2012 in classical music explained

Events

• February – Andrea Bocelli stars in two performances of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. He cancels a third after suffering voice strain.^[1]
• April 10 – A terminally-ill Robin Gibb is unable to attend the première of his new work, the Titanic Requiem, at the Central Hall, Westminster, London.
• April 26 – Kurt Masur, conducting the Orchestre National de France in Paris, falls from the podium and is rushed to hospital, where he is found to have broken his shoulder.^[2]
• May 7 – Sir Colin Davis, conducting the Sachsische Staatskapelle at the Semper Oper in Dresden, stumbles and almost falls from the podium.^[3]
• July 25 – The Classic Brits award ceremony for 2012, originally due to take place on this date, is postponed to October 2.
• August 22 – Nearly five years after the composer's death, on what would have been his 84th birthday, Karlheinz Stockhausen's opera Mittwoch aus Licht is performed in its entirety for the first time, by the UK's Birmingham Opera Company, as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
• September 9 – A day after her performance at the Last Night of The Proms, Nicola Benedetti's album, The Silver Violin, becomes the highest new entry by a solo instrumentalist in the UK Official Album Chart since 1991.^[4]
• September 15 – The Jozsef Szigeti International Violina and Viola Competition, held in Budapest, is jointly won by Aleksandra Kuls and Wang Xiao.^[5]

New works

According to the League of American Orchestras, North American orchestras premiered 165 new works in the 2012–13 season.^[6]

• Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony No. 9
• Francesco Filidei – Ballata No. 2
• Philip Glass – Symphony No. 10
• Howard Goodall – Every Purpose Under the Heaven (The King James Bible Oratorio)
• Karl Jenkins – The Peacemakers
• Wojciech Kilar – Sonnets to Laura for baritone and piano (song cycle)
• Philip Ledger – This Holy Child (cantata)
• David T. Little and Royce Vavrek – Am I Born^[7]
• Daan Manneke – Nachtmuziek, for cello and piano
• Matthew Mehlan and Royce Vavrek – Canvas
• Nico Muhly – Drones^[8]
• Max Richter – Recomposed by Max Richter: The Four Seasons^[9]
• Christopher Rouse – Heimdall's Trumpet^[10]
• Caroline Shaw – Partita for 8 Voices^[11]
• Aleksandr Shymko
  • Concerto for violin and symphony orchestra
  • Concerto for violin, viola and symphony orchestra
• Steven Stucky – Symphony^[12]

Opera premieres

Date	Opera	Composer	Theatre
9 February	Thelma	Samuel Coleridge-Taylor	Surrey Opera, Ashcroft Theatre, London
8 August	The Francis Bacon Opera	Stephen Crowe	Camden Arts Centre, London
22 August	Mittwoch aus Licht	Karlheinz Stockhausen	Birmingham Opera Company, Argyle Works, Digbeth, Birmingham, UK
30 August	Ghost Patrol	Stuart MacRae	Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
? July	Written on Skin	George Benjamin	Aix-en-Provence Festival
7 July		Betty Roe	Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK
29 September	Dog Days	David T. Little	Peak Performances, Alexander Kasser Theater, Montclair State University, New Jersey
27 October	Babylon	Jörg Widmann	National Theatre Munich

• Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek – Song From the Uproar – The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt^[13]

Films

• Love in Portofino, with Andrea Bocelli^[14]

Albums

• Tony Banks – Six Pieces for Orchestra
• Andrea Bocelli – Opera
• Eighth Blackbird – Meanwhile^[15]
• Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra – Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Karelia Suite
• Ludovico Einaudi – Divenire
• Jackie Evancho – Songs from the Silver Screen
• Renée Fleming – Poèmes
• Lesley Garrett – A North Country Lass
• Robin Gibb & Robin-John Gibb – Titanic Requiem
• Oregon Symphony – This England
• Fazıl Say – Istanbul Symphony
• Noah Stewart – Noah
• Rolando Villazón – Verdi

