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Events

*February –
Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...
stars in two performances of Gounod's '' Roméo et Juliette'' at the
Teatro Carlo Felice The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the side of Piazza De Ferrari. The hall is named for King Carlo Felice, and dates fr ...
in Genoa. He cancels a third after suffering voice strain. *
April 10 Events Pre-1600 * 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople. * 837 – Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles). * 1407 ...
– A terminally-ill
Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his o ...
is unable to attend the première of his new work, the ''Titanic Requiem'', at the Central Hall, Westminster, London. *
April 26 Events Pre-1600 *1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. * 1348 – Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe. * 14 ...
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Or ...
, conducting the
Orchestre National de France The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since ...
in Paris, falls from the podium and is rushed to hospital, where he is found to have broken his shoulder. *
May 7 Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...
– Sir
Colin Davis Sir Colin Rex Davis (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959. His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom h ...
, conducting the Sachsische Staatskapelle at the Semper Oper in Dresden, stumbles and almost falls from the podium. *
July 25 Events Pre-1600 * 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. * 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...
– The Classic Brits award ceremony for 2012, originally due to take place on this date, is postponed to October 2. *
August 22 Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. * 1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scotland a ...
– Nearly five years after the composer's death, on what would have been his 84th birthday,
Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...
's opera ''
Mittwoch aus Licht (English: Wednesday from Light) is an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen in a greeting, four scenes, and a farewell. It was the sixth of seven to be composed for the opera cycle (Light: The Seven Days of the Week), and the last to be staged. It was w ...
'' is performed in its entirety for the first time, by the UK's
Birmingham Opera Company Birmingham Opera Company is a professional opera company based in Birmingham, England, that specialises in innovative and avant-garde productions of the operatic repertoire, often in unusual venues. History The company was founded by leading in ...
, as part of the
2012 Cultural Olympiad The 2012 Cultural Olympiad was a programme of cultural events across the United Kingdom that accompanied the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics. The Olympic Charter, the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympi ...
. *
September 9 Events Pre-1600 * 337 – Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans succeed their father Constantine I as co-emperors. The Roman Empire is divided between the three Augusti. *1000 – Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. * 1141 – ...
– A day after her performance at the Last Night of
The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
,
Nicola Benedetti Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti (born 20 July 1987) is an Italian-British classical solo violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She w ...
's album, ''The Silver Violin'', becomes the highest new entry by a solo instrumentalist in the UK Official Album Chart since 1991. *
September 15 Events Pre-1600 * 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes. *1440 – Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by ...
– The
Jozsef Szigeti Joseph Szigeti ( hu">Szigeti József, ; 5 September 189219 February 1973) was a Hungarian violinist. Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on ...
International Violina and Viola Competition, held in Budapest, is jointly won by
Aleksandra Kuls Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "pro ...
and Wang Xiao.


