This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2025.
Events 1 January At the 2025 Vienna New Year's Concert, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Riccardo Muti perform the Ferdinandus-Walzer of Constanze Geiger, the first music by a female composer ever performed in the Vienna Philharmonic's Neujahrskonzert. The orchestra and conductor featured the same Constanze Geiger selection in the 30 December 2024 and 31 December 2024 performances at the Musikverein of the same programme. The new all-female ensemble La Philharmonica gives its inaugural concert at the Ehrbarsaal, Vienna, with a programme of music by Leopoldine Blahetka, Gisela Frankl, Constanze Geiger, Joseph Hellmesberger Jr., Mathilde Kralik, Johann Strauss II, Maria Anna Stubenberg, and Josephine Amann-Weinlich. 6 January – The Moab Music Festival simultaneously announces the appointment of Tessa Lark as its next artistic director, and the retirement of its founding directors Michael Barrett and Leslie Tomkins. 9 January – The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Martin Rajna as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of four seasons. 10 January – The Houston Symphony announces the appointment of Gary Ginstling as its next executive director and chief executive officer, effective 3 February 2025. 13 January – News reports confirm the destruction of Belmont Music Publishers, the publisher of the works of Arnold Schoenberg, with losses on the order of 100,000 scores and parts, as a result of the Palisades Fire. 14 January – Sony Music Entertainment announces its acquisition of Supraphon. 15 January The Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Hannu Lintu as its next music director, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. In parallel, the orchestra announces that Hans Graf is to stand down as its music director at the close of the 2025–2026 season. The 19th century barge that served as the concert venue for Bargemusic is towed from its long-standing slip at Fulton Ferry Landing for scrappage at Staten Island, after evaluation and judgment that the barge was no longer viable to continue as a concert venue. 16 January The Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung announces its 2025 prizes: Sir Simon Rattle is announced as the recipient of the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. Ashkan Behzadi, Bastien David and Kristine Tjøgersen are announced as the recipients of the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Composer Prizes. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert McGrath as its next executive director and chief executive officer, effective 3 February 2025. 17 January – The Seattle Symphony announces the scheduled departure of Krishna Thiagarajan as its president and chief executive director, effective 30 April 2025. 24 January Juanjo Mena discloses via social media his diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana announces the appointment of Sir Mark Elder as its next music director, effective 1 September 2025, with an initial contract of two years. The first live performance of selections from the opera Morgiane, with music by Edmond Dédé, takes place at the St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans), under a joint presentation by Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole. 27 January The board of the Basque National Orchestra terminates the contract of Robert Treviño contract as its music director, with immediate effect. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces that Deborah Rutter is to stand down as its president at the close of 2025. The Teatro Municipal de Santiago announces the appointment of Paolo Bortolameolli as the new principal conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, with immediate effect, with a contract through 2028. 28 January – On Site Opera announces that it is to cease operations in the winter of 2025. 29 January – Opera Australia announces the departure of Fiona Allan as its chief executive officer, with immediate effect. 3 February – Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole jointly present the first complete performance of the opera Morgiane by Edmond Dédé at the Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.) 4 February The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Vanessa Reed as its next chief executive, effective 2 June 2025. New Music USA announces that Vanessa Reed is to stand down as its president and chief executive officer as of 2 May 2025. 6 February – Daniel Barenboim discloses via social media his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. 7 February – The 'Joachim-Ma' Stradivarius violin sells for US$11.25 million at auction at Sotheby's, with proceeds from the sale to benefit a student scholarship programme at the New England Conservatory of Music. 10 February – The Kaufman Music Center announces the appointment of Anthony Mazzocchi as its next executive director. 12 February – The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Marc Albrecht as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season. 14 February – The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Jean-Marie Zeitouni as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season. 18 February – The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Markus Poschner as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, subject to the settlement of secure funding for the orchestra. 24 February – Michael Tilson Thomas announces via his website that his glioblastoma has returned and that he is curtailing his guest-conducting appearances, with his final conducting appearance scheduled for 26 April 2025 in San Francisco. 28 February – Christian Tetzlaff announces the cancellation of his planned spring 2025 concert tour of the United States with his string quartet, in protest at US government policies. Graham Parker stands down as chief executive officer of The Louisville Orchestra. 