Deaths

• January 9 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican contralto and politician, 92
• January 18 – Anthony Gonsalves, Indian violinist and composer, 84
• January 20 – Ruthilde Boesch, 94, Austrian soprano
• January 22 – Rita Gorr, 85, Belgian mezzo-soprano
• January 24 – Patricia Neway, US operatic soprano and musical theatre actress, 92
• January 29 – Camilla Williams, 92, American soprano
• February 1 – Andrij Dobriansky, 81, Ukrainian American bass-baritone^[16]
• February 8 – Giangiacomo Guelfi, 87, Italian baritone
• February 14 – Charles Anthony, 82, American tenor
• February 16 – Ethel Stark, Canadian violinist and conductor, 101
• February 18 – Elizabeth Connell, South African operatic soprano, 65
• February 24 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer, 92
• April 8 – George Wilberforce Kakoma, Ugandan composer, 89
• April 10 – Lili Chookasian, 90, American contralto
• April 12 – Stefánia Moldován, 80, Hungarian soprano
• April 16 – Alan Hacker, English clarinettist, 73
• April 16 – Sári Barabás, 98, Hungarian soprano
• April 20 – Leandra Overmann, 55, Serbian mezzo-soprano/contralto
• April 30 – Finn Benestad, Norwegian musicologist, 82
• May 2 – Zvi Zeitlin, Russian violinist and music teacher, 90
• May 3 – Felix Werder, Australian composer, 90
• May 16 – Maria Bieșu, 76, Moldovan soprano
• May 18 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German lyric baritone and conductor, 86
• May 29 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer, 67
• June 4 – Eduard Khil, Russian baritone, 77
• June 13 – Jože Humer, Slovenian composer and choirmaster, 76
  • • June 14 Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, German classical pianist and teacher, 82^[17]
  • Hassan Kassai, Iranian Ney player, 83
• June 23 – Franz Crass, German operatic bass, 84
• June 24 – Jean Cox, US operatic tenor, 90
• June 28 – Éric Gaudibert, Swiss composer, 75
• July 1 – Evelyn Lear, 86, American soprano
• July 10 – Viktor Suslin, Russian composer, 70^[18]
  • • July 16 Ed Lincoln, Brazilian composer and musician, 80^[19]
• Jon Lord, English composer, 71^[20]
• July 17 – İlhan Mimaroğlu, Turkish-born American composer and record producer, 86^[21]
• July 22 – Nan Merriman, 92, American mezzo-soprano
  • • August 2 Marguerite Piazza, American singer, 90^[22]
  • Mihaela Ursuleasa, Romanian pianist, 33 (cerebral hemorrhage);^[23] (body discovered on this date)
• August 6 – Ruggiero Ricci, American violinist, 94^[24]
• August 7 – Sabahattin Kalender, Turkish composer, 93^[25]
• August 7 –, 73, German bass
• August 11 – Carlo Curley, American classical organist, 59^[26]
• August 16 – Bystrík Režucha, Slovak conductor, 77^[27]
• August 23 – Marlise Wendels, 89, German soprano
• September 1 – Amanda Thane, 59, Australian soprano^[28]
• September 2 – Emmanuel Nunes, Portuguese composer, 71^[29]
• September 4 – Ian Parrott, British composer and academic, 96^[30]
• September 12 – William Schatzkamer, American pianist and conductor, 96^[31]
• September 13 – William Duckworth, US composer, 69
  • • September 15 Olga Ferri, Argentine ballet dancer, 83^[32]
  • George Hurst, British conductor, 86^[33]
• September 18 – Leo Goeke, US operatic tenor, 74^[34]
• September 22 – Grigory Frid, 97, Russian composer
• September 30 –, 99, German baritone
  • • October 9 Luna Alcalay, Austrian pianist, music educator and composer, 83^[35]
  • Federico A. Cordero, Puerto Rican classical guitarist, 84^[36]
• October 12 – Geraldine Mucha, Scottish composer, 95^[37]
• October 15 – Axel Borup-Jørgensen, Danish composer, 87^[38]
• October 20 – Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish composer and musician, 60^[39]
• October 27 – Hans Werner Henze, 86, German composer
  • • November 5 Bernard Bierman, US composer, 104^[40]
  • Elliott Carter, US composer, 103^[41]
• November 18 – Sir Philip Ledger, British composer and academic, 74^[42]
  • • December 4 Jonathan Harvey, English composer, 73 (motor neurone disease)^[43]
  • Peter Kiesewetter, German composer, 67
• December 5 – Dave Brubeck, American pianist and composer, 91
• December 10 – Lisa Della Casa, 93, Swiss soprano
  • • December 11 Toni Blankenheim, German opera singer, 90^[44]
  • Ravi Shankar, Indian sitar player and composer, 92^[45]
  • Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist, 86^[46]
• December 13 – Otto Ketting, Dutch composer, 77^[47]
• December 20 – Victor Merzhanov, Russian classical pianist, 93^[48]
• December 24 – Richard Rodney Bennett, 76, British composer