New works

According to the
League of American Orchestras The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra League, is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras of all budget sizes and types, plus individual and institutional members. Based in New York Ci ...
, North American orchestras premiered 165 new works in the 2012–13 season. *
Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music. As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music ...
Symphony No. 9 *
Francesco Filidei Francesco Filidei (born 1973) is an Italian concert organist and composer. A student of Salvatore Sciarrino, he has performed internationally. As a composer, he has collaborated with singer-songwriter Claire Diterzi and written operas premiered ...
– ''Ballata No. 2'' *
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
Symphony No. 10 *
Howard Goodall Howard Lindsay Goodall (; born 26 May 1958) is an English composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. He also presents music-based programmes for television and radio, for which he has won many awards. In May 2008, he was na ...
– ''Every Purpose Under the Heaven (The King James Bible Oratorio)'' *
Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. J ...
– ''The Peacemakers'' *
Wojciech Kilar Wojciech Kilar (; 17 July 1932 – 29 December 2013) was a Polish classical and film music composer. One of his greatest successes came with his score to Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992, which received the ASCAP Award ...
– ''Sonnets to Laura'' for baritone and piano (song cycle) *
Philip Ledger Sir Philip Stevens Ledger, CBE, FRSE (12 December 1937 – 18 November 2012) was an English classical musician, choirmaster and academic, best remembered as Director of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge in 1974–1982 and of the Royal Scott ...
– ''This Holy Child'' (cantata) *
David T. Little David T. Little (born October 25, 1978) is a Grammy-nominated American composer, record producer, and drummer known for his operatic, orchestral, and chamber works, most notably his operas ''JFK (opera), JFK,'' ''Soldier Songs'', and ''Dog Days ( ...
and
Royce Vavrek Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born Brooklyn-based librettist, playwright, dance scenarist, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Mikael Karlsson, Ricky Ian Gordon, Paola Prest ...
– ''Am I Born'' *
Daan Manneke Daan Manneke (born 7 November 1939) is a Dutch composer and organist. Manneke was born in Kruiningen. He studied organ and composition from 1963 to 1967 at the Brabant Conservatory in Tilburg, under H. Houët and Louis Toebosch (organ) and Jan va ...
– ''Nachtmuziek'', for cello and piano *Matthew Mehlan and
Royce Vavrek Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born Brooklyn-based librettist, playwright, dance scenarist, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Mikael Karlsson, Ricky Ian Gordon, Paola Prest ...
– ''Canvas'' *
Nico Muhly Nico Asher Muhly (; born August 26, 1981) is an American contemporary classical music composer and arranger who has worked and recorded with both classical and pop musicians. A prolific composer, he has composed for many notable symphony orchestras ...
– ''Drones'' *
Max Richter Max Richter (; ; born 22 March 1966) is a German-born British composer and pianist. He works within postminimalist and contemporary classical styles. Richter is classically trained, having graduated in composition from the University of Edinbur ...
– ''Recomposed by Max Richter: The Four Seasons'' * Christopher Rouse – ''
Heimdall's Trumpet ''Heimdall's Trumpet'' is a concerto for trumpet and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse (composer), Christopher Rouse. It was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its principal trumpeter Christopher Martin (trumpete ...
'' *
Caroline Shaw Caroline Adelaide Shaw (born August 1, 1982) is an American composer, violinist, and singer. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her a cappella piece ''Partita for 8 Voices'' and the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary ...
– ''
Partita for 8 Voices ''Partita for 8 Voices'' is an a cappella composition by American composer Caroline Shaw. It was composed from 2009 through 2012 for the vocal group Roomful of Teeth and was released on their Grammy Award-winning self-titled debut album on 30 ...
'' * Aleksandr Shymko **Concerto for violin and symphony orchestra **Concerto for violin, viola and symphony orchestra *
Steven Stucky Steven Edward Stucky (November 7, 1949 − February 14, 2016) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer. Life and career Stucky was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. At age 9, he moved with his family to Abilene, Texas, where, as a teenager, he ...
Symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...


Opera premieres

*
Missy Mazzoli Missy Mazzoli (born October 27, 1980) is an American composer and pianist who is a member of the composition faculty at the Mannes College of Music. She has received critical acclaim for her chamber, orchestral and operatic work. In 2018 she becam ...
and
Royce Vavrek Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born Brooklyn-based librettist, playwright, dance scenarist, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Mikael Karlsson, Ricky Ian Gordon, Paola Prest ...
– ''Song From the Uproar – The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt''


Films

*''Love in Portofino'', with
Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...


Albums

* Tony Banks – ''Six Pieces for Orchestra'' *
Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...
– ''
Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
'' * Eighth Blackbird – ''Meanwhile'' *
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; sv, Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orche ...
– ''Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Karelia Suite'' *
Ludovico Einaudi Ludovico Maria Enrico Einaudi OMRI (; born 23 November 1955) is an Italian pianist and composer. Trained at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, Einaudi began his career as a classical composer, later incorporating other styles and genres such as ...
– ''Divenire'' *
Jackie Evancho Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American crossover music#Classical crossover, classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling extended play, EP and nine ...
– ''
Songs from the Silver Screen ''Songs from the Silver Screen'' is the fourth full-length album released by American singer Jackie Evancho. It was released on October 2, 2012; at the time of release, Evancho was 12 years old. The album is composed of 12 songs used in popular f ...
'' *
Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for 1 ...
– ''
Poèmes ''Poèmes'' is a 2012 album of French songs sung by operatic soprano Renée Fleming. Ravel's '' Shéhérazade'' (1903) and Messiaen's '' Poèmes pour Mi'' (1936) are followed by two sets of songs by Henri Dutilleux. He transcribed '' Deux sonnet ...
'' *
Lesley Garrett Lesley Garrett, Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 10 April 1955) is an English soprano singer, musician, broadcaster and media personality. She is noted for being at home in opera and "crossover music". Early life Garrett was born in the ...
– ''A North Country Lass'' *Robin Gibb &
Robin-John Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his ow ...
– ''Titanic Requiem'' *
Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the 'Portland Symphony Society' in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. I ...
– '' This England'' *
Fazıl Say Fazıl Say (; born 14 January 1970 in Ankara) is a Turkish pianist and composer. Life and career Fazıl Say was born in 1970. His father, Ahmet Say was an author and musicologist. His mother, Gürgün Say was a pharmacist. His grandfather Fa ...
– ''Istanbul Symphony'' *
Noah Stewart Noah Stewart (born 1978) is an American operatic tenor. He released his debut album ''Noah'' in March 2012; it peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart. Early life Stewart was born in Harlem, New Yor ...
– ''
Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
'' *
Rolando Villazón Rolando Villazón Mauleón (born 22 February 1972) is a Mexican operatic tenor, stage director, author, radio and television personality and artistic director. He now lives in France, and in 2007 became a French citizen. Villazón has published ...
– ''Verdi''


