Minnesota Opera announces the appointment of Ryan Taylor as its next president and general director, effective 1 May 2016, with an initial contract of 5 years.[5]
Los Angeles Opera announces the appointment of Matthew Aucoin as its first-ever artist-in-residence, effective with the 2016–2017 season, with an initial term of 3 years.[6]
The Artemis String Quartet announces the appointment of Anthea Kreston as its new second violinist. In parallel, Gregor Sigl, the quartet's second violinist, immediately takes the position of violist of the quartet.[7]
The Boise Philharmonic Orchestra announces that music director Robert Franz is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2015–2016 season.[8]
Friedrich Haider announces his resignation as chief conductor of the Slovak National Theatre.[9]
The Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory sign an agreement to merge under the umbrella name of 'Berklee', with the Boston Conservatory location to take the name 'The Boston Conservatory at Berklee'.[10]
The Castleton Festival announces suspension of its 2016 summer festival season, citing financial difficulties.[11]
NYCO Renaissance, the successor organisation to New York City Opera, gives its first performance, of Puccini's Tosca.[12]
January 26 – The Orkest van het Oosten announces that Jan Willem de Vriend is to conclude his tenure as chief conductor at the end of the 2016–2017 season.[14]
The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation announces Leonidas Kavakos as the recipient of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2017.[15]
The New York Philharmonic announces the appointment of Jaap van Zweden as its next music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.[16]
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces that Jaap van Zweden is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra after the 2017–2018 season, and subsequently to take the title of conductor laureate as of the 2018–2019 season, for a scheduled 3-season period.[17]
The Opera di Firenze announces the appointment of Fabio Luisi as its next music director, the first conductor to hold that title with the company, and in parallel, as director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, as of April 2018, with an initial contract of 5 years. In parallel, Zubin Mehta, the company's principal conductor, is to take the title of principal conductor emeritus.[19]
The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Per Nørgård as the recipient of the 2016 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.[20]
Oxford University announces the appointment of Natalie Clein as Director of Musical Performance in the Music Faculty, with an initial term of 4 years.[21]
February 2 – The Utah Symphony announces the appointment of Paul Meecham as the next president and chief executive officer of Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.[22]
February 3 – The Boston Classical Orchestra board of trustees votes to file for bankruptcy. The orchestra subsequently cancels the remainder of its 2015–2016 season and ceases operations.[23]
February 11 – The NDR Symphony Orchestra announces that it is to change its name to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, as of 15 April 2016, as a reflection of its scheduled future residency in the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall in January 2017.[30]
February 15 – Vancouver Opera announces the appointment of Kim Gaynor as its next general director, effective 1 July 2016.[31]
Ian Bostridge is announced as the winner of the 60th Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for non-fiction writing, for his book Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession.[35]
Opera North announces the appointment of Aleksandar Marković as its next music director, effective with the 2016–2017 season.[36]
The London Mozart Players (LMP) announce the appointments of Nick Mallett as chair of the LMP Trust and of Julia Desbruslais as executive director of the LMP.[37]
The Washington Chorus announces that Julian Wachner is to stand down as its music director after the 2016–2017 season.[38]
February 25 – The Ulster Orchestra announces the appointment of Richard Wigley as its new managing director, with immediate effect.[39]
The city of Bonn announces the appointment of Dirk Kaftan as the next Generalmusikdirektor of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, effective August 2017, with an initial contract of 5 years.[42]
February 29 – The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Martin Hoffmann is to stand down as Intendant (General Manager) of the orchestra after the end of the 2016–2017 season.[43]
Piotr Anderszewski announces that he is taking an undefined sabbatical from performing. His final concert before the start of his sabbatical was on 4 March 2016 in New York City.[47]
March 9 – The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden announces the appointment of William Spaulding as its next chorus director, effective with the 2016–2017 season.[49]