Major awards

Classical Brits

• Special Recognition Award — Classic FM (UK)
• Female Artist of the Year — Nicola Benedetti
• Male Artist of the Year — Vasily Petrenko
• Composer of the Year — John Williams
• Critics Award — Benjamin Grosvenor

Grammy Awards

• See 54th Grammy Awards

See also

• 2012 in opera

Notes and References

1. Web site: Salta "Romeo et Juliette" a Genova: Andrea Bocelli non ce la fa . Pisa Today . 2012-02-28 . 2015-01-12 . 2015-10-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151019065145/http://www.pisatoday.it/cronaca/andrea-bocelli-annullato-romeo-juliette-genova-28-febbraio-2012.html . live .
2. Web site: David Ng . Injured conductor Kurt Masur withdraws from concerts through June . Los Angeles Times . 2012-04-30 . 2015-01-12 . 2016-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306150039/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/30/entertainment/la-et-cm-kurt-masur-june-20120430 . dead .
3. Web site: Greg Cahill . Sir Colin Davis, 1927–2013 . Strings . 2013-04-15 . 2015-01-12 . 2015-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151017165632/http://www.allthingsstrings.com/News/News/Sir-Colin-Davis-1927-2013 . live .
4. https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1083767/nicola-benedetti-classical-violinist-hits-the-uk-album-charts-ahead-of "Nicola Benedetti, Classical Violinist, Hits The UK Album Charts (Ahead of Justin Bieber)", Billboard.com, 14 September 2012
5. https://archive.today/20130801195946/http://www.thestrad.com/latest/news/violinists-wang-xiao-and-aleksandra-kuls-win-joseph-szigeti-competition "Violinists Wang Xiao and Aleksandra Kuls win Joseph Szigeti competition" The Strad, 18 September 2012
6. League of American Orchestras, "North American Orchestras Will Perform 165 Premieres in 2012–2013," press release, http://www.americanorchestras.org/component/content/article/63-news/general/407567-north-american-orchestras-will-perform-165-premieres-in-2012-2013.html
7. Web site: Brooklyn Philharmonic and Brooklyn Youth Chorus at Roulette - The New York Times . 2017-02-26 . 2016-12-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161223213538/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/arts/music/brooklyn-philharmonic-and-brooklyn-youth-chorus-at-roulette.html . live .
8. Jones, Lucy, "Classical music dead? Nico Muhly proves it isn't", The Telegraph, May 28, 2012
9. Web site: NPR music – "Max Richter Recomposes 'The Four Seasons'". Accessed 13 January 2013 . 3 April 2018 . 20 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150420050820/http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/11/21/165659291/max-richter-recomposes-the-four-seasons . live .
10. Web site: Rhein . John von . World ends with a jazzy bang in Rouse concerto for CSO's Martin . . December 22, 2012 . May 25, 2015 . April 2, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402134631/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-12-22/entertainment/ct-ent-1222-cso-zweden-review-20121222_1_christopher-rouse-van-zweden-trumpet . live .
11. Web site: Deemer . Rob . Caroline . . April 19, 2013 . June 1, 2015 . September 6, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906192500/http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/caroline/ . live .
12. Web site: Ng . David . Steven Stucky marks return to L.A. with his very own 'Symphony' . . September 26, 2012 . May 25, 2015 . April 16, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150416210152/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/26/entertainment/la-et-cm-steven-stucky-20120926 . live .
13. Web site: ‘Song From the Uproar’ at the Kitchen - The New York Times.
14. Web site: "Andrea Bocelli: Love In Portofino", The Guardian. Accessed 9 February 2013 . 10 December 2016 . 13 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313145205/http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/151329/andrea-bocelli . live .
15. Web site: 2013 Grammy Awards Winners: The Complete List. February 10, 2013. E!. February 10, 2013. December 16, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131216000903/http://www.eonline.com/news/386489/2013-grammy-awards-winners-the-complete-list. live.