Deaths

*
January 9 Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. *1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...
Ruth Fernández Ruth Fernández (23 May 1919 – 9 January 2012) was a Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate. According to the "Comisiones Nacionales para la Celebración del Quinto Centenario" ''(National Commission for the Celebrati ...
, Puerto Rican contralto and politician, 92 *
January 18 Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later. * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople fail. * 1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chi ...
Anthony Gonsalves Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves (12 June 1927 – 18 January 2012) was an Indian musical composer, music arranger and teacher born in the village of Majorda (near Margao in Portuguese Goa), His father, Jose Antonio Gonsalves, was a choirmaster at ...
, Indian violinist and composer, 84 *
January 20 Events Pre-1600 * 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution. * 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom. * 1156 &ndas ...
Ruthilde Boesch Ruthilde Boesch, born Ruthilde Klösterer, married also Ruthilde Loibner (9 January 1918 – 20 January 2012) was an Austrian soprano in opera, operetta, song and concert, and a vocal pedagogue. She was a member of the Vienna State Opera for dec ...
, 94, Austrian soprano *
January 22 Events Pre-1600 * 613 – Eight-month-old Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (''Caesar'') by his father Heraclius at Constantinople. * 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vi ...
Rita Gorr Rita Gorr (18 February 1926 – 22 January 2012) was a Belgian operatic mezzo-soprano. She possessed a large, rich-toned voice and was an intense singing-actress, especially in dramatic roles such as Ortrud (''Lohengrin'') and Amneris (''Aida'') ...
, 85, Belgian mezzo-soprano *
January 24 Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Cou ...
Patricia Neway Patricia Neway (September 30, 1919 – January 24, 2012) was an American operatic soprano and musical theatre actress who had an active international career during the mid-1940s through the 1970s. One of the few performers of her day to enjoy equal ...
, US operatic soprano and musical theatre actress, 92 *
January 29 Events Pre-1600 * 904 – Sergius III is elected pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher. * 946 – Caliph Al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Emir Mu'izz al-Dawla, ruler o ...
Camilla Williams Camilla Ella Williams (October 18, 1919 – January 29, 2012) was an American operatic soprano who performed nationally and internationally. After studying with renowned teachers in New York City, she was the first African American to receive a ...
, 92, American soprano *
February 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...
Andrij Dobriansky Andrij Dobriansky ( uk, Андрій Добрянський; September 2, 1930February 1, 2012) was a principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years where he sang over 60 roles in over 900 performances. As a displaced person in post-war ...
, 81, Ukrainian American bass-baritone *
February 8 Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. *1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al ...
Giangiacomo Guelfi Giangiacomo Guelfi (21 December 1924 – 8 February 2012) was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini. Born in Rome, Guelfi studied law before turning to vocal studies in Florence with baritone Titta Ruffo ...
, 87, Italian baritone *
February 14 Events Pre-1600 * 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt. * 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...
Charles Anthony, 82, American tenor *
February 16 Events Pre-1600 * 1249 – Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khagan of the Mongol Empire. * 1270 – Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Livonian Order in the Battle of Kar ...
Ethel Stark Ethel Stark, (25 August 1910 – 16 February 2012) was a Canadians, Canadian violinist and conductor. Born in Montreal, Quebec, she studied at the McGill Conservatory of Music with Alfred De Sève and Alfred Whitehead. From 1928 to 1934, she stu ...
, Canadian violinist and conductor, 101 *
February 18 Events Pre-1600 * 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. * 1268 &ndas ...
Elizabeth Connell Frances Elizabeth Connell (22 October 194618 February 2012) was a South African-born operatic mezzo-soprano, and later soprano, whose career took place mainly in the United Kingdom and Australia. Connell was born in Port Elizabeth, South Afri ...
, South African operatic soprano, 65 *