The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Thomas Adès as its first-ever Artistic Partner, for a period of 3 years commencing in August 2016.[51]
March 14 – Mid Wales Opera announces the appointments of Jonathan Lyness as its next music director, and of Richard Studer as its next artistic director, effective April 2017.[52]
March 15 – The Landeskapelle Eisenach announces the appointment of Andreas Fellner as its new chief conductor, effective with the 2016–2017 season.[53]
March 18 – The chorus of English National Opera (ENO) announced that its union, Equity, negotiated with ENO management a guaranteed annual pay package of £35,000, rather than the management-proposed reduction to £30,685. The ENO chorus subsequently did not resort to industrial action in protest at the earlier proposal, as had been decided on 26 February.[54]
March 21 – The Gloucester Cathedral Choir announces that it is to recruit girl choristers for the first time in its history, in April 2016.[55]
March 22 – Mark Wigglesworth announces his resignation as music director of English National Opera, effective at the end of the 2015–2016 season.[56]
March 29 – Jeff Melanson resigns as president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). The orchestra announces that Sonia Baxendale is to be the TSO's interim CEO. Both actions are with immediate effect.[58]
April 5 – The Orchestre National de Lyon announces that Leonard Slatkin is to stand down as its music director after the 2016–2017 season, and subsequently to take the title of Directeur musical honoraire.[59]
April 14 – The Metropolitan Opera announces that James Levine is to retire as its music director at the end of the 2015=2016 season, and subsequently to take the title of music director emeritus.[63]
The Göttingen Symphony Orchestra announces that Christoph-Mathias Mueller is to conclude his chief conductorship of the orchestra after the close of the 2017–2018 season.[65]
The city of Wuppertal announces the appointment of Julia Jones as the next General Music Director (Generalmusikdirektorin) of the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonieorchesters Wuppertal), which also encompasses the music directorship of the Wuppertal Opera (Wuppertaler Bühnen), with an initial contract for 3 years, effective with the 2016–2017 season.[66]
The RIAS Kammerchor announces the appointment of Justin Doyle as its next chief conductor and artistic director, effective with the 2017–2018 season.[67]
April 23 – The London Woodwind Orchestra, the first professional woodwind orchestra in the UK, gives its debut performance at St John's Smith Square.[69]
April 29 – English National Opera announces the appointment of Daniel Kramer as its next artistic director, effective 1 August 2016.[70]
May 17 – Itzhak Perlman announces via his Facebook page the cancellation of his scheduled 18 May 2016 appearance with the North Carolina Symphony, in protest at House Bill 2 (North Carolina General Assembly 2016 Second Extra Session).[74]
The Hessische Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst announces the appointment of Patrick Lange as the next Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatstheater Wiesbaden, as of the 2017–2018 season.[75]
June 1 – The European Commission announces funding of 600K € for the European Union Youth Orchestra, as a short-term solution to prevent the pending closure of the orchestra.[81]
The Metropolitan Opera announces the appointment of Yannick Nézet-Séguin as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.[82]
The Grand Rapids Symphony announces the appointment of Marcelo Lehninger as its next music director, effective with the 2016–2018 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[83]
June 6 – The University of Cambridge announces the appointment of the Ligeti Quartet as the first holders of the Cambridge Chamber Music Residency.[84]
June 8 – The Tiroler Landestheater and the Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra announce that Francesco Angelico is to conclude his chief conductorship of both institutions after the 2016–2017 season.[85]
The Royal Albert Hall announces that Chris Cotton, its current chief executive, is to retire.[88]
June 15 – The Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg announces the appointment of Cornelius Meister as the next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Stuttgart State Opera and of the Stuttgart State Orchestra, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of six seasons.[89]
The Mieczysła Karłowicz Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Rune Bergmann as its next artistic director and principal conductor, effective with the 2016–2017 season.[90]
Never heard during the composer's lifetime, Still Point by Daphne Oram receives its world premiere at St John's Smith Square, London, 67 years after Oram composed the work.[92]
The Aix-en-Provence Festival announces the appointment of Pierre Audi as its next artistic director, effective 2018. In parallel, Audi is to stand down as artistic director of De Nederlandse Opera.[93]
