2025 in classical music

This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2025.

Events

• 1 January
  • At the 2025 Vienna New Year's Concert, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Riccardo Muti perform the Ferdinandus-Walzer of Constanze Geiger, the first music by a female composer ever performed in the Vienna Philharmonic's Neujahrskonzert. The orchestra and conductor featured the same Constanze Geiger selection in the 30 December 2024 and 31 December 2024 performances at the Musikverein of the same programme.^[1]
  • The new all-female ensemble La Philharmonica gives its inaugural concert at the Ehrbarsaal, Vienna, with a programme of music by Leopoldine Blahetka, Gisela Frankl, Constanze Geiger, Joseph Hellmesberger Jr., Mathilde Kralik, Johann Strauss II, Maria Anna Stubenberg, and Josephine Amann-Weinlich.^[2]
• 6 January – The Moab Music Festival simultaneously announces the appointment of Tessa Lark as its next artistic director, and the retirement of its founding directors Michael Barrett and Leslie Tomkins.^[3]
• 9 January – The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Martin Rajna as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of four seasons.^[4]
• 10 January – The Houston Symphony announces the appointment of Gary Ginstling as its next executive director and chief executive officer, effective 3 February 2025.^[5][6]
• 13 January – News reports confirm the destruction of Belmont Music Publishers, the publisher of the works of Arnold Schoenberg, with losses on the order of 100,000 scores and parts, as a result of the Palisades Fire.^[7]
• 14 January – Sony Music Entertainment announces its acquisition of Supraphon.^[8][9]
• 15 January
  • The Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Hannu Lintu as its next music director, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. In parallel, the orchestra announces that Hans Graf is to stand down as its music director at the close of the 2025–2026 season.^[10]
  • The 19th century barge that served as the concert venue for Bargemusic is towed from its long-standing slip at Fulton Ferry Landing for scrappage at Staten Island, after evaluation and judgment that the barge was no longer viable to continue as a concert venue.^[11]
• 16 January
  • The Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung announces its 2025 prizes:
    • Sir Simon Rattle is announced as the recipient of the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.^[12]
    • Ashkan Behzadi, Bastien David and Kristine Tjøgersen are announced as the recipients of the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Composer Prizes.^[13]
  • The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert McGrath as its next executive director and chief executive officer, effective 3 February 2025.^[14]
• 17 January – The Seattle Symphony announces the scheduled departure of Krishna Thiagarajan as its president and chief executive director, effective 30 April 2025.^[15]
• 24 January
  • Juanjo Mena discloses via social media his diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.^[16][17]
  • The Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana announces the appointment of Sir Mark Elder as its next music director, effective 1 September 2025, with an initial contract of two years.^[18]
  • The first live performance of selections from the opera Morgiane, with music by Edmond Dédé, takes place at the St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans), under a joint presentation by Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole.^[19]
• 27 January
  • The board of the Basque National Orchestra terminates the contract of Robert Treviño contract as its music director, with immediate effect.^[20]
  • The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces that Deborah Rutter is to stand down as its president at the close of 2025.^[21]
  • The Teatro Municipal de Santiago announces the appointment of Paolo Bortolameolli as the new principal conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, with immediate effect, with a contract through 2028.^[22]
• 28 January – On Site Opera announces that it is to cease operations in the winter of 2025.^[23]
• 29 January – Opera Australia announces the departure of Fiona Allan as its chief executive officer, with immediate effect.^[24]
• 3 February – Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole jointly present the first complete performance of the opera Morgiane by Edmond Dédé at the Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)^[25]
• 4 February
  • The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Vanessa Reed as its next chief executive, effective 2 June 2025.^[26]
  • New Music USA announces that Vanessa Reed is to stand down as its president and chief executive officer as of 2 May 2025.^[27]
• 6 February – Daniel Barenboim discloses via social media his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.^[28]
• 7 February – The 'Joachim-Ma' Stradivarius violin sells for USD $11.25 million at auction at Sotheby's, with proceeds from the sale to benefit a student scholarship programme at the New England Conservatory of Music.^[29]
• 10 February – The Kaufman Music Center announces the appointment of Anthony Mazzocchi as its next executive director.^[30]
• 12 February – The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Marc Albrecht as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season.^[31]
• 14 February – The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Jean-Marie Zeitouni as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season.^[32]
• 18 February – The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Markus Poschner as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, subject to the settlement of secure funding for the orchestra.^[33]
• 24 February – Michael Tilson Thomas announces via his website that his glioblastoma has returned and that he is curtailing his guest-conducting appearances, with his final conducting appearance scheduled for 26 April 2025 in San Francisco.^[34]
• 28 February –
  • Christian Tetzlaff announces the cancellation of his planned spring 2025 concert tour of the United States with his string quartet, in protest at US government policies.^[35]
