Thousands of anniversaries. In 2021, classical music and opera offer many opportunities for music lovers to commemorate composers, conductors, performers and operatic artists, to celebrate the first performances of essential works or the opening of emblematic concert halls. From January to December, there are 365 opportunities to revisit a repertoire, a recording or simply to explore 10 centuries of classical music. Something to satisfy all the inquiring minds.
April 17: Essential anniversaries
Throughout 10 centuries of history, there are thousands of anniversaries. For April 17, there are no less than 89 dates to remember: births, deaths, premieres, inaugurations... Among them: Algot Lange (170th anniversary, Birth), Giulio Alary (130th anniversary, Death), Anja Silja (80th anniversary, Birth), Cristina Ortiz (70th anniversary, Birth), Arlene Saunders (0th anniversary, Death)... to name only some of the artists, composers or performers, known or less known throughout the world.
All important anniversaries to commemorate a April 17
Arlene Saunders, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American singer
Death (age 89)
Frederick Hemke, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American musician
Death (age 83)
Deanna Durbin, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Canadian singer and actress
Death (age 91)
Bernhard Krol, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German composer and hornist
Death (age 92)
Milivoj Bacanovic, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 90)
Eric Gross, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Australian musician
Death (age 84)
Hermin Esser, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Death (age 81)
Józef Radwan, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Polish conductor
Death (age 72)
Kitty Carlisle, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American stage and screen actress, singer, and spokesperson for the arts
Death (age 96)
Anne-Charlotte Winter, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Finnish opera singer
Death (age 97)
Mary Thomas, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Welsh soprano
Death (age 64)
Lenke Zsögön, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 89)
Jozef Grešák, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, composer, organist, pianist, teacher
Death (age 79)
Emmanuel Ceysson, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, French harpist and academic
Birth (36th anniversary)
Thomas L. Thomas, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Welsh singer
Death (age 72)
Alexander Ghindin, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Russian pianist
Birth (43th anniversary)
Frederik Magle, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist
Birth (43th anniversary)
Hèctor Parra, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Spanish musician
Birth (44th anniversary)
Irma Jaunzem, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Belarusian singer, opera singer and music educator (1897-1975)
Death (age 77)
Petras Oleka, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Lithuanian opera singer
Death (age 79)
Bogusław Bidziński, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Polish singer
Birth (47th anniversary)
Hooman Khalatbari, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Iranian-Austrian pianist and music conductor
Birth (51th anniversary)
Keiko Harada, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Japanese composer
Birth (52th anniversary)
Vincent Dion Stringer, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer, singer
Birth (55th anniversary)
Luigi Ferrari Trecate, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Italian musician, composer and organist
Death (age 79)
Fritz Windgassen, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German operatic tenor
Death (age 80)
Shizuka Nakamura, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Japanese violinist
Birth (58th anniversary)
Dmitrij Vdovin, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, music pedagogue, opera singer
Birth (58th anniversary)
Rebecca Luker, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American actress, singer and recording artist
Birth
Barbara Kemp, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German opera singer
Death (age 77)
Rita Montaner, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Cuban classically trained singer, pianist and actress
Death (age 57)
Patrick Gallois, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, French flutist and conductor
Birth (64th anniversary)
Gábor Takács-Nagy, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Hungarian musician
Birth (64th anniversary)
Hannu Niemelä, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Finnish opera singer
Birth (66th anniversary)
Andrea Ihle, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Birth (67th anniversary)
Cristina Ortiz, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Brazilian pianist
Birth (70th anniversary)
Jan Hammer, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech-born American musician, composer and record producer
Birth (72th anniversary)
Grit van Jüten, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Birth (76th anniversary)
Siegfried Jerusalem, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German opera vocalist
Birth (80th anniversary)
Anja Silja, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Operatic soprano
Birth (80th anniversary)
Templar Saxe, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, British opera singer (1865-1935)
Death (age 69)
Don Kirshner, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American songwriter, publisher, music producer, manager
Birth
John Ralston, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Australian baritone
Death (age 51)
Jiři Strejc, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech conductor, music educator, composer and organist
Birth
Alfred Mahovsky, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech conductor, composer and pianist
Death (age 24)
Jindřich Emanuel Siegl, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, composer, music pedagogue, opera singer, organist
Death (age 82)
Mendi Rodan, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Conductor, violinist
Birth
Lutfiyar Imanov, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Azerbaijani opera singer
Birth
Ryōsaku Kubota, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Japanese violinist
Birth
Graziella Sciutti, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Italian soprano, vocal teacher and opera producer
Birth
Květa Belanová, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth (93th anniversary)
Anton Foerster, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech composer, choirmaster and organist
Death (age 88)
Gianni Raimondi, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Birth
Vladimír Scheufler, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech ethnographer and composer
Birth
Graciela Rivera, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Puerto Rican soprano singer
Birth
99th anniversary (2021)
Ada Thuma, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth
Janine Micheau, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, French operatic soprano (1914–1976)
Birth
Barton McGuckin, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Irish opera singer
Death (age 60)
Marta Eggerth, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, American actress
Birth
Josef Kuhn, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech composer and organist
Birth
Roy Ashton, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Australian tenor and make-up artist
Birth
Jeronimas Kačinskas, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Lithuanian composer
Birth
Gregor Piatigorsky, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Russian-born American cellist
Birth
Nicolas Nabokov, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Russian composer
Birth
Alceste Cœuriot, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, French musician
Death (age 70)
Giulio Alary, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Italian composer
Death (age 76)
Maggie Teyte, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Operatic soprano
Birth
Zulfugar Hajibeyov, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Azerbaijani composer
Birth
Walter Goetze, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German composer
Birth
Artur Schnabel, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Austrian pianist
Birth
Agnès Borgo, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, actress from Paris Opera
Birth
Caroline Duprez, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, French soprano; daughter of tenor Gilbert Duprez (1832-1875)
Death (age 43)
Irene Pewny, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer, concert singer
Birth
Alois Taux, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, composer, conductor, university teacher
Death (age 43)
Edward Jakobowski, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, British composer
Birth
Maria Sadovska-Barilotti, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, opera singer, stage actor
Birth
Algot Lange, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Swedish actor
Birth
Jean-Baptiste Accolay, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Violinist, conductor and composer
Birth
Alexander Reichardt, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Austrian opera singer
Birth
Aniceto de Ortega, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Mexican musician
Birth
Václav Tomášek, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Czech music educator and composer
Birth
Johann Mattheson, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German composer and theorist
Death (age 82)
Johann Gottlieb Naumann, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German opera composer
Birth
Mark Poltoratsky, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, (1729-1795)
Birth
Johann Paul von Westhoff, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German composer
Death (age 49)
Johann David Heinichen, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, German composer and music theorist
Birth
Antonio Bertali, Anniversaries (April 17), Classical music history, Austrian composer and violinist of Italian birth
Death (age 64)