This article lists major events and other topics related to the year 2017 in classical music.
Events 1 January – Gustavo Dudamel conducts the New Year's Day concert of the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time, the youngest conductor in the history of this event. He also conducted the Vienna Philharmonic concerts of this same programme on 30 December 2016 and 31 December 2016. 5 January – The Royal Danish Opera announces that its artistic director, Sven Müller, is to stand down from the post in the summer of 2017, 3 years ahead of the previously scheduled conclusion of his contract in 2020. 11 January The Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces that Lan Shui is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra in January 2019. The Théâtre du Châtelet ratifies the appointment of Ruth Mackenzie as its next artistic director. The first public announcement of her appointment was on 3 January 2017. The first concert at the newly opened Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg takes place, with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the NDR Chor and conductor Thomas Hengelbrock. The Winston-Salem Symphony announces that Robert Moody is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra after the close of the 2017–2018 season. 12 January – The City of London Corporation announces a pledge of £2.5M to a feasibility study, previously halted in November 2016, for a proposed new London concert hall. 13 January – The Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst announces the appointment of Francesco Angelico as the next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Hessischen Staatstheater Kassel, effective with the 2017–2018 season. 17 January – The American Composers Orchestra announces the appointment of Edward Yim as its next president, effective 21 February 2017. 18 January Scottish Opera announces the winners of its 'Opera Sparks 2018' competition: Henry McPherson – Maud Lewis Murphy and Laura Attridge – untitled work Matthew Whiteside and Helene Grøn – Little Black Lies The Ojai Music Festival announces that Patricia Kopatchinskaja is to be the festival's music director in 2018, ahead of her originally scheduled season in 2020. Kopatchinskaja replaces Esa-Pekka Salonen, the originally scheduled music director for 2018, who withdrew from his scheduled appointment because of his composition schedule. 20 January The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Kahchun Wong as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. Eugene Opera announces the suspension of the remainder of its season, because of lack of funds. 22 January – Simultaneous announcements by the Shanghai Symphony, the Guangzhou Symphony, and the China Philharmonic Orchestras report the cancellation of scheduled concert appearances with Korean soprano Sumi Jo, without formal explanation. This follows a comparable announcement from the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of the replacement of Korean pianist Kun-woo Paik for a scheduled March 2017 concert. The political context has been reported to concern political tensions between the South Korean and Chinese governments with respect to the planned deployment of the Thaad missile-defence system by the South Korean government. 24 January The University Musical Society of the University of Michigan announces the appointment of Matthew VanBesien as its next president, effective July 2017. The New York Philharmonic announces that Matthew VanBesien is to step down as its president in the spring of 2017, one year ahead of his scheduled contract date of 2018, to take up the post of president of the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan. 25 January The London Festival of Baroque Music announces that Lindsay Kemp is to stand down as artistic director, and Lucy Bending is to stand down as festival manager, in May 2017, at the conclusion of the 2017 festival. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center announces its award of the 2017 Elise L. Stoeger Prize, for contributions to chamber music composition, to Huw Watkins. 26 January The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Pierre-Laurent Aimard as the recipient of the 2017 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.Ulrich Mosch, 'Serving Music' (essay on the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize for 2017) The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra announces the appointment of Elisa Citterio as its next music director, effective July 2017. 29 January – The Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim complete their live concert cycle of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner at Carnegie Hall, the first live Bruckner symphony cycle ever performed in the USA. The cycle began on 19 January 2017, and the 20 January 2017 concert also marked the 60th anniversary of Barenboim's first appearance at Carnegie Hall. 2 February Graz Opera announces the appointment of Oksana Lyniv as its next Generalmusikdirektorin (GMD), effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. The Duisburger Philharmoniker announces the appointment of Axel Kober as its interim chief conductor, scheduled through September 2019. The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of James Burton as the new conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and as the newly created BSO Choral Director, both with immediate effect. North Carolina Opera announces the scheduled departure of its artistic and music director, Timothy Myers, at the end of September 2017. 3 February A report in Le Figaro states that the Belvédère-musée Maurice Ravel in Montfort-l'Amaury has been suddenly closed, for an indefinite period, and that its custodian, Madame Claude Moreau, was dismissed by the town authorities on 1 February 2017, both without advance notice. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Otto Tausk as its next music director, effective 1 July 2018. 