  • Graham Parker stands down as chief executive officer of The Louisville Orchestra.^[36]
• 4 March – The Aizuri Quartet announces that it is to disband at the close of the 2024–2025 concert season, with its final performance scheduled for 25 April 2025.^[37]
• 5 March 
  • The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie announces the appointment of Marzena Diakun as its next chief conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective with the 2026–2027 season.^[38]
  • The Handel and Haydn Society announces that David Snead is to retire from the posts of president and chief executive officer, effective May 2025.^[39]
• 6 March
  • Symphony Tacoma announces that Sarah Ioannides is to conclude her tenure as music director of Symphony Tacoma at the close of the 2025–2026 season.^[40]
  • The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards are announced at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire:^[41]
    • Chamber-Scale Composition: Sarah Lianne Lewis – letting the light in
    • Conductor: Kazuki Yamada
    • Ensemble: Paraorchestra
    • Gamechanger: NMC Recordings
    • Impact: Re:Discover Festival – Streetwise Opera
    • Inspiration: Open Arts Community Choir
    • Instrumentalist: Laura van der Heijden
    • Large-Scale Composition: Katherine Balch – whisper concerto
    • Opera and Music Theatre: Death in Venice – Welsh National Opera
    • Series and Events: The Cumnock Tryst
    • Singer: Claire Booth
    • Storytelling: Classical Africa – BBC Radio 3
    • Young Artist: GBSR Duo
• 10 March – The Norwegian Radio Orchestra announces the appointment of Holly Hyun Choe as its next principal conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective January 2026.^[42]
• 13 March 
  • The Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar announces the appointment of Daniel Carter as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season.^[43]
  • The Eugene Symphony announces the appointment of Alex Prior as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season, with an initial contract of four years.^[44]
  • The first documented public performance of music from the cantata Sémiramis by Maurice Ravel, the 'Prélude et Danse', is given by the New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel at David Geffen Hall, New York City.^[45]
• 19 March
  • Sir András Schiff announces the cancellation of his scheduled 2025–2026 concert appearances in the United States, in protest at US government policies.^[46][47]
  • The first performance of a rediscovered 1920 composition by Darius Milhaud, a setting for soprano and seven instruments of a text by Jean Cocteau composed for the birthday of Audrey Parr and found at the residence of Parr's granddaughter Laetitia Jack, takes place at Cardiff University School of Music.^[48]
• 1 April – Adrien Perruchon becomes principal conductor of the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, the first non-Korean conductor to hold the post.^[49]
• 2 April – The municipality of Princeton, New Jersey formally takes ownership of the campus of Westminster Choir College.^[50]
• 3 April – The Netherlands Bach Society announces the appointment of Johanna Soller as its next artistic director, the first woman to hold the post, effective 1 May 2025, with an initial contract of five seasons.^[51][52]
• 10 April
  • The London Philharmonic Choir announces the appointment of Madeleine Venner as its chorus director, the first woman to be named to the post, effective with the 2025–2026 season.^[53]
  • The Staatstheater Braunschweig announces the appointment of Tobias Wolff as its next Generalintendant (General Director), effective in the autumn of 2026.^[54]
• 13 April – The Ukrainian pianist and organist Olena Kohut is killed as a result of a Russian missile attack on Sumy.^[55]
• 15 April
  • The Korean National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Roberto Abbado as its new artistic director, effective January 2026, with an initial contract of three years.^[56]
  • Opera Colorado announces the appointment of Barbara Lynne Jamison as its next general director and chief executive officer, effective 1 August 2025.^[57]
  • Kentucky Opera announces that Barbara Lynne Jamison is to stand down as its general director at the close of the 2024–2025 season.^[58]
• 21 April – The Solti Foundation U.S. announces Holly Hyun Choe as the recipient of the 2025 The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.^[59]
• 23 April – The Philadelphia Orchestra announces the appointment of Ryan Fleur as its new president and chief executive officer, with immediate effect.^[60]
• 25 April
  • The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin announces the appointment of Kazuki Yamada as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three years.^[61]
  • Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts announces the appointment of Daniel Hope as its next artistic advisor, effective with the 2025–2026 season.^[62]
• 26 April
  • The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Delta David Gier, presents the first live performance of the opera Giants in the Earth by Douglas Moore since 1974, in a new performing edition.^[63]
  • Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the final concert of his career, with the San Francisco Symphony.^[64]
• 29 April – The Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra announces that it is to cease operations permanently at the close of June 2025.^[65]
• 1 May – The Delaware Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Michelle Di Russo as its next music director, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective with the 2025–2026 season.^[66]
• 5 May The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Kazuki Yamada is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of his current contract, in August 2026.^[67]
• 6 May
  • Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Konzerthaus, Vienna in the first subscription series concert in the orchestra's history with a female conductor.^[68]
  • The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts announces the appointment of Gillian Fox as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 9 June 2025.^[69]