16. Web site: Andrij Dobriansky Dies at 81; Sang at the Met More Than 900 Times . . 7 March 2012 . 14 July 2016 . Fox, Margolit . 6 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171206222744/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/arts/music/andrij-dobriansky-dies-at-81-sang-more-than-900-met-roles.html?_r=0 . live .
17. Web site: Karl-Heinz Kämmerling ist tot. www.br.de. 15 June 2012. German. 29 June 2012. 22 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120622035753/http://www.br.de/radio/br-klassik/sendungen/leporello/karl-heinz-kaemmerling-gestorben100.html. live.
18. Web site: Viktor Suslin profile. Sikorski.de. 2012-09-04. 2014-04-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407120012/http://www.sikorski.de/344/en/suslin_viktor.html. live.
19. News: Morre o compositor e arranjador Ed Lincoln, aos 80 anos. 17 July 2012. O Globo. 16 July 2012. Portuguese. 17 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120717033148/http://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/morre-compositor-arranjador-ed-lincoln-aos-80-anos-5493899. live.
20. Web site: Deep Purple's Jon Lord dies. 16 July 2012. NME. IPC Media. 16 July 2012. 19 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120719004401/http://www.nme.com/news/deep-purple/64953. live.
21. Web site: Ilhan Mimaroglu, Composer and Producer, Is Dead at 86 . 2017-02-26 . 2017-12-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171206150154/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/arts/music/ilhan-mimaroglu-composer-and-producer-is-dead-at-86.html?_r=1&hpw . live .
22. Web site: Bradley. Barbara. Soprano, fundraiser and Memphis icon Marguerite Piazza dies. The Commercial Appeal. 2012-08-03. 2013-12-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011823/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/02/soprano-fund-raiser-and-memphis-icon-marguerite/?CID=happeningnow. live.
23. News: Romanian concert pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa dies, aged 33. The Guardian. 2012-08-03. London. Siobhan. Dowling. August 3, 2012. 2016-02-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20160203171625/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/aug/03/romanian-pianist-mihaela-ursuleasa-dies?newsfeed=true. live.
24. Web site: Ruggiero Ricci obituary . 2016-12-10 . 2016-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306112910/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/aug/06/ruggiero-ricci?newsfeed=true . live .
25. Web site: SLC Internet Solutions . Sabahattin Kalender vefat etti . Andante.com.tr . 2012-11-25 . 2012-08-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120828191207/http://www.andante.com.tr/index.php?page=haberdetay&haberID=729 . live .
26. Web site: James Jolly . The organist Carlo Curley has died . Gramophone . 2012-08-13 . 2015-01-12 . 2016-06-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160611064851/http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/the-organist-carlo-curley-has-died . live .
27. News: ÚMRTIE: Zomrel dirigent a pedagóg Bystrík Režucha . Slovak News Agency (SITA) . Slovak News Agency . 20 August 2012 . Slovenský rozhlas . Slovak . dead . https://archive.today/20130418133037/http://www.slovakradio.sk/aktualne/Z-domova?&i=44317&p=1 . 18 April 2013 .
28. http://www.artsongnsw.org/?p=2 "Message from the Artistic Director"
29. Web site: Morreu o compositor Emmanuel Nunes. Público. 2012-09-02. 2012-09-02. 2012-09-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20120903070535/http://www.publico.pt/Cultura/morreu-o-compositor-emmanuel-nunes-1561380. live.
30. Web site: IAN PARROTT : Obituary . BMDs Online . 2012-09-09 . 2012-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121101140427/http://www.bmdsonline.co.uk/19294638 . live .
31. Web site: William Schatzkamer, a pianist who helped found Gateway Festival Orchestra, dies . Stltoday . 2012-09-21 . 2012-10-19 . 2020-11-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201106230012/https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/obituaries/william-schatzkamer-a-pianist-who-helped-found-gateway-festival-orchestra/article_be55f38a-92c5-5523-ae2d-be9a935372ab.html . live .