4 March – The Aizuri Quartet announces that it is to disband at the close of the 2024–2025 concert season, with its final performance scheduled for 25 April 2025. 5 March The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie announces the appointment of Marzena Diakun as its next chief conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective with the 2026–2027 season. The Handel and Haydn Society announces that David Snead is to retire from the posts of president and chief executive officer, effective May 2025. 6 March Symphony Tacoma announces that Sarah Ioannides is to conclude her tenure as music director of Symphony Tacoma at the close of the 2025–2026 season. The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards are announced at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: Chamber-Scale Composition: Sarah Lianne Lewis – letting the light in Conductor: Kazuki Yamada Ensemble: Paraorchestra Gamechanger: NMC Recordings Impact: Re:Discover Festival – Streetwise Opera Inspiration: Open Arts Community Choir Instrumentalist: Laura van der Heijden Large-Scale Composition: Katherine Balch – whisper concerto Opera and Music Theatre: Death in Venice – Welsh National Opera Series and Events: The Cumnock Tryst Singer: Claire Booth Storytelling: Classical Africa – BBC Radio 3 Young Artist: GBSR Duo 10 March – The Norwegian Radio Orchestra announces the appointment of Holly Hyun Choe as its next principal conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective January 2026. 13 March The Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar announces the appointment of Daniel Carter as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season. The Eugene Symphony announces the appointment of Alex Prior as its next music director, effective with the 2025–2026 season, with an initial contract of four years. The first public performance of the complete three-movement opus Míjející půlnoc (Vanishing Midnight) by Bohuslav Martinů takes place in Zlín, 103 years after its composition, with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Kružík. The first documented public performance of music from the cantata Sémiramis by Maurice Ravel, the 'Prélude et Danse', is given by the New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel at David Geffen Hall, New York City. 19 March Sir András Schiff announces the cancellation of his scheduled 2025–2026 concert appearances in the United States, in protest at US government policies. The first performance of a rediscovered 1920 composition by Darius Milhaud, a setting for soprano and seven instruments of a text by Jean Cocteau composed for the birthday of Audrey Parr and found at the residence of Parr's granddaughter Laetitia Jack, takes place at Cardiff University School of Music. 23 March – The first performance of the Violin Concerto of Wilhelm Petersen, composed in the 1940s, takes place at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, with soloist Linus Roth and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Trinks. 1 April – Adrien Perruchon becomes principal conductor of the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, the first non-Korean conductor to hold the post. 2 April – The municipality of Princeton, New Jersey formally takes ownership of the campus of Westminster Choir College. 3 April – The Netherlands Bach Society announces the appointment of Johanna Soller as its next artistic director, the first woman to hold the post, effective 1 May 2025, with an initial contract of five seasons. 10 April The London Philharmonic Choir announces the appointment of Madeleine Venner as its chorus director, the first woman to be named to the post, effective with the 2025–2026 season. The Staatstheater Braunschweig announces the appointment of Tobias Wolff as its next Generalintendant (General Director), effective in the autumn of 2026. 13 April – The Ukrainian pianist and organist Olena Kohut is killed as a result of a Russian missile attack on Sumy. 15 April The Korean National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Roberto Abbado as its new artistic director, effective January 2026, with an initial contract of three years. Opera Colorado announces the appointment of Barbara Lynne Jamison as its next general director and chief executive officer, effective 1 August 2025. Kentucky Opera announces that Barbara Lynne Jamison is to stand down as its general director at the close of the 2024–2025 season. 21 April – The Solti Foundation U.S. announces Holly Hyun Choe as the recipient of the 2025 The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award. 23 April – The Philadelphia Orchestra announces the appointment of Ryan Fleur as its new president and chief executive officer, with immediate effect. 25 April The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin announces the appointment of Kazuki Yamada as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of three years. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts announces the appointment of Daniel Hope as its next artistic advisor, effective with the 2025–2026 season. 26 April The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Delta David Gier, presents the first live performance of the opera Giants in the Earth by Douglas Moore since 1974, in a new performing edition. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the final concert of his career, with the San Francisco Symphony. 29 April – The Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra announces that it is to cease operations permanently at the close of June 2025. 1 May – The Delaware Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Michelle Di Russo as its next music director, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective with the 2025–2026 season. 5 May The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Kazuki Yamada is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of his current contract, in August 2026. 6 May