• 12 May – La Scala announces the appointment of Myung-whun Chung as its next music director, effective in 2027.^[70]
• 14 May
  • English National Opera announces the appointment of André de Ridder as its next music director, effective with the 2027–2028 season.^[71]
  • The city of Freiburg im Breisgau announces that André de Ridder is to stand down as Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Theater Freiburg at the close of the 2026–2027 season.^[72]
  • The National Arts Centre Orchestra announces that Alexander Shelley is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2025–2026 season.^[73]
• 28 May – The London Mozart Players announce that Flynn Le Brocq is to stand down as its chief executive officer at the end of August 2025.^[74]
• 29 May – The Ojai Music Festival announces that Ara Guzelimian is to stand down as its executive director at the close of the festival's 2026 season.^[75]
• 30 May – Los Angeles Opera announces the appointment of Domingo Hindoyan as its next music director, effective 1 July 2026, with an initial contract of five years.^[76]
• 3 June – The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Donald Palumbo as the next director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, effective 1 July 2025, with an initial contract of three years.^[77]
• 7 June – The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition announces the medal winners of the 2025 Cliburn Competition:^[78]
  • Gold Medal: Aristo Sham
  • Silver Medal: Vitaly Starikov
  • Bronze Medal: Evren Ozel
• 9 June – The Columbus Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Maureen O'Brien as its next chief executive officer, effective 15 July 2025.^[79]
• 11 June – The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Simon Rivard as its new music director, effective 1 June 2025.^[80]
• 12 June – The Opéra de Montréal announces simultaneously the scheduled retirement of Patrick Corrigan as its general director and the appointment of Jean-Pierre Primiani as its new general director, both effective 1 November 2025.^[81]
• 13 June
  • The King's Birthday Honours 2025:^[82]
    • Alex Beard is made a Knight Bachelor.
    • David Pickard is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
    • Ann Atkinson Sharp, Gabriella Di Laccio, and Angela Dixon are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
  • The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino announces the appointment of Daniele Gatti as its next music director, as of the 2026 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.^[83]
• 23 June – The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra announces simultaneously the appointment of André de Ridder as its next music director and the scheduled conclusion of Gemma New's tenure as its principal conductor, both effective in 2027.^[84]
• 24 June
  • The Deutsche Oper am Rhein announces the appointment of Ina Karr as its new Generalintendantin (General Managing Director), the first woman to be named to the post, effective with the 2027–2028 season, with an initial contract of five years.^[85]
  • The Duisburg Philharmonic announces the appointment of Stefan Blunier as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three years.^[86]
• 25 June – The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra announces the appointment of Peter Whelan as its next music director, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three seasons.^[87]
• 27 June – The London Symphony Orchestra announces that Kathryn McDowall is to stand down as its managing director in July 2026.^[88]
• 30 June – The Czech Philharmonic announces the appointment of Jakub Hrůša as its next chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2028-2029 season, with an initial contract of five seasons.^[89]
• 4 July The BBC Singers simultaneously announce the scheduled conclusion of the tenure of Sofi Jeannin as its chief conductor at the close of the 2025-2026 season, and the appointment of Owain Park as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026-2027 season.^[90]
• 9 July – The Gran Teatre del Liceu announces simultaneously the scheduled conclusion of the tenure of Josep Pons as its music director, and the appointment of Jonathan Nott as its next music director, effective with the 2026-2027 season, with an initial contract of five years.^[91]
• 15 July – The Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur des Landes Brandenburg announces the appointment of Felix Mildenburg as the next chief conductor of the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt (Brandenburgischen Staatsorchesters Frankfurt), effective 1 August 2026.^[92]
• 16 July – The Nashville Symphony announces the re-appointment of Leonard Slatkin as its music advisor, effective with the 2025-2026 season, for a term of three seasons.^[93]
• 18 July –
  • The Bayreuth Festival announces the appointment of Matthias Rädel as its next general manager.^[94]
  • The Minnesota Orchestra announces the appointment of Isaac Thompson as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 14 October 2025.^[95]
  • The Oregon Symphony announces that Isaac Thompson is to stand down as its president and chief executive officer (CEO), and that Paul Snyder is to become interim CEO upon the departure of Thompson.^[96]
• 21 July – The Un'Estate da RE Festival announces the cancellation of the previously announced concert scheduled for July 27 that was to have featured Valery Gergiev as conductor, in his first Western Europe concert following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[97]
• 29 July – The Staatstheater Nürnberg announces the appointment of Killian Farrell as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2027-2028 season.^[98]
• 31 July
  • The Bruckner Orchestra Linz announces the appointment of Christoph Koncz as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2027-2028 season, with an initial contract of five years.^[99]
  • The Nashville Symphony announces that Alan D. Valentine is to retire from the posts of president and chief executive officer of the orchestra, as of the close of the 2025-2026 season.^[100]