32. Web site: Legendary ballet dancer Olga Ferri dies. 17 September 2012. Buenos Aires Herald. 21 November 2012. 3 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160203194426/http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/111800/legendary-ballet-dancer-olga-ferri-dies. live.
33. News: George Hurst. The Telegraph. 2012-09-26. London. September 17, 2012. 2012-09-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20120925134918/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/9549077/George-Hurst.html. live.
34. News: American Tenor Leo Goeke, Much-Admired as Glyndebourne's Tom Rakewell, has Died. Opera News. 21 September 2012. 21 November 2012. 28 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121128052439/http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2012/9/News/Leo_Goeke.html. live.
35. http://oe1.orf.at/programm/318047 In Memoriam Luna Alcalay
36. Web site: La música de su guitarra nunca morirá . https://archive.today/20130102132420/http://www.elnuevodia.com/carta-lamusicadesuguitarranuncamorira-1366448.html . dead . 2013-01-02 . Elnuevodia.com . 2012-10-21 . Spanish .
37. Web site: Geraldine Mucha dies at 95 . https://archive.today/20130104104847/http://praguemonitor.com/2012/10/16/geraldine-mucha-dies-95 . dead . 4 January 2013 . Czech News Agency . Czech News Agency . 16 October 2012 .
38. Web site: Axel Borup-Jørgensen . da . Politiken.dk . 2012-11-11 . 2012-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020042750/http://politiken.dk/navne/doedsfald/ECE1785491/axel-borup-joergensen/ . live .
39. Web site: Przemysław Gintrowski nie żyje. Miał 61 lat. wyborcza.pl. 2012-10-20. 2012-10-21.
40. Web site: Tin Pan Alley Composer Bernie Bierman Dies At 104 . https://archive.today/20121123152507/http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/arts/171952/tin-pan-alley-composer-bernie-bierman-dies-at-104 . dead . 2012-11-23 . NY1.com . 2012-11-19 .
41. News: Composer Elliott Carter dies at 103 . Boston.com . 2012-06-25 . 2012-11-06 . 2012-11-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121119054803/http://www.boston.com/culturedesk/2012/11/05/composer-elliott-carter-dies/U93EP6MuGUHnqHFHPQHrHN/story.html . live .
42. News: Sir Philip Ledger. The Telegraph. 2011-10-21. 2012-11-19. London. 2012-11-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20121120102052/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/9688940/Sir-Philip-Ledger.html. live.
43. Web site: Richard Morrison . British composer Jonathan Harvey dies . The Times . 2012-09-26 . 2012-12-06 . 2017-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170214223446/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/classical/article3621526.ece . live .
44. Web site: Trauer – Hamburger Kammersänger Toni Blankenheim ist tot . Abendblatt.de . 2012-12-14 . German . 2012-12-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121215214753/http://www.abendblatt.de/kultur-live/article112002997/Hamburger-Kammersaenger-Toni-Blankenheim-ist-tot.html . live .
45. News: Pandit Ravi Shankar passes away. 12 December 2012. The Hindu. 12 December 2012. Chennai, India. 12 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121212100855/http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/sitar-maestro-ravi-shankar-passes-away/article4190878.ece. live.
46. Web site: В Москве скончалась Галина Вишневская . BBC News . 2012-12-11 . 2012-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121214094232/http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/rolling_news/2012/12/121211_rn_vishnevskaya_dies.shtml . live .
47. Web site: Componist Otto Ketting overleden – NOS Nieuws . Nos.nl . 2012-12-13 . 2012-12-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121216035036/http://nos.nl/artikel/451135-componist-otto-ketting-overleden.html . live .
48. Web site: Мержанов Виктор Карпович . МГК им. Чайковского – персоналии – Мержанов Виктор Карпович . Mosconsv.ru . 2012-12-22 . 2016-01-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160121063136/http://www.mosconsv.ru/ru/person.aspx?id=8769 . live .