June 26 – The Cypress String Quartet gives their final concert in San Francisco, at the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, before formally disbanding.[94]
June 27 – Kentucky Opera announces the appointment of Ian Derrer as its new general director, effective 1 September 2016.[95]
June 29 – Opera de Montreal announces the appointment of Patrick Corrigan as its next general director, effective September 2016.[96]
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Gabriel van Aalst as its new president and chief executive officer, effective October 2016.[98]
July 9 – The first complete performance of the Cello Concerto of Herbert Howells occurs at Gloucester Cathedral as part of the Cheltenham Festival.[99]
July 26 – The Konstanzer Gemeinderat announces the appointment of Ari Rasilainen as the next chief conductor of the Südwestdeutschen Philharmonie, effective with the 206–2017 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[103]
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet announces the appointment of Esa-Pekka Salonen as its first-ever Artist in Association, for the period from September 2016 to 2021.[106]
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Gary Hanson as its interim chief executive officer, effective 26 September 2016, with a contract of up to 2 years.[107]
August 23 – The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Lahav Shani as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[108]
September 7 – Never publicly performed during the composer's lifetime, the BBC Philharmonic gave the premiere of the Symphony No 6 of Arnold Cooke at the BBC Philharmonic Studio, MediaCityUK, in Salford Quays.[109]
September 8 – The musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra take industrial action and go on strike, following a breakdown in contract negotiations between the orchestra's management and musicians.[110]
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden announces the appointment of Oliver Mears as its next Director of Opera, effective March 2017.[113]
The Colorado Symphony announces the appointment of Brett Mitchell as its next music director, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[114]
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointments of Thierry Fischer as principal guest conductor and of Markus Stenz as 'conductor-in-residence', both effective January 2017, with initial contracts of 3 years, following the resignation of Myung-whun Chung as music director of the orchestra at the end of 2015.[116]
The SWR Symphonieorchester, formed from the merger of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, gives its first concert at the Liederhalle, Stuttgart, under the direction of Péter Eötvös.[117]
The musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra take industrial action and go on strike, for only the second time in the orchestra's history.[119]
The musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra take industrial action and go on strike, one hour before its scheduled Opening Night Gala concert.[120]
The management of the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra informed its musicians of the appointment of Ligia Amadio as its next artistic director, effective 2017.[121] The orchestra formally announced Amadio's appointment on 23 December 2016.[122]
October 2 – The musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra vote 73–11 to ratify a new contract proposed by orchestra management, ending the industrial action initiated on 30 September.[124]
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Andrea Zietzschmann as its new Intendantin (managing director), effective 1 September 2017.[127]
Les Violons du Roy announces the appointment of Jonathan Cohen as its next music director, effective with the 2017–2018 season.[128]
The Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire announces the appointment of Dina Gilbert as its next music director, effective June 2017.[130]
October 20 – The Victoria Symphony announces the appointment of Christian Kluxen as its next music director, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[131]
English National Opera announces the appointment of Martyn Brabbins as its new music director, with immediate effect, with an initial contract through October 2020.[132]
The Cincinnati May Festival announces the appointment of Juanjo Mena as its new principal conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.[133]
October 25 – Originally completed in 1997, the opera Jane Eyre by composer John Joubert and librettist Kenneth Birkin received its world premiere in a revised version in 2 acts, at the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, Birmingham.[135]
October 29 – The Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen announces the appointment of Ekkehard Klemm as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season.[138]
November 3 – The Basque National Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert Treviño as its next music director, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons.[139]