New works

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

A

• John Adams – After the Fall (piano concerto)^[101]
• Lara Agar – Suntime Bedtime Moontime^[102]
• Dieter Ammann – No Templates (viola concerto)^[103]
• Rafael Marino Arcaro – Invention in Language of Child^[102]

B

• Sir George Benjamin – 'Interludes and Aria' from Lessons in Love and Violence^[104]
• Kieran Brunt – The Hologram of St. Cecilia^[105]

C

• Alice Chance – Iuvenia^[106]
• Raven Chacon – inscription^[107]
• Arowah (Anjelica Cleaver) – 'In This World Of War, Peace is What We're Fighting For'^[105]
• Anna Clyne – The Eye^[105]
• Erland Cooper – Birds of Paradise^[105]
• Tom Coult – Monologues for the Curious^[108]

D

• Aftar Darvishi – Likoo^[109]
• Olivia Davies – Confluence^[110]
• Jasdeep Singh Degun – Abbhā (A Tribute to Ustad Vilayat Khan)^[105]
• Donnacha Dennehy – Hard Landing^[105]
• Alma Deutscher – The Euterpides^[111]
• Jasper Dommett – King Torques Hollow Acetate^[105]

E

• Melody Eötvös – Baelō^[112]

F

• Ricardo Ferro – Apsinthos^[113]

G

• Nicholas Gawley – Appalachia^[114]
• Michael Gordon – The Forest of Metal Objects^[115]

H

• Jake Heggie (music) and Gene Scheer (text) – Crossing Borders^[116]
• Anders Hillborg – Hell Mountain (Homage to Mahler)^[117]
• Natalie Holt – Eyjafjallajökull^[105]
• Sir Stephen Hough – Nocturne for September 10th 2001^[105]
• Oswald Huýnh – Nước^[118]

I

J

• Sir Karl Jenkins – 'The Signs Still Point the Way'^[105]

K

• Gordon Kampe (music) and Dieter Sperl (text) – Die Kreide im Mund des Wolfs^[119]
• Elena Kats-Chernin – Rainbow Promise^[105]

L

• Thomas Larcher – returning into darkness (cello concerto)^[120]
• Lei Liang – A Book of Time I^[121]

