2026 in classical music

This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2026.

Events

• 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]

New operas

• Matthias Pintscher and Daniel Arkadij Gerzenberg – Das kalte Hertz ^[20]

New albums

• Josh Taylor - minipiano ^{[21] [22] [23]}

Recordings

• Nadia Boulanger and Raoul Pugno – La ville morte (first recording) ^[24]

Deaths

• 2 January
  • Ritva Auvinen, Finnish opera singer, 93 ^[25]
  • Lajos Rovátkay, Hungary-born harpsichordist and musicologist resident in Germany, 92 ^[26]
• 3 January – Mesut İktu, Turkish baritone and pedagogue, 78 ^[26]
• 5 January – Andrew Carter, British choral composer and pedagogue, 86 ^[27]
• 6 January – Rhoda Levine, American opera director, 93 ^[28]
• 7 January – Ihor Blazhkov, Ukrainian conductor, 89 ^[26]
• 11 January
  • Andrew Clements, British music critic, 75 ^[29]
  • John Wallace, British trumpeter, composer and arts educator, 75 ^[30]
• 22 January – Peter Hanser-Strecker, German music publisher, 83 ^[31]

Major awards

2026 Musical America Award Winners

• Artist of the Year: Emanuel Ax ^[32]
• Composer of the Year: Gabriela Lena Frank ^[33]
• Conductor of the Year: Jakub Hrůša ^[34]
• Vocalist of the Year: Gerald Finley ^[35]
• Impresario of the Year: Martha Gilmer ^[36]

References

1. Christoph Irrgeher (1 January 2026). "Der Dirigent strahlte im Publikum: Neujahrskonzert mit Tschuff-Tschuff". Der Standard. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
2. Christoph Irrgeher (29 December 2025). "Diversität im Dreivierteltakt beim Neujahrskonzert". Der Standard. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
3. 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.
4. "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.
5. "Some news from the Aurora office team" (Press release). Aurora Orchestra. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
6. "Press Announcement: London Symphony Orchestra Names Next Managing Director" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
7. Adam Nagourney (9 January 2026). "Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
8. "Zoë Curnow appointed as Executive Director" (Press release). Orchestra of the Swan. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
9. "Park Avenue Armory Appoints Deborah Warner as New Artistic Director" (Press release). Park Avenue Armory. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
10. "Concertgebouw Young Talent Award voor Liam Nassereddine" (Press release). Concertgebouw. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
11. "Explosie in Utrecht: Conservatorium ontruimd". NPO Klassiek. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
12. Reggie Ugwu (16 January 2026). "Washington National Opera Finds a Stage Outside the Kennedy Center". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
13. Adam Nagourney (20 January 2026). "Despite Drastic Financial Steps, Met Opera Turns to Layoffs and Cuts". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
14. "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.
15. "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.
16. "Jordi Savall Receives the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize" (Press release). Ernst von Siemens Foundation. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
17. 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.
18. "Allentown Symphony's leader for 31 years announces she is stepping down". Lehigh Valley News. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
19. Adam Nagourney (26 January 2026). "Denyce Graves Says Goodbye to the Opera Stage After 40 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
20. Jeffrey Arlo Brown (9 January 2026). "A Fairy Tale Opera Trades the Moral for the Mysterious". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
21. "ARIA Top 20 Classical Albums Chart". www.aria.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
22. "ARIA Top 20 Classical/Crossover Albums Chart". www.aria.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
23. minipiano by Josh Taylor on Apple Music, 13 January 2026, retrieved 30 January 2026
24. 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 2025.
25. Katri Tihilä (2 January 2026). "Oopperalaulaja Ritva Auvinen on kuollut". YLE (Finnish Radio). Retrieved 12 January 2026.
26. Keith Bramich (January 2026). "Lajos Rovátkay". Classical Music Daily. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
27. "Andrew Carter dead at 86". The Diapason. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
28. Adam Nossiter (17 January 2026). "Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
29. Martin Kettle and Imogen Tilden (11 January 2026). "Andrew Clements, Guardian's classical music critic, dies aged 75". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
30. "Obituary: John Wallace, 1949-2026" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
31. Martin Kettle and Imogen Tilden (23 January 2026). "Der Verlag Schott Music gibt den Tod seines langjährigen Verlegers und Vorsitzenden der Geschäftsführung bekannt". NMZ. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
32. Stuart Isacoff (January 2026). "Artist of the Year: Emanuel Ax". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
33. Heidi Waleson (January 2026). "Composer of the Year: Gabriela Lena Frank". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
34. Clive Paget (January 2026). "Conductor of the Year: Jakub Hrůša". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
35. Mark Thomas Ketterson (January 2026). "Vocalist of the Year: Gerald Finley". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
36. Gerard McBurney (January 2026). "Impresario of the Year: Martha Gilmer". Musical America. Retrieved 2 January 2026.