4 February – Chicago Opera Theater announces that Andreas Mitisek is to stand down as its general director at the expiration of his contract in September 2017. Douglas Clayton, the current executive director of the company, is to replace Mitisek in the post. 5 February The Budapest Festival Orchestra gives the first concert of its 2017 United States tour at Lincoln Center in New York City, following the initial denial of entry of one of the orchestra's musicians into the US in the aftermath of Executive Order 13769. The inaugural Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition announces its inaugural first-prize winner, Sirena Huang. 7 February – Grand Rapids Opera announces the appointment of James Meena as its next artistic director, effective with the 2017–2018 season."Opera Grand Rapids hires internationally-renowned Artistic Director to usher in new era for company", 7 February 2017 8 February – Musicians from the Seattle Symphony perform a concert of music by composers from, and featuring musicians born in, several of the seven nations mentioned in Executive Order 13769, in protest against the executive order.Seattle Symphony, video page on 'Music Beyond Borders: Voices from the Seven', 8 February 2017 10 February – The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival announces composer Samy Moussa as the recipient of its Hindemith Prize for 2017. 13 February The European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO) announces its intention to relocate to AMUZ (Augustinus Muziekzentrum), Antwerp, in 2018, in the wake of the Brexit referendum. In parallel, the EUBO announces its plan to discontinue the EUBO Mobile Baroque Academy (EMBA) project at the end of March 2017. Fort Worth Opera announces the departure of Darren K. Woods as the company's general director, with immediate effect. 20 February – The inaugural Basel Composition Competition announces its inaugural prize winners: First prize: Víctor Ibarra – In memoriam Second prize: Pasquale Corrado – After last October Third prize: Hannah Hanbiel Choi – Hide and seek 21 February – Fresno Grand Opera (FGO) and Townsend Opera announce the departure of Matthew Townsend as general director of both opera companies, effective 28 February 2017. In parallel, FGO music director Ryan Murray is to become artistic director of the two opera companies, and Matthew Altamura is to become managing director of FGO. 25 February News articles in Austrian media report that composer Klaus Lang was denied entry to the US, where he had intended to attend rehearsals and a concert featuring his work missa beati pauperes spiritu. Lang postulated that this entry denial was because of a 2013 visit that he made to Iran, one of the seven countries named in Executive Order 13769. Calgary Opera announces that Bob McPhee, its general director, is to retire effective 3 March 2017. 28 February – The St Paul's Cathedral Choir announces the appointment of Carris Jones to its roster, the first female chorister in the choir's recorded history, effective 1 September 2017, as alto vicar choral. 1 March – Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting announce that the two institutions are to merge, effective September 2017. 2 March The Academy of Ancient Music announces the appointment of Alexander Van Ingen as its new chief executive. The BBC announces the appointment of Neil Ferris as the new chorus director of the BBC Symphony Chorus, effective May 2017. In parallel, Grace Rossiter is to join the chorus as deputy chorus director. 4 March – The first concert at the new Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin takes place, under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. 7 March 56 years after being denied the opportunity to perform as a piano soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic in the Piano Concerto No 23 of Mozart, because of his 'coloured' status under apartheid racial policies, Reggie Dreyer, a retired school teacher in South Africa, performs the same concerto with current musicians of the Cape Town Philharmonic at a lunchtime concert at the Artscape Theatre Centre. Fresno Grand Opera announces cancellation of the remainder of its 2016–2017 season and its intention to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The day before, 6 March, the board of Fresno Grand Opera announced the termination of its contract with company music director Ryan Murray. 8 March – New Music Scotland presented the inaugural Scottish Awards for New Music: Achievement in New Music: Allie Robertson Award for Community / Education Project: Drake Music Scotland – 'Wagner's School of Cool' Large Scale Work: Helen Grime – Two Eardley Pictures: Catterline in Winter and Snow New Music Performer(s) of the Year: Red Note Ensemble Recorded New Work: Robert Irvine, Songs and Lullabies (Delphian Records) Small/medium Scale Work: David Fennessy – Panopticon 9 March – The Stadttheater Klagenfurt announces the appointment of Nicholas Carter as the new chief conductor of both the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and its resident orchestra, the Kärntnersinfonieorchester, effective September 2018, with an initial contract of 3 years. 15 March – The New York Philharmonic announces the appointment of Deborah Borda as its next president and chief executive officer, her scheduled second tenure in the posts, effective 1 September 2017. 17 March – The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra announces that its music director, André Raphel, is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra at the end of the 2017–2018 season. 22 March – The MDR announces that Kristjan Järvi is to conclude his tenure as chief conductor of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra after the close of the 2017–2018 season. 23 March – The Rossini Opera Festival announces the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI as its new principal orchestra, following the withdrawal of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. 25 March – The Memphis Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert Moody as its next music director, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 6 seasons. 27 March – The Théâtre du Capitole announces the appointment of Christophe Ghristi as its next artistic director.