November 4 – The UK government announced withdrawal of funding support for the proposed new London Concert Hall.[140]
November 15 – The Australian Festival of Chamber Music announces the appointment of Kathryn Stott as its next artistic director, effective in 2018, with an initial contract of 3 years.[141]
November 18 – Michigan Opera Theatre announces the appointment of Stephen Lord to the newly created position of principal conductor, with an initial contract through the 2018–2019 season, with immediate effect.[142]
November 25 – The Royal Danish Opera (Det Kongelige Kapel) announces the appointment of Alexander Vedernikov as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season.[144]
November 27 – In a letter to the mayor of Dresden, Michael Sanderling announces that he is to stand down as chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic after the end of his current contract in 2019, in protest at learning of proposed culture budget reductions via media reports instead of being informed directly from the civic authorities.[145]
November 28 – The Grawemeyer Foundation announces Andrew Norman as the winner of the 2017 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, for his orchestral work Play.[146]
December 1 – The Metropolitan Opera gives its first performance of L'Amour de loin of Kaija Saariaho, the first opera by a female composer to be staged at the Metropolitan Opera since 1903, and the second opera by a female composer ever to be presented in the history of the company.[148]
Northern Ireland Opera announces the appointment of Walter Sutcliffe as its next artistic director, effective February 2017.[151]
The musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra approved a new labour agreement with the orchestra's management, contracted through 2020, after an anonymous donor made a gift of US$700K toward musician salaries.[152]
December 8 – Dmitri Hvorostovsky announces that he is withdrawing from all of his currently scheduled opera performances 'for the foreseeable future', because of health concerns, to focus on concert and recital work, and health treatment.[153]
December 12 – The San Francisco Symphony announces that it is cancelling its scheduled April 2017 concert appearances in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, in protest at House Bill 2 (North Carolina General Assembly 2016 Second Extra Session).[154]
The Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen announces the appointment of Fawzi Haimor as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.[157]
December 21 – The Austrian Ministry of Culture simultaneously announced that Dominique Meyer is to conclude his tenure as general director (Intendant) of the Vienna State Opera at the end of the 2019–2020 season, and that Bogdan Roscic is to be the new Intendant of the Vienna State Opera effective with the 2020–2021 season.[159]
Philippe de Monte, William Byrd, Roxanna Panufnik, Francis Pott, Alexander L'Estrange, Owain Park, Charlotte Bray, Roderick Williams – Upheld by Stillness (ORA Choir)[375]
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Stephen Paulus – Prayers & Remembrances; True Concord Voices and Orchestra; Eric Holtan, conductor (Reference Recordings)
Baroque Vocal: Monteverdi – Madrigali, Vol 1 – Cremona; Les Arts Florissants, Paul Agnew (Les Arts Florissants Editions)
Chamber: Tippett – String Quartets; Heath Quartet (Wigmore Hall Live)
Choral: Schoenberg – Gurrelieder; Barbara Haveman, Claudia Mahnke, Brandon Jovanovich, Gerhard Siegel, Thomas Bauer, Johannes Martin Kränzle; Netherlands Female Youth Choir; Cologne Cathedral Choir, Male Voices and Vocal Ensemble; Chorus of the Bach-Verein, Cologne; Kartäuserkantorei, Cologne; Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra; Markus Stenz (Hyperion)
Concerto: Britten. Korngold – Violin Concertos; Vilde Frang, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, James Gaffigan (Warner Classics)
Contemporary: Hans Abrahamsen – let me tell you; Barbara Hannigan, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons (Winter & Winter)
Early Music: Western Wind; Taverner Choir & Players / Andrew Parrott (Avie)
Instrumental: JS Bach – Goldberg Variations / Beethoven – Diabelli Variations / Frederic Rzewski – The People United Will Never Be Defeated!; Igor Levit (Sony Classical)
Recital: Mozart – The Weber Sisters; Sabine Devieilhe, Arnaud de Pasqual; Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon (Erato)
Solo Vocal: Néère; Véronique Gens, Susan Manoff (Alpha)
Recording of the Year: Bruckner – JS Bach – Goldberg Variations / Beethoven – Diabelli Variations / Frederic Rzewski – The People United Will Never Be Defeated!; Igor Levit (Sony Classical)
^"New Year's Honours list 2017"(PDF) (Press release). Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Government, Department of Health, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Home Office, United Kingdom. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-31.