February 24 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. * 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. * 13 ...
István Anhalt István Anhalt, (April 12, 1919 – February 24, 2012) was a Hungarian-Canadian composer. Anhalt served as a professor of music at McGill University and founded the McGill University Electronic Music Studio. He also served as head of music at ...
, Hungarian-Canadian composer, 92 *
April 8 Events Pre-1600 * 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. * 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids. *1139 – Ro ...
George Wilberforce Kakoma George Wilberforce Kakoma (27 July 1923 – 8 April 2012) was a Ugandan musician who wrote and composed " The Pearl of Africa", Uganda's national anthem. Kakoma's composition was first played publicly by the Police Band conducted by Mr. Moon on Oc ...
, Ugandan composer, 89 *
April 10 Events Pre-1600 * 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople. * 837 – Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles). * 1407 ...
Lili Chookasian, 90, American contralto * April 12
Stefánia Moldován Stefánia Moldován (24 August 1929 in Sajóudvarhely – 12 April 2012 in Budapest) was a Hungarian opera singer of Armenian origin. A student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1948 to 1953, she debuted as a dramatic soprano in a product ...
, 80, Hungarian soprano * April 16Alan Hacker, English clarinettist, 73 * April 16
Sári Barabás Sári Barabás (14 March 1914 – 16 April 2012) was a Hungarian operatic soprano, particularly associated with coloratura roles.Obituary : Sári Barábas. ''Opera'', September 2012, Vol 63 No.9, p1076. Biography Sári Barabás was born in Budap ...
, 98, Hungarian soprano * April 20Leandra Overmann, 55, Serbian mezzo-soprano/contralto * April 30
Finn Benestad Finn Benestad (30 October 1929, Kristiansand – 30 April 2012, Kristiansand) was a Norwegian musicologist and music critic. He was a professor at the University of Oslo from 1965 to 1998, and is probably best known for his long-term research o ...
, Norwegian musicologist, 82 * May 2
Zvi Zeitlin Zvi Zeitlin (21 February 19222 May 2012) was a Russian-born American classical violinist and teacher. Born in Dubroŭna (now in Belarus), the son of Jewish parents: a doctor and amateur violinist, Zeitlin won a scholarship at the age of 11 to th ...
, Russian violinist and music teacher, 90 * May 3
Felix Werder Felix Werder AM (24 February 19223 May 2012) was a German-born Australian composer of classical and electronic music, and also a noted critic and educator. The son of a distinguished liturgical composer, he composed all his life. His published ...
, Australian composer, 90 *
May 16 Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. * 1364 ...
Maria Bieșu Maria Bieșu (3 August 1935 – 16 May 2012) was a Moldovan opera singer. Debuting in 1961, she eventually went on to become the lead vocalist of the Moldova National Opera Ballet. Her artistic excellence brought her international recognition and ...
, 76, Moldovan soprano *
May 18 Events Pre-1600 * 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople. * 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German lyric baritone and conductor, 86 * May 29
Mark Minkov Mark Anatolievich Minkov (russian: Марк Анатольевич Минков; 25 November 1944 – 29 May 2012) was a Soviet / Russian music composer. His music is featured in a number of operas, ballets, stage performances, and films. H ...
, Russian composer, 67 * June 4Eduard Khil, Russian baritone, 77 * June 13
Jože Humer Jože Humer (24 June 1936 – 13 June 2012) was a Slovenian composer, choirmaster, lyricist, translator, and cultural organiser. He was born in Maribor, attended a local classical gymnasium, and then studied and graduated from law. He established th ...
, Slovenian composer and choirmaster, 76 * June 14 **
Karl-Heinz Kämmerling Karl-Heinz Kämmerling (6 May 1930 – 14 June 2012) was a notable German academic teacher of classical pianists, who trained pianists at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover for careers as performer ...
, German classical pianist and teacher, 82 **
Hassan Kassai Hassan Kassai ( fa, حسن کسائی‎; 25 September 1928 – 14 June 2012) was a musician and player of Persian classical music. He played the ney, the traditional reed flute of Persia/Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic ...
, Iranian Ney player, 83 *
June 23 Events Pre-1600 * 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu. * 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships. * 1280 – The Spanish Re ...
Franz Crass Franz Crass (9 March 192823 June 2012) was a German bass singer. A native of Wipperfürth, Rhine Province, Crass studied with Gerda Heuer in Wiesbaden and with Professor Clemens Glettenberg at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln. He won numer ...
