December 2020: the main classical music anniversaries to celebrate
Every month, composers and musicians to remember! Classical music and opera have brought out tens of thousands of artists, are performed in thousands of venues and their composers have written scores in great numbers throughout 10 centuries of history. From January 1 to December 31, there are therefore many opportunities to remember a composer or discover an artist, to explore a genre or to expand a work' s knowledge.
December 2020 : essential commemorations
2020 is, as every year, an opportunity to celebrate many centenarians or multi-centenarians related to classical music and opera. In December 2020, some well-known or not so famous artists, composers or musicians, are to be commemorated: József Ellinger (200th anniversary, Birth), Karel Kovařovic (100th anniversary, Death), Paul d'Lacôme (100th anniversary, Death), Karl Anton Eckert (200th anniversary, Birth), Rita Streich (100th anniversary, Birth).
There are many more: 1920, 1820, 1720...
What's next? Every month, dozens of anniversaries are good reasons to discover a work, to rediscover a musician. January 2021? ... In a year? December 2021...
Day by day, all celebrations for December 2020
Aaron Copland , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, American composer, composition teacher, writer, and conductor (1900-1990)
30th anniversary (Death)
Dinu Lipatti , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Romanian pianist and composer (1917-1950)
70th anniversary (Death)
Johann Simon Mayr , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer (1763–1845)
175th anniversary (Death)
Francis Casadesus , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French conductor, composer, music critic and music educator
150th anniversary (Birth)
Sergey Krylov , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Italian musician
50th anniversary (Birth)
Opera
“Maometto secondo” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1820 (200th anniversary)
Teatro di San Carlo
József Ellinger , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Hungarian opera singer (1820-1891)
200th anniversary (Birth)
Matt Haimovitz , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Israelo-American and Canadian cellist and music producer
50th anniversary (Birth)
Opera
“Die tote Stadt, Op. 12” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1920 (100th anniversary)
André Campra , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French composer and conductor (1660-1744)
360th anniversary (Birth)
Jan Kubelík , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Czech violinist and composer (1880–1940)
80th anniversary (Death)
Vítězslav Novák , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Czech composer and pedagogue (1870-1949)
150th anniversary (Birth)
Ferdinand Grossmann , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Austrian conductor
50th anniversary (Death)
Herman Severin Løvenskiold , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Norwegian composer
150th anniversary (Death)
Werner Klemperer , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German-American actor and musician
20th anniversary (Death)
Joe Hisaishi , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Japanese composer and pianist
70th anniversary (Birth)
Arseny Koreshchenko , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian classical music composer
150th anniversary (Birth)
Karel Kovařovic , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Czech conductor and composer
100th anniversary (Death)
Opera
“The Queen of Spades, Op. 68” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1890 (130th anniversary)
Clara Haskil , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Romanian-Swiss classical pianist (1895-1960)
60th anniversary (Death)
Mykhailo Verbytskyi , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Ukrainian composer, priest, and music pedagogue
150th anniversary (Death)
Bohuslav Martinů , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Czech composer
130th anniversary (Birth)
Alexander Siloti , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian composer and pianist
75th anniversary (Death)
Gottlieb Muffat , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Austrian composer and organist
250th anniversary (Death)
Opera
“Christmas Eve” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1895 (125th anniversary)
Mariinsky Theatre
Sarah Chang , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, violinist
40th anniversary (Birth)
Paul Büttner , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer, conductor, choir director, musicologist, oboist and music critic (1870-1943)
150th anniversary (Birth)
Carlos Gardel , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Argentinian singer, songwriter, actor; the most prominent figure in the history of tango
130th anniversary (Birth)
Work for orchestra
“La valse, Op. 72” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1920 (100th anniversary)
Paul d'Lacôme , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French composer
100th anniversary (Death)
Work for chamber orchestra
“String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat minor, Op. 138” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1970 (50th anniversary)
Nicholas Angelich , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, American pianist
50th anniversary (Birth)
Martin Fröst , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Swedish clarinetist
50th anniversary (Birth)
Ludwig van Beethoven , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer (1770–1827)
250th anniversary (Birth)
Saverio Mercadante , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Italian composer
150th anniversary (Death)
Karl Anton Eckert , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer, conductor and choirmaster
200th anniversary (Birth)
Work for orchestra
“Italian Capriccio, Op. 45” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1880 (140th anniversary)
Edward MacDowell , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, American composer
160th anniversary (Birth)
Rita Streich , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian-German soprano and opera singer (1920-1987)
100th anniversary (Birth)
Giulia Recli , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Italian composer
50th anniversary (Death)
Niels Gade , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Danish composer, conductor, violinist, organist and teacher (1817-1890)
130th anniversary (Death)
Charles Dumonchau , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, composer, pianist, cellist
200th anniversary (Death)
Work for choir
“Stabat Mater, Op. 58” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1880 (140th anniversary)
Mimi Benzell , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, singer (1918-1970)
50th anniversary (Death)
Jan Dismas Zelenka , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Czech baroque composer
275th anniversary (Death)
Victor Borge , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Danish comedian and pianist (1909–2000)
20th anniversary (Death)
Work for orchestra
“Siegfried-Idyll” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1870 (150th anniversary)
Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer
175th anniversary (Death)
Chevalier de Saint-Georges , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French virtuoso violinist, composer, conductor, and fencing master
275th anniversary (Birth)
Nicolas Slonimsky , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian composer (1894-1995)
25th anniversary (Death)
Opera
“Mitridate, Re di Ponto” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1770 (250th anniversary)
Teatro Regio Ducal
Work for orchestra
“Tragische Ouvertüre d-Moll, Op. 81” , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music
Premiere in 1880 (140th anniversary)
Maurice Gendron , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French musician
100th anniversary (Birth)
Luis Venegas de Henestrosa , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Spanish composer
450th anniversary (Death)
Ignaz Reimann , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German composer (1820-1885)
200th anniversary (Birth)
Alexei Lvov , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian composer (1798-1870)
150th anniversary (Death)
Vasily Kalinnikov , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Russian composer
120th anniversary (Death)
Aled Jones , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, Welsh singer and TV presenter
50th anniversary (Birth)
Alfred Einstein , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, German-American musicologist and music editor
140th anniversary (Birth)
Paul Bowles , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, American composer and writer (1910–1999)
110th anniversary (Birth)
Charles Koechlin , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, French composer, teacher and writer on music (1867-1950)
70th anniversary (Death)
Cyril Scott , Celebrations (December 2020), Classical music, English composer, writer, and poet
50th anniversary (Death)