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.
December 25: Essential anniversaries
Throughout 10 centuries of history, there are thousands of anniversaries. For December 25, there are no less than 94 dates to remember: births, deaths, premieres, inaugurations... Among them: Gladys Swarthout (120th anniversary, Birth), Richard Bartmuss (110th anniversary, Death), Harvey Worthington Loomis (90th anniversary, Death), Sergueï Mikhaïlovitch Kotchoubeï (60th anniversary, Death), Jaan Rääts (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 December 25
Jaan Rääts, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Estonian composer
Death (age 88)
Peter Schreier, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German tenor and conductor
Death (age 84)
Vladimir Shainsky, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Soviet and Russian composer
Death (age 92)
Miriam Pirazzini, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Operatic mezzo-soprano
Death (age 98)
Walter Raffeiner, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Austrian singer and opera singer
Death (age 62)
Lore Wissmann, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Death (age 85)
Raymonde Serverius, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Belgian singer
Death (age 82)
Kōmei Abe, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, neo-classical Japanese composer
Death (age 95)
Birgit Nilsson, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Swedish opera singer
Death (age 87)
Gladys Midgley, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, British singer
Death (age 94)
Bryan Drake, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, New Zealand singer
Death (age 77)
Erika Druzovič, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, director, music pedagogue, opera singer
Death (age 90)
Atsuko Azuma, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Japanese singer
Death (age 63)
August Wenzinger, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, musician, conductor (1905-1996)
Death (age 91)
Nicolas Slonimsky, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Russian composer
Death (age 101)
Nar Ovanisyan, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Soviet singer, opera singer and music educator (1913-1995)
Death (age 82)
Antoni Majak, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Polish actor and singer
Death (age 83)
Alberta Masiello, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, vocal coach
Death (age 74)
Evgeny Golubev, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Russian composer
Death (age 78)
Jelena Stichina, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth (34th anniversary)
Stefan Haag, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Australian opera singer
Death (age 61)
Marijn Simons, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Dutch conductor and composer
Birth (38th anniversary)
Sonya Yoncheva, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Bulgarian opera singer
Birth (39th anniversary)
Mario Filippeschi, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Death (age 72)
Salvatore Papaccio, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Death (age 87)
Ricard Mayral i Vidal, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Spanish tenor
Death (age 68)
Malek Jandali, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Award-winning composer & pianist
Birth (48th anniversary)
Tatsuya Shimono, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, conductor
Birth (51th anniversary)
Lili Haydn, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Canadian actor and musician
Birth (51th anniversary)
Massimo Palombella, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian composer, priest and conductor
Birth (53th anniversary)
Ian Bostridge, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, English tenor
Birth (56th anniversary)
Josef Gostic, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Slovenian opera singer
Death (age 63)
Jonathan Nott, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, British conductor
Birth (58th anniversary)
Sergueï Mikhaïlovitch Kotchoubeï, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera singer, singer
Death (age 64)
Jon Kimura Parker, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Canadian musician
Birth (61th anniversary)
Concepció Callao, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Spanish opera singer
Death (age 64)
Zdeněk Ruth-Markov, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 65)
Jon Fylling, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Norwegian conductor
Birth (65th anniversary)
Bernardino Molinari, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian conductor
Death (age 72)
Barbara Dever, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, American mezzo-soprano
Birth (69th anniversary)
Alina Farná, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth (71th anniversary)
Michail Jurowski, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Soviet and Russian conductor
Birth (75th anniversary)
Reinhild Runkel, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German mezzo-soprano (1943-)
Birth (77th anniversary)
Alain Marion, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, French flutist
Birth
Bonaldo Giaiotti, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian operatic bass
Birth
Harvey Worthington Loomis, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, American composer
Death (age 65)
Rolf Björling, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Swedish opera singer and actor
Birth
Bethany Beardslee, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, American opera soprano
Birth (95th anniversary)
Noël Lee, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, American musician
Birth
Richard Barth, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German musician
Death (age 73)
William Ludwig, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Irish opera singer
Death (age 76)
Boris Goldstein, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Ukrainian musician
Birth
Hans Huber, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Swiss composer (1852-1921)
Death (age 69)
99th anniversary (2021)
David Josefowitz, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, British conductor and violinist (1918-2015)
Birth
David Ashkenazi, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Russian musician
Birth
Henry Verdhurdt, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Belgian opera singer-manager
Death (age 69)
Richard Bartmuss, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German composer
Death (age 51)
Jan Seidel, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Czech composer
Birth
A. Manevich, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Israeli composer
Birth
Kristaq Antoniu, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Romanian actor and singer
Birth
Grahame Clifford, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, British opera singer and actor
Birth
Work for orchestra
Premiere
Opera
“Kashchey the Immortal”, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history
Premiere
Private Opera
Vladimir Vlasov, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Russian composer
Birth
Gladys Swarthout, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, American singer
Birth
Irena Turkevycz-Martynec, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, prima donna in the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Birth
Carlotta Carozzi-Zucchi, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Death (age 67)
Bernhard Jakschtat, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German opera singer
Birth
Nikolay Aleksandrovitsj Fomenko, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, composer, music pedagogue, pianist
Birth
Mana-Zucca, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, composer
Birth
Fran Lhotka, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Czech composer
Birth
Marie von Marra-Vollmer, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 56)
Giuseppe De de Luca, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Birth
Lina Cavalieri, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Operatic soprano
Birth
Jan Kaftan, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Czech composer
Birth
Natale Abbadia, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, composer
Death (age 79)
Raoul Gunsbourg, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, opera director, impresario, composer and writer
Birth
Karel Emanuel Macan, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Czech Esperantist and composer
Birth
Herman Devriès, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, French singer
Birth
Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German composer
Death (age 86)
Bedřich Diviš Weber, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Czech music educator and composer
Death (age 76)
Temistocle Solera, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian opera librettist
Birth
Albert Grisar, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Belgian composer
Birth
Antonio Angeleri, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian musician, pianist and music educator
Birth
Michael Kelly, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Irish singer and composer
Birth
Chevalier de Saint-George, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, French musician
Birth
Anton Zimmermann, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Austrian composer
Birth
Johann Adam Hiller, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German composer and conductor
Birth
Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, French composer and violinist
Birth
Johann Nikolaus Hanff, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, German composer and organist
Death (age 48)
Giovanni Battista Somis, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, Italian violinist and composer
Birth
Orlando Gibbons, Anniversaries (December 25), Classical music history, English composer, virginalist and organist (1583-1625)
Birth