, German operatic bass, 84 * June 24
Jean Cox Jean Cox (January 16, 1922 – June 24, 2012) was an American tenor. Early years Cox was born in Gadsden, Alabama. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II era as a pilot. After obtaining a degree in Music from the ...
, US operatic tenor, 90 *
June 28 Events Pre-1600 * 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch. * 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II. * 1461 – ...
Éric Gaudibert Éric Gaudibert (21 December 1936 – 28 June 2012) was a Swiss composer. Career Gaudibert was born in Vevey. He studied piano and composition at the Conservatory of Lausanne, particularly with Denise Bidal and Hans Haug, and later in Paris in ...
, Swiss composer, 75 *
July 1 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
Evelyn Lear Evelyn Shulman Lear (January 8, 1926 – July 1, 2012) was an American operatic soprano. Between 1959 and 1992, she appeared in more than forty operatic roles, appeared with every major opera company in the United States and won a Grammy Award in ...
, 86, American soprano *
July 10 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 645 – Isshi Incident: Prin ...
Viktor Suslin Viktor Yevseyevich Suslin (russian: Ви́ктор Евсе́евич Су́слин; June 13, 1942, Miass, Ural, Russia – July 10, 2012, Hamburg, Germany) was a Russian composer. An associate of Sofia Gubaidulina's, together with her and Vy ...
, Russian composer, 70 *
July 16 Events Pre-1600 * 622 – The beginning of the Islamic calendar. * 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouranos at the Spercheios River in Greece. * 105 ...
** Ed Lincoln, Brazilian composer and musician, 80 * Jon Lord, English composer, 71 * July 17
İlhan Mimaroğlu İlhan Kemaleddin Mimaroğlu (, March 11, 1926 – July 17, 2012) was a Turkish American musician and electronic music composer. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of the famous architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey depicted on the Turkish lira ...
, Turkish-born American composer and record producer, 86 *
July 22 Events Pre-1600 * 838 – Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids. *1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of J ...
Nan Merriman Katherine Ann Merriman (April 28, 1920 – July 22, 2012) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. Biography A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she performed with her pianist brother, J. Vick O'Brien (later president of the Pittsburgh Nation ...
, 92, American mezzo-soprano *
August 2 Events Pre-1600 *338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean. *216 BC – The Carthaginian arm ...
**
Marguerite Piazza Marguerite Piazza (May 6, 1920 – August 2, 2012) was an American soprano, entertainer and philanthropist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Early life In 1920, Piazza was born as Marguerite Clair Lucille Luft. Piazza's parents were Albert William ...
, American singer, 90 **
Mihaela Ursuleasa Mihaela Ursuleasa (27 September 1978 – 2 August 2012) was a Romanian concert pianist. In 1995, she won the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition. Biography Ursuleasa began playing the piano at the age of five under the tutelage of her ...
, Romanian pianist, 33 (cerebral hemorrhage; (body discovered on this date) *
August 6 Events Pre-1600 *1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean. * 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
Ruggiero Ricci, American violinist, 94 * August 7Sabahattin Kalender, Turkish composer, 93 * August 7 – , 73, German bass *
August 11 Events Pre-1600 * 3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins. * 2492 BC – Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founde ...
Carlo Curley Carlo James Curley (August 24, 1952 – August 11, 2012) was an American classical concert organist who lived much of his later life in Great Britain.Black, Fergus (7 October 1989).Carlo Curley. ''Glasgow Herald''. p. 4, Retrieved 6 November ...
, American classical organist, 59 *
August 16 Events Pre-1600 * 1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs. * 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdan ...
Bystrík Režucha Bystrík Režucha (14 January 1935, Bratislava – 16 August, 2012) was a Slovak conductor. He was a chief conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra The Slovak Philharmonic or Slovak State Philharmonic (Slovenská filharmónia) is a Slova ...
, Slovak conductor, 77 * August 23
Marlise Wendels Marlise Wendels (28 April 1923 – 23 August 2012) was a German operatic soprano closely associated with the Oper Frankfurt. Life and career Wendels was born in Saargebiet. She trained in singing in Kaiserlautern and Saarbrücken before joining ...
