This is a summary of the year 2019 in British music.
Events
3 January – The Royal College of Organists announces Hans Fagius and Nicolas Kynaston as the recipients of the RCO Medal for 2019.[1]
10 January – The Brodsky Quartet announces the appointment of Gina McCormack as its new violinist, to replace the departing Daniel Rowland.[2]
17 January – The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Rebecca Saunders as the recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis 2019, the second woman and the first female composer ever to be honoured with the award.[3]
24 January – Tasmin Little announces her intention to retire from classical music performance in the summer of 2020.[5]
25 January
The BBC Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Dalia Stasevska as its next principal guest conductor, the first woman to be named to the post and the second female conductor ever to be given a titled post with a BBC orchestra.[6]
20 February – Future Talent announces Sheku Kanneh-Mason as its newest Ambassador.[9]
4 March – Scala Radio, a new classical radio station, begins transmission.[10]
8 March
A British Phonographic Industry report indicates that with respect to music provision, state schools have seen a 21% decrease over the past 5 years, compared to a net increase of 7% in independent schools during the same period.[11]
English National Opera announces the resignation of Daniel Kramer as its artistic director, effective at the end of July 2019.[14]
The Court of Appeal unanimously upholds the earlier ruling by the High Court of Justice in the case of Christopher Goldscheider v. Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, in favour of Goldscheider.[15]
25 April – The Development Management Sub-Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council approves plans for the construction of Dunard Centre, the first purpose-built music and performance venue in Edinburgh in over 100 years.[17]
29 April – The PRS Foundation announces that Vanessa Reed is to stand down as its executive director, effective with the summer of 2019.[18]
7 May – BBC Radio 3 announces the musicians for its New Generation Artists scheme from 2019-21:[19]
Eric Lu, piano
Alexander Gadjiev, piano
Timothy Ridout, viola
Consone Quartet
Johan Dalene, violin
Rob Luft, jazz guitar
Ema Nikoslovska, mezzo-soprano
10 May – The Philharmonia Orchestra announces that Helen Sprott is to stand down as its managing director.[20]
22 May
The Philharmonia Orchestra announces the appointment of Santtu-Matias Rouvali as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[21]
The Benedetti Foundation announces the appointment of Michael Garvey as its first-ever executive director.[22]
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) announces that Michael Garvey is to stand down as director of the BBC NOW and the BBC National Chorus of Wales.[23]
25 July – The London Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Edward Gardner as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-22 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.[31]
3 September – At the Proms, Bernard Haitink conducts his 90th and final Prom, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Emanuel Ax.[32]
11 September – The BBC National Orchestra of Wales announces the appointment of Ryan Bancroft as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020-21 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.[33]
16 September
The BBC announces the appointment of Lisa Tregale as the new Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC National Chorus of Wales, effective in 2020. Tregale is the first woman to be named to the post.[34]
^"New Year Honours list 2020"(PDF) (Press release). Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and Home Office, United Kingdom. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
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