M

• Steven Mackey – The Ancestors: ballet in eight tableaux^[122]
• Sir James MacMillan – 'Where the Lugar meets the Glaisnock' (euphonium concerto)^[123]
• Philipp Maintz – jag die hunde zurück! (for six sopranos and six percussionists, after Ingeborg Bachmann)^[124]
• David Matthews – Serenade and Tango^[125]
• Jessie Montgomery – Chemiluminescence^[120]
• Nico Muhly – Doom Painting^[126]
• Thea Musgrave – In memoriam 2022^[105]

N

• Olga Neuwirth – Tombeau II: Hommage à Pierre Boulez^[102]

O

• Kris Oelbrandt – Passion of Innocence^[127]
• Nkeiru Okoye – And The People Celebrated^[105]

P

• Vanessa Perica – String Quartet No. 1 ('No feeling is final')^[128]
•  Sepehr Pirasteh – will the mountains sing for me ^[129]
• Peggy Polias – Cameo^[106]

Q

R

• Joey Roukens – Violin Concerto ('Out of the Deep')^[130]

S

• Christopher Sainsbury – Concertino for Flute^[106]
• Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini – Enigma^[131]
• Nina Shehkar – Accordion Concerto^[132]
• Sean Shepherd – Quadruple Concerto (Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon)^[133]
• Thomas Simaku – Catena IV^[134]
• Rakhi Singh – 'There is nothing in the sky'^[105]
• Carlos Simon (music), Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Courtney Ware (text) – Good News Mass ^[135]
• Mark Simpson – Zebra (or, 2-3-74: The Divine Invasion of Philip K Dick)^[136]
• Kate Soper – Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus^[137] 

T

• Hawar Tawfig – rIJks^[138]
• Karen Tanaka – Echoing Souls^[105]
• Conrad Tao – The Hand (for piano and orchestra)^[139]
• Josh Taylor – Prelude and Etude^{[140][141][142]}
• Christopher Theofanidis – Indigo Heaven (clarinet concerto; composition from 2023)^[143]
• Mark-Anthony Turnage – Sco (guitar concerto)^[104]

U

V

• Aleksandra Vrebalov – Love Canticles^[144]

W

• Errollyn Wallen
  • Remembering 2012^[105]
  • The Elements^[145]
• Huw Watkins – Concerto for Orchestra^[146]
• Mindy Meng Wang – Concerto for Guzheng and Orchestra^[147]
• Jörg Widmann – Cantata in tempore belli^[148]

X

Y

Z

New operas

• Jasmine Arielle Barnes and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton – She Who Dared^[149]
• Gerald Barry – Salome^[150]
• Charlotte Bray and Colum McCann – American Mother^[151]
• Unsuk Chin – Die Dunkle Seite des Mondes (The Dark Side of the Moon)^[152]
• Francesco Filidei (music and libretto) and Stefano Busellato (libretto) – Il nome della rosa^[153]
• Beat Furrer and Thomas Stangl – Das grosse Feuer^[154]
• Damien Geter and Jessica Murphy Moo – Loving v. Virginia^[155]
• John Glover and Kelley Rourke – Eat the Document^[156]
• Ricky Ian Gordon (music), Lynn Nottage and Ruby Aiyo Gerber (libretto) – This House^[157]
• David Hanlon and Stephanie Fleischmann – The Pigeon Keeper^[158]
• Jennifer Higdon and Jerre Dye – Woman With Eyes Closed^[159]
• Daniel Kessner and Lionelle Hamanaka – The Camp^[160]
• Amy Beth Kirsten – Infernal Angel^[161]
• Philippe Manoury (music), Patrick Hahn, Philippe Manoury, and Nicolas Stemann (libretto) – Die letzten Tage der Menschheit^[162]
• Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera – Primero Sueño (text by Juana Inés de la Cruz)^[163]
• Rebecca Saunders and Ed Atkins – Lash^[164]
• Bent Sørensen and Jon Fosse – Asle and Alida^[165]
• Miroslav Srnka and Tom Holloway – Voice Killer^[166]
• Eric Tuan (music and text), Emily Jiang and Daryl Ngee Chinn (text) – Echoes of Eureka^[167]
• Mark-Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall – Festen^[168]
• Jennifer Walshe and Mark O'Connell – Mars^[169]
• Michael Wertmüller and Roland Schimmelpfennig – Echo 72^[170]