, 89, German soprano *
September 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1145 – The main altar of Lund Cathedral, at the time seat of the archiepiscopal see of all the Nordic countries, is consecrated. * 1173 – The widow Stamira sacrifices herself in order to raise the siege of Ancon ...
Amanda Thane Amanda Louise Thane (18 December 1953 – 1 September 2012) was an Australian operatic soprano known for her interpretations of roles such as Violetta in Verdi's ''La traviata'', Liù in Puccini's ''Turandot'', Eva in Wagner's ''Die Meistersinger ...
, 59, Australian soprano *
September 2 Events Pre-1600 *44 BC – Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. * 44 BC – Cicero launches the first of his ''Philippicae'' (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. He will make 14 of them ...
Emmanuel Nunes Emmanuel Nunes (31 August 1941 – 2 September 2012) was a Portuguese composer who lived and worked in Paris from 1964. Biography Nunes was born in Lisbon, where he studied composition, first from 1959 to 1963 at the Academia de Amadores de Mús ...
, Portuguese composer, 71 * September 4
Ian Parrott Ian Parrott (5 March 1916 – 4 September 2012) was a prolific Anglo-Welsh composer and writer on music. His distinctions included the first prize of the Royal Philharmonic Society for his symphonic poem ''Luxor'', and commissions by the BBC a ...
, British composer and academic, 96 * September 12
William Schatzkamer William Schatzkamer (August 17, 1916 - September 12, 2012) was an American educator, pianist, and conductor. Born in New York City he was trained in piano at The Juilliard School and, during the 1940s, served as assisting solo artist with Paul Ro ...
, American pianist and conductor, 96 * September 13William Duckworth, US composer, 69 *
September 15 Events Pre-1600 * 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes. *1440 – Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by ...
**
Olga Ferri Olga Ferri (20 September 1928 – 15 September 2012) was an Argentine choreographer and ballet dancer.
, Argentine ballet dancer, 83 **
George Hurst George Hurst may refer to: * George Hurst (conductor) (1926–2012), British conductor * George Hurst (artist) (born 1933), American leather artist * George Samuel Hurst (1927–2010), health physicist, scientist, inventor, educator and innovator * ...
, British conductor, 86 *
September 18 Events Pre-1600 * 96 – Domitian, who has been conducting a reign of terror for the past three years, is assassinated as a result of a plot by his wife Domitia and two Praetorian prefects. * 96 – Nerva is proclaimed Roman emperor a ...
Leo Goeke, US operatic tenor, 74 *
September 22 Events Pre-1600 * 904 – The warlord Zhu Quanzhong kills Emperor Zhaozong, the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty, after seizing control of the imperial government. * 1236 – The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of th ...
Grigory Frid Grigory Samuilovich Frid also known as Grigori Fried (russian: Григо́рий Самуи́лович Фри́д, 22 September N.S. 1915 – 22 September 2012) was a Russian composer of music written in many different genres, including chamber ...
, 97, Russian composer *
September 30 Events Pre-1600 * 489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time. * 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture their b ...
– , 99, German baritone * October 9 **
Luna Alcalay Luna Alcalay (21 October 1928 – 9 October 2012) was a Croatian-born Austrian pianist, music educator and composer. Biography Alcalay was born in Zagreb, Croatia to a Jewish family. She studied piano under Bruno Seidlhofer and composition unde ...
, Austrian pianist, music educator and composer, 83 **
Federico A. Cordero Federico A. Cordero (August 18, 1928 – October 9, 2012) was a classical guitarist, lawyer, and politician. Early years Cordero (birth name: Federico Arturo Cordero Salguero) was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, a town which is now part of Sa ...
, Puerto Rican classical guitarist, 84 * October 12
Geraldine Mucha Geraldine Thomson Mucha (5 July 1917 – 12 October 2012) was a Scottish composer. She was born in London and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She married the Czech writer Jiří Mucha, son of the painter Alphonse Mucha, and in 1945 moved ...
, Scottish composer, 95 *
October 15 Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later. * 1211 ...
Axel Borup-Jørgensen Axel Borup-Jørgensen (22 November 1924 – 15 October 2012) was a Danish composer. He was born in Hjørring in Denmark, but grew up in Sweden. He died in Birkerød. He studied piano at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. As a com ...
