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.
May 12: Essential anniversaries
Throughout 10 centuries of history, there are thousands of anniversaries. For May 12, there are no less than 91 dates to remember: births, deaths, premieres, inaugurations... Among them: Giulietta Simionato (110th anniversary, Birth), Carl Fredrik Lundqvist (100th anniversary, Death), Vladimir Aleksandrovitsj Sabinin (90th anniversary, Death), Stella Kleindienst (70th anniversary, Birth), Armstrong Gibbs (60th 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 May 12
Andrzej Saciuk, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Polish singer
Death (age 87)
Heather Begg, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, New Zealand opera singer
Death (age 76)
Sara Qadimova, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Azerbaijani singer
Death (age 82)
Jozef Cleber, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Dutch conductor
Death (age 82)
Konstantin Sokolsky, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Russian singer
Death (age 86)
Haruka Nagao, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Japanese violinist
Birth (31th anniversary)
Svetlana Feodulova, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Russian opera singer
Birth (33th anniversary)
Lucie Silkenová, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech opera singer
Birth (36th anniversary)
Humphrey Searle, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, English composer
Death (age 66)
Kentaro Sato, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, composer
Birth (39th anniversary)
Asmik Grigorian, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Armenian-Lithuanian soprano singer
Birth (39th anniversary)
Alois Pernerstorfer, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Austrian opera singer
Death (age 65)
Wu Fei, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Chinese singer
Birth (43th anniversary)
Rudolf Kempe, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, German conductor
Death (age 65)
Octavio Brunetti, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Argentine musician
Birth
Oliver Lewis, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, violinist
Birth (49th anniversary)
49th anniversary (2021)
Julius Kalaš, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech music educator, composer and pianist
Death (age 64)
Jory Vinikour, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, American musician
Birth (57th anniversary)
Stanisław Wiechowicz, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Polish composer
Death (age 69)
Roman Moiseyev, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Russian conductor
Birth (60th anniversary)
Armstrong Gibbs, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, English composer
Death (age 70)
Marie Rappold, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, American operatic soprano
Death (age 82)
Bohuslav Leopold, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech conductor, violinist and composer
Death (age 67)
Stella Kleindienst, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, German singer and opera singer
Birth
Doris Soffel, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, singer
Birth (72th anniversary)
Igor Wakhévitch, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer
Birth (72th anniversary)
Martin Mumelter, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Austrian musician, violinist and music educator
Birth (72th anniversary)
Keiko Matsunami, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Japanese cellist
Birth (73th anniversary)
Józef Rychlik, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Polish composer
Birth (74th anniversary)
Arto Noras, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Finnish cellist
Birth (78th anniversary)
Jozef Sixta, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, composer, music pedagogue
Birth
David Krivitsky, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Soviet composer (1937-2010)
Birth
Jerzy Bauer, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, conductor
Birth (84th anniversary)
Andreas Dippel, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, German opera singer
Death (age 65)
Eugène Ysaÿe, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Belgian violinist, composer and conductor
Death (age 72)
Ernestina Bendazzi-Garulli, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 67)
Vladimir Aleksandrovitsj Sabinin, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, singer
Death (age 44)
Work for orchestra
“Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10”, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history
Premiere
Arthur Napoleão dos Santos, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Brazilian musician
Death (age 82)
Henri Maréchal, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer
Death (age 82)
Carl Fredrik Lundqvist, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Swedish actor
Death (age 79)
Ellis Kohs, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, American composer & scholar
Birth
Joseph R. Wood, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, American composer
Birth
Luigi Canepa, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian composer
Death (age 65)
Elisabeth Rödiger, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 54)
Clotilde Bressler-Gianoli, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, (1874-1912)
Death (age 37)
Giulietta Simionato, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Birth
Melesio Morales, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Mexican composer
Death (age 69)
Mila Kupfer-Berger, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Austrian singer, opera singer and music educator
Death (age 52)
Philip Newman, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, violonist
Birth
Lennox Berkeley, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, British composer
Birth
Ferdinand Krčmář, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth
Zdeněk Hůla, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech composer and choirmaster
Birth
Milorad Jovanović, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth
Aleksandr Kolobov, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Russian singer and opera singer
Birth
Franz Greve, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Death (age 47)
Mariano Stabile, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian opera singer
Birth
Bertha Lewis, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, British opera singer and actress
Birth
Francesco Malipiero, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian composer
Death (age 63)
Bedřich Smetana, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech composer
Death (age 60)
Ludovic Lamothe, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Haitian composer and virtuoso pianist
Birth
Lisa Burgmeier, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, (1874-1951)
Birth
František Picka, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech conductor, composer, choirmaster and organist
Birth
Daniel François Esprit Auber, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer
Death (age 89)
149th anniversary (2021)
Pyotr Stepanov, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Russian singer and opera singer
Death (age 69)
Sophie Traubmann, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, opera singer
Birth
Eduardo di Capua, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian singer-songwriter
Birth
Jan Nepomuk Wünsch, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech composer, choirmaster and organist
Birth
Marguerite Vaillant-Couturier, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French soprano
Birth
Gabriel Fauré, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer, organist, pianist and teacher
Birth
Johann Georg Lickl, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Austrian composer, organist, Kapellmeister, piano teacher
Death (age 74)
Jules Massenet, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer (1842-1912)
Birth
Zsigmond Hajós, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Hungarian singer
Birth
Pavlos Carrer, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Greek composer
Birth
Louis-Charles-Joseph Rey, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French cellist (1738-1811)
Death (age 72)
Alexandre Montfort, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French composer
Birth
François-Louis Henry, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French opera singer
Birth
Giovanni Battista Viotti, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Italian composer
Birth
Franz Anton Hoffmeister, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, German composer
Birth
Johann Baptist Vanhal, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, Czech composer
Birth
Work for choir
“Entfernet euch, ihr heitern Sterne”, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history
Premiere
Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, French harpsichordist and composer
Birth
Dietrich Becker, Anniversaries (May 12), Classical music history, German composer and violinist
Death (age 56)