Recordings

• Claudio Arrau – The Ambassador Auditorium Recitals^[171]
• Sir Granville Bantock and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser – The Seal Woman (first commercial recording)^[172]
• Pierre Boulez – Livre pour quatuor (first recording of full six-movement version, with reconstructed fourth movement completed by Philippe Manoury; Quatuor Diotima)^[173]
• Ruth Gipps – Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 (including first recording of her Symphony No. 1)^[174]
• Sir Stephen Hough – Piano Concerto ('World of Yesterday') / Partita / Sonata nostalgica (first recordings)^[175]
• Wynton Marsalis – Blues Symphony (Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Jader Bignamini))^[176]
• Francesco Scarlatti – Daniele (first recording)^[177]
• Gregory Spears – Seven Days (first commercial recording)^[176]
• Sir Michael Tippett – New Year (first complete recording)^[178]
• Errollyn Wallen – 'Orchestral Works' ^[179]

Deaths

• 1 January
  • Jean-Michel Defaye, French pianist, composer, arranger and conductor, 92^[180]
  • Nora Orlandi (Joan Christian), Italian pianist, violinist, soprano and composer, 91^[181]
• 2 January – Wilhelm Brückner, German luthier, 92^[182]
• 7 January – Ayla Erduran, Turkish violinist, 90^[183]
• 9 January – Otto Schenk, Austrian opera director and actor, 94^[184]
• 11 January – Mario Klemens, Czech conductor, 88^[185]
• 13 January
  • Walter Deutsch, Austrian composer, musicologist, pianist, and radio and television presenter, 101^[186]
  • Elgar Howarth, British conductor, composer and trumpeter, 89^[187]
• 17 January
  • Mary O'Reilly, American-born orchestral violinist active in The Netherlands, 71^[188]
  • Herbert Henck, German pianist, 76^[189]
• 18 January – Claire van Kampen, British pianist, composer, arranger, and playwright, 71^[190]
• 26 January – Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Japanese conductor, 84^[191]
• 30 January – İlhan Usmanbaş, Turkish composer, 104^[192]
• 3 February – Paul Plishka, American bass, 83^[193]
• 5 February – Hans-Peter Lehmann, German opera director, 90^[194]
• 9 February – Edith Mathis, Swiss soprano, 86^[195]
• 10 February – Maria Tipo, Italian pianist, 93^[196]
• 16 February – Vladimír Válek, Czech conductor, 89^[197]
• 20 February – Ilkka Kuusisto, Finnish opera composer, conductor, choirmaster, and organist, 91^[198]
• 25 February
  • Simon Lindley, English organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer, 76^[199]
  • Ferenc Rados, Hungarian pianist, 90^[200]
• 26 February – James Lockhart, 94^[201]
• 2 March – Dieuwertje Blok, Dutch classical radio presenter, 67^[202]
• 13 March – Sofia Gubaidulina, Tatar-Russian composer, 93^[203]
• 17 March – Scott Nickrenz, American violist and arts administrator, 87^[204]
• 24 March – Alan Cuckston, British harpsichordist, pianist, conductor, and lecturer, 85^[205]
• 26 March
  • Leo Boudewijns, Dutch radio presenter and writer on music, 93^[206]
  • Nicolas Kynaston, British organist, 83^[207]
• 30 March – Enrique Bátiz, Mexican conductor and pianist, 82^[208]
• 31 March – John Nelson, American conductor, 83^[209]
• 9 April – Roberto Cani, Italian orchestral violinist, 57^[210]
• 10 April – Niklas Eklund, Swedish trumpeter, 56^[211]
• 14 April
  • Christian Elliott, Canadian cellist, 41 (death announced on this date)^[212]
  • Peter Seiffert, German tenor, 71^[213]
• 15 April – Joel Krosnick, American cellist and member of the Juilliard String Quartet, 84^[214]
• 16 April – Peter Ablinger, Austrian composer, 66^[215]
• 17 April – Erhard Grosskopf, German composer, 91^[216]
• 21 April – Martin Longborough, British opera administrator and founder of Longborough Festival Opera, 83^[217]
• 24 April – Kari Løvaas, Norwegian soprano, 85^[218]
• 25 April – Richard Wernick, American composer and academic, 95^[219]
• 29 April
  • Christfried Schmidt, German composer and arranger, 92^[220]
  • Bernard Garfield, American orchestral bassoonist, 100^[221]
• 1 May – Victor Aviat, French oboist and conductor, 42^[222]
• 2 May – Pierre Audi, Lebanon-born arts administrator and stage director (theatre, opera), 67^[223]
• 7 May
  • Ronald Corp, British composer and conductor, 74^[224]
  • Marinus Komst, Dutch orchestral timpanist, 72^[225]
• 11 May
  • Matthew Best, British bass, conductor, composer, arranger, editor and pedagogue, 67^[226]
  • Alena Veselá, Czech organist and musical teacher, 101^[227]
• 12 May
  • Ernst Mahle, German-Brazilian orchestra composer and conductor, 96^[228]
  • Yasunao Tone, Japanese avant-garde composer, 90^[229]
• 13 May – David Watkin, British cellist, conductor, musicologist, and pedagogue, 60^[230]
• 15 May – Luigi Alva, Peruvian tenor, 98^[231]
• 16 May – Jadwiga Rappé, Polish alto, 73^[232]
• 22 May – Guy Klucevsek, American accordion player, 78^[233]
• 28 May – Per Nørgård, Danish composer, 92^[234]
• 29 May – Charles Wadsworth, American pianist, arts administrator, and founder of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 96^[235]
• 4 June – Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Venezuelan conductor, 62^[236]
• 13 June – James Fankhauser, USA-born choral conductor, teacher and tenor resident in Canada, 85^[236]
• 17 June
  • Alfred Brendel, Czech-born Austrian pianist, 94^[237]
  • Charles Burrell, American orchestral double bassist and the first African-American double bassist of a major American orchestra, 104^[238]
• 18 June – Teet Järvi, Estonian cellist, 67^[236]
• 29 June
  • Stuart Burrows, Welsh tenor, 92^[239]
  • Kenneth Freed, American orchestral violist, 64^[240]
• 30 June – Gilda Cruz-Romo, Mexican soprano, 85^[241]
• 2 July
  • Diana McVeagh, British music scholar, 98^[242]
  • Bas Ramselaar, Dutch bassoonist, 64^[243]
  • David Fenwick Wilson, American-born Canadian music scholar, organist, conductor, pedagogue and writer, 95^[244]
• 6 July – Helena Tattermuschová, Czech soprano, 92^[245]
• 7 July – Fox Fehling, American orchestral violinist, 76^[246]
• 11 July – Raymond Guiot, French flautist, composer and pedagogue, 94^[247]
• 16 July – Gary Karr, American double bassist, 83^[248]
• 18 July – Sir Roger Norrington, British conductor and advocate of the Historically informed performance movement, 91^[249]
• 19 July – Béatrice Uria-Monzon, French mezzo-soprano, 62^[250]
• 21 July – David Rendall, British tenor, 76^[251]
• 26 July – Jill Pasternak, American classical radio presenter and harpist, 91^[252]
• 27 July – Daniel Lentz, American composer, 83^[253]
• 31 July – Robert Wilson, American theatre and opera director, 83^[254]