, Danish composer, 87 * October 20
Przemysław Gintrowski Przemysław Gintrowski (21 December 1951 – 20 October 2012) was a Polish composer and musician. Gintrowski debuted in 1976 on a review of the Warsaw Riviera with the song "Epitaph for Sergei Yesenin". Shortly afterwards, in 1979, he forme ...
, Polish composer and musician, 60 *
October 27 Events Pre-1600 * 312 – Constantine is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. * 1275 – Traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam. * 1524 – French troops lay siege to Pavia. * 1553 – Condemned as ...
Hans Werner Henze, 86, German composer *
November 5 Events Pre-1600 * 1138 – Lý Anh Tông is enthroned as emperor of Vietnam at the age of two, beginning a 37-year reign. * 1499 – The '' Catholicon'', written in 1464 by Jehan Lagadeuc in Tréguier, is published; this is the first Br ...
**
Bernard Bierman Bernard Bierman (August 26, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American composer of popular songs. Biography Bierman was born in New York City. He studied pre-law and law at NYU and Brooklyn Law School, passing the bar in 1930. He practiced law ...
, US composer, 104 ** Elliott Carter, US composer, 103 * November 18 – Sir
Philip Ledger Sir Philip Stevens Ledger, CBE, FRSE (12 December 1937 – 18 November 2012) was an English classical musician, choirmaster and academic, best remembered as Director of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge in 1974–1982 and of the Royal Scott ...
, British composer and academic, 74 *
December 4 Events Pre-1600 * 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. * 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated on 6 D ...
** Jonathan Harvey, English composer, 73 (motor neurone disease) ** Peter Kiesewetter, German composer, 67 * December 5
Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
, American pianist and composer, 91 * December 10Lisa Della Casa, 93, Swiss soprano * December 11 **
Toni Blankenheim Toni Blankenheim (12 December 192111 December 2012) was a German operatic baritone. He notably sang major roles in the operas of Alban Berg: the title role of ''Wozzeck'', produced for television in 1970 (later issued on DVD), and the role of Sc ...
, German opera singer, 90 **
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...
, Indian sitar player and composer, 92 ** Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist, 86 * December 13
Otto Ketting Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded f ...
, Dutch composer, 77 * December 20
Victor Merzhanov Victor Karpovich Merzhanov (russian: Ви́ктор Ка́рпович Мержа́нов) (15 August 191920 December 2012) was a Russian pianist and People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Biography Merzhanov was born in Tambov and studied at Tamb ...
, Russian classical pianist, 93 *
December 24 Events Pre-1600 * 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. * 640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. * 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, whe ...
Richard Rodney Bennett Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (29 March 193624 December 2012) was an English composer of film, TV and concert music, and also a jazz pianist and occasional vocalist. He was based in New York City from 1979 until his death there in 2012.Zachary Woo ...
, 76, British composer


Major awards


Classical Brits

*Special Recognition Award —
Classic FM (UK) Classic FM (styled as CLASSIC M) is one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations and is owned and operated by Global. The station broadcasts classical music and was launched in 1992. Classic FM was the first national c ...
*Female Artist of the Year —
Nicola Benedetti Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti (born 20 July 1987) is an Italian-British classical solo violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She w ...
*Male Artist of the Year — Vasily Petrenko *Composer of the Year —
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
*Critics Award —
Benjamin Grosvenor Benjamin Grosvenor (born 8 July 1992) is a British classical pianist. Education Grosvenor was born and brought up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. He is the youngest of five brothers. His father is an English and Drama teacher, an ...


Grammy Awards

*''See
54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the ...
''


See also

*
2012 in opera 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. *April 10 – A terminally-ill Robin Gibb is unable to attend ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2012 In classical music Clssical Classical music by year