Aztec Dances (concerto for flute and ensemble) (2010)^{[citation needed]}

• Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen – Together or Not^[13]

H

• David Philip Hefti – Éclairs^{[citation needed]}

I

J

K

• Wojciech Kilar – A prayer to St. Therese the Little Flower, for mixed choir a cappella^{[citation needed]}

L

M

• Missy Mazzoli – Heartbreaker^{[citation needed]}

N

O

P

Q

R

• Steve Reich – Radio Rewrite^{[citation needed]}

• Christopher Rouse
  • Symphony No. 4^[14]
  • Thunderstuck^[15]

• Poul Ruders
  • String Quartet No. 4 (2012)^{[citation needed]}
  • Schrödinger's Cat (2012)^{[citation needed]}

S

• Aulis Sallinen – Five Portraits of Women, Op. 100^{[citation needed]}

T

• Mark-Anthony Turnage – Speranza^{[citation needed]}

U

V

• Ian Venables – The Song of The Severn, Op. 43^{[citation needed]}

• Param Vir – Cave of Luminous Mind^{[citation needed]}

W

• Judith Weir – Blue-Green Hill (2013)^{[citation needed]}

X

Y

Z

Opera

• Gerald Barry – The Importance of Being Earnest: premiere staged performance, 17 March 2013, Opéra national de Lorraine, Nancy^{[citation needed]}

• Terence Blanchard – Champion^{[citation needed]}

• Raymond Deane – The Alma Fetish (2012), concert performance, Dublin, National Concert Hall, 17 September 2013^[16]

• Ivan Fischer – The Red Heifer^[17]

• Philip Glass – The Perfect American^{[citation needed]}

• André Tchaikowsky – premiere of The Merchant of Venice at the Bregenz Festival, 18 July (opera written 1968–82)^{[citation needed]}

• Šimon Voseček – Biedermann und die Brandstifter^{[citation needed]}

Albums

• Plácido Domingo – Verdi
• Ludovico Einaudi – In a Time Lapse
• Howard Goodall – Inspired
• Tine Thing Helseth – Tine^[18]

Musical films

• A Late Quartet

Deaths

• January 10 – Franz Lehrndorfer, German organist and composer, 84^[19]
• February 3 – Oscar Feltsman, Russian composer, 91^[20]
• February 8 – James DePreist, US conductor, 76^[21]
• February 15 – Antonín Kohout, Czech cellist, member of the Smetana Quartet, 93^[22]
• February 22 – Wolfgang Sawallisch, German conductor and pianist, 89^[23]
• February 27 – Van Cliburn, US pianist, 78^[24]
• February 28
  • William Bennett, American oboist (San Francisco Symphony), 56 (cerebral hemorrhage)^[25]
  • Armando Trovajoli, Italian film composer and pianist, 95^[26]
• March 1 – Rafael Puyana, Colombian harpsichordist, 81^[27]
• March 9 – Tengiz Amirejibi, Georgian pianist. 89^[28]
• March 21 – Jean-Michel Damase, French composer, pianist, and teacher, 85^[29]
• April 4 – Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-born Australian composer, arranger and orchestra conductor, 84^[30]
• April 10 – Thomas Hemsley, English opera singer, 85^[31]
• April 13 – Stephen Dodgson, composer, 89^[32]
• April 14 – Sir Colin Davis, British conductor, 85^[33]
• April 15 – Jean-François Paillard, French classical conductor, 85^[34]
• April 22 – Lalgudi Jayaraman, Indian violinist, 82^[35]
• April 25 – Jacob Avshalomov, Chinese-born American conductor and composer, 94^[36]
• May 6 – Steve Martland, British composer, 53^[37]
• May 8 – Delia Rigal, Argentine operatic soprano, 92^[38]
• May 9 – Michael Earl, British opera and ballet actor, 84^[39]
• May 15 – Albert Lance, Australian-born French opera singer, 87^[40]
• May 17 – Harold Shapero, American composer and pianist, 93^[41]
• May 20 – Anders Eliasson, Swedish composer, 66^[42]
• May 22 – Henri Dutilleux, French composer, 97^[43]
• June 1 – Paul Olefsky, US cellist (Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra), 87^[44]
• June 2
  • Mario Bernardi, Canadian conductor and pianist, 82^[45]
  • Keith Wilson, US classical musician, teacher and conductor, 96^[46]
• June 3 – Arnold Eidus, US violinist, 90^[47]
• June 9 – Bruno Bartoletti, Italian conductor, 86^[48]
• June 16 – Richard Marlow, English organist and choral director, 74^[49]
• June 27 – Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish composer and music industry executive, 73^[50]
• August 1
  • John Amis, British broadcaster, classical music critic and opera singer, 91^[51]
  • Toby Saks, American cellist, founder of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, 71 (pancreatic cancer)^[52]
• August 11 – Lamberto Puggelli, Italian stage and opera director, 75^[53]
• September 4 – Dick Raaymakers, Dutch composer, theater maker and theorist, 83^[54]
• September 13 – Peter Aston, English composer, 74^[55]
• September 16 – Ratiba El-Hefny, Egyptian opera singer and director of Cairo Opera House, 82^[56]
• September 25 – Hans-Joachim Rotzsch, German choral conductor, 84^[57]
• October 7 – Patrice Chéreau, French film and opera director, 68^[58]
• October 19 – Mahmoud Zoufonoun, Iranian traditional musician, 93^[59]
• October 21 – Gianni Ferrio, Italian composer, conductor and music arranger, 88^[60]
• October 29 – Rudolf Kehrer, German classical pianist, 90^[61]
• November 8 – Arnold Rosner, American composer, 68
• November 12 – Sir John Tavener, English composer of religious music, 69^[62]
• December 4 – Robert Allman, Australian operatic baritone, 86^[63]
• December 6 – Tom Krause, Finnish opera singer, 79^[64]
• December 8
  • Hung Sin-nui, Chinese Cantonese opera singer and actress, 88^[65]
  • Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and professor, 82^[66]
  • Edward Williams, English composer, 92 (Life on Earth).^[67]
• December 9 – Barbara Hesse-Bukowska, 83, Polish classical pianist, 83^[68]
• December 12 – Zbigniew Karkowski, Polish composer, 55^[69]
• December 19 – Winton Dean, English musicologist, 97^[70]
• December 21 – Lars Edlund, Swedish organist and composer, 91^[71]
• December 29 – Wojciech Kilar, Polish composer, 81^[72]

Major awards

Classical Brits

• International Artist of the Year – Lang Lang
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year – Amy Dickson
• Composer – Hans Zimmer
• Female Artist – Nicola Benedetti
• Male Artist – Daniel Barenboim
• Critics' Award – Jonas Kaufmann
• Album of the Year – André Rieu, Magic of the Movies

^[73]

Grammy Awards

• Best Orchestral Performance: "Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine" – Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
• Best Opera Recording: "Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen" – James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
• Best Choral Performance: "Life & Breath – Choral Works By René Clausen" – Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale)
• Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: "Meanwhile" – Eighth Blackbird
• Best Classical Instrumental Solo – "Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola" – Kim Kashkashian
• Best Classical Vocal Solo: "Poèmes" – Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)
• Best Classical Compendium: Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis – Antoni Wit, conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, producers
• Best Classical Contemporary Composition: "Meanwhile – Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays" – Stephen Hartke, composer

Other national awards

• Spanish National Music Prize: Award for Composition: "Darkness visible – Nocturne for Orchestra after Milton/Pessoa" – Benet Casablancas, composer^[74][75]