Major awards

• 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music: Susie Ibarra – Sky Islands^[255]

2025 Musical America Award Winners

• Artist of the Year: Barbara Hannigan
• Composer of the Year: Jake Heggie
• Instrumentalist of the Year: Víkingur Ólafsson
• Vocalist of the Year: Angel Blue
• Director of the Year: James Robinson^[256]

2025 Grammy Awards

• Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Rectangles and Circumstance, Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion (Nonesuch)
• Best Choral Performance: Ochre (compositions by Ayanna Woods, George Lewis, Caroline Shaw); The Crossing; Donald Nally, conductor (Navona Records)
• Best Classical Compendium: Gabriela Ortiz – Revolución Diamantina, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Johann Sebastian Bach – Goldberg Variations; Víkingur Ólafsson (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Beyond the Years — Unpublished Songs of Florence Price; Karen Slack, Michelle Cann (Azica Records)
• Best Instrumental Composition: Pascal Le Boeuf – 'Strands'
• Best Opera Recording: Kaija Saariaho – Adriana Mater; Fleur Barron, Axelle Fanyo, Nicholas Phan, Christopher Purves; San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Jason O'Connell, producer (SFS Media)
• 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: Gabriela Ortiz – Revolución Diamantina, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Producer of the Year, Classical: Elaine Martone