Thousands of anniversaries. In 2020, 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 8: Essential anniversaries
Throughout 10 centuries of history, there are thousands of anniversaries. For April 8, there are no less than 91 dates to remember: births, deaths, premieres, inaugurations... Among them: Venanzio Rauzzini (210th anniversary, Death), Charles Auguste de Bériot (150th anniversary, Death), Zbigniew Drzewiecki (130th anniversary, Birth), Charles Griffes (100th anniversary, Death), John Reardon (90th anniversary, Birth)... to name only some of the artists, composers or performers, known or less known throughout the world.
All important anniversaries to commemorate a April 8
2017
Rita Orlandi-Malaspina, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Operatic tenor
Death (age 79)
2011
Donald Shanks, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Australian bass-baritone opera singer
Death (age 70)
2008
Loren Driscoll, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American opera singer
Death (age 79)
2004
Peter Elvins, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, singer, opera singer
Death (age 70)
2003
Maki Ishii, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Japanese composer
Death (age 66)
2001
Mark Reshetin, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Soviet Russian singer
Death (age 70)
1996
Donald Adams, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Opera singer, actor (1928-1996)
Death (age 67)
1994
Irene Eisinger, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German singer
Death (age 90)
Quddus Khojamyarov, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Soviet musician
Death (age 75)
1993
Marian Anderson, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, African-American contralto
Death (age 96)
1988
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Mongolian baritone
Birth (32th anniversary)
1987
Andrei Bondarenko, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Ukrainian singer
Birth (33th anniversary)
Anni Frind, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech opera singer
Death (age 87)
Tianwa Yang, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Chinese violinist
Birth (33th anniversary)
1985
Janka Kulcsár, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Hungarian pianist
Birth (35th anniversary)
1983
Sigurd Björling, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Swedish singer
Death (age 75)
1981
Karl Friedrich, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian singer and opera singer
Death (age 76)
1979
Deyan Vatchkov, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Bulgarian opera singer
Birth (41th anniversary)
1974
Nayden Todorov, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Bulgarian conductor
Birth (46th anniversary)
1973
Mika Satō, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, pianist
Birth (47th anniversary)
Carlos Damas, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Portuguese musician
Birth (47th anniversary)
1972
Paul Miles-Kingston, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, British opera singer
Birth (48th anniversary)
1968
Yan Fengying, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Chinese opera performer
Death (age 37)
1967
Gülüstan Əliyeva, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth (53th anniversary)
1966
John Estacio, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Canadian compoer
Birth (54th anniversary)
1964
Germaine Martinelli, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, French opera singer
Death (age 76)
1963
Andō Kō, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Japanese violinist (1878-1963)
Death (age 84)
1960
Kurt Azesberger, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian singer and opera singer
Birth
1957
Anthony Michaels-Moore, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, British opera singer
Birth (63th anniversary)
1954
Fritzi Scheff, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian-American opera singer and actress (1879-1954)
Death (age 74)
1953
Diana Montague, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, British mezzo-soprano
Birth (67th anniversary)
1952
Movsar Mintsaev, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth (68th anniversary)
1950
Erna von Weymarn-Petersen, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, singer
Death (age 61)
Leo Marian Vodička, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech actor and opera singer
Birth (70th anniversary)
1949
Sabine Hass, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German opera singer
Birth
Fanie de Jager, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, singer
Birth (71th anniversary)
1947
Walter Raffeiner, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian singer and opera singer
Birth
Mark Zeltser, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American pianist
Birth (73th anniversary)
1944
Gustav Landauer, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer (1866-1944)
Death (age 78)
1942
Stephen Gunzenhauser, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, conductor
Birth (78th anniversary)
1939
Emilio Serrano y Ruiz, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Spanish composer
Death (age 89)
1935
David DiChiera, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American composer and opera manager
Birth
1933
Jaroslav Smolka, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech music educator, composer, musicologist and university educator
Birth
1930
John Reardon, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American opera singer (1930-1988)
Birth
1929
Walter Berry, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian opera singer
Birth
1928
Willi Brokmeier, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, born:1928-04-08|; Brokmeier, Willi; 1928-...
Birth (92th anniversary)
1925
Abbie Carrington, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American operatic singer
Death (age 68)
Walter Uhlig, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Birth
1924
Dušan Vrchoslav, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech conductor, composer and educator
Birth
1921
Franco Corelli, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian tenor
Birth
Jan Novák, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech composer and pianist
Birth
Ernst von Possart, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German actor and director
Death (age 79)
1920
Charles Griffes, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, American composer
Death (age 35)
100th anniversary (2020)
1917
Adam Andrzejewski, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Polish singer
Birth
1912
Emily Soldene, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, British actor-manager, singer and writer
Death (age 73)
1906
Raoul Jobin, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Canadian opera singer
Birth
1902
Josef Krips, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian musician
Birth
1900
Libuše Paserová, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech opera singer
Birth
1897
Herbert Eimert, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German composer and journalist
Birth
1893
Xavier Boisselot, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Composer and piano maker
Death (age 81)
1890
Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Polish pianist and pedagogue
Birth
1889
Jean-Baptiste Arban, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, French cornetist, conductor, composer and pedagogue
Death (age 64)
Adrian Boult, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, English conductor
Birth
1886
Dimitrios Levidis, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Greek composer
Birth
1882
Helene Wildbrunn, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian soprano
Birth
1881
Nikolai Myaskovsky, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Russian composer
Birth
Jos Watelet, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Belgian composer, musicologist, pianist and organist
Birth
1880
Alberto de Gorostiaga, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Spanish opera singer
Birth
1879
Nikolai Zaremba, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Russian composer
Death (age 57)
1878
Henrietta Treffz, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Austrian mezzo-soprano
Death (age 59)
1874
Alois Grois, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, singer, opera singer, stage actor, actor
Death (age 65)
1871
Charles-Louis Hanssens, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Belgian composer
Death (age 68)
1870
Charles Auguste de Bériot, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Belgian composer and violinist
Death (age 68)
150th anniversary (2020)
1861
Stanislao Gastaldon, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian composer
Birth
Vicent Peydró Díez, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Spanish composer (1861-1938)
Birth
1860
Laura Friedmann, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, German soprano
Birth
1852
Anna Maria Strandberg, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Swedish actress
Birth
1851
John Parry, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Welsh harpist and composer
Death (age 75)
1848
Gaetano Donizetti, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian opera composer
Death (age 50)
Louis Adam, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, French composer
Death (age 89)
1847
Theodor Hofer, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth
1843
Asger Hamerik, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Danish composer
Birth
1838
Emilie Mechelin, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Finnish opera singer
Birth
1822
Giuseppe Apolloni, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian composer
Birth
1815
Jakub Jan Ryba, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Czech teacher and composer on the break of classicism and romantism
Death (age 49)
1810
Venanzio Rauzzini, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian opera singer and teacher
Death (age 63)
1784
Dionisio Aguado y García, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Spanish classical guitarist and composer
Birth
1773
Giuseppina Grassini, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Birth
1692
Giuseppe Tartini, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian composer and violinist (1692–1770)
Birth
1533
Claudio Merulo, Anniversaries (April 8), Classical music history, Italian composer
Birth