This article lists major events and other topics related to classical music in 2019.
Events 1 January – The founders of Wichita Grand Opera, Margaret Ann Pent and Parvan Bakardiev, formally retire from the company. 3 January The Royal College of Organists announces Hans Fagius and Nicolas Kynaston as the recipients of the RCO Medal for 2019. Wichita Grand Opera announces the appointment of Alan Held as its new artistic director, effective 2 January 2019. 8 January – The Artemis Quartet announces the appointment of Suyoen Kim as its new violinist and Harriet Krijgh as its new cellist, effective June 2019. 10 January – The Brodsky Quartet announces the appointment of Gina McCormack as its new violinist, to replace the departing Daniel Rowland. 11 January – The Orchestre national de France announces the appointment of Johannes Neubert as its next general director, effective 1 September 2019. 14 January – The Gran Teatre del Liceu announces the appointment of Víctor Garcia de Gomar as its next artistic director, effective with the 2019–2020 season. 15 January Wexford Festival Opera announces the appointment of Rosetta Cucchi as its next artistic director, effective November 2019, with an initial contract of 6 years. Cal Performances announces the appointment of Jeremy Geffen as its next executive and artistic director, effective 1 April 2019. 16 January The announces the appointments of Antje Weithaas and Oliver Wille as the next co-artistic directors of the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover. Raidió Teilifís Éireann announces the appointment of Jaime Martín as the next chief conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, effective September 2019, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. 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. The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra announces the appointment of Richard Egarr as its next music director, effective with the 2021–2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. 18 January – The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival announces Aigerim Seilova as the recipient of its Hindemith-Preis 2019. 19 January The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra formally opens its new headquarters, RCO House. Chicago Opera Theater announces the appointment of Ashley Magnus as its next general director, with immediate effect. 21 January – The Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama jointly unveil initial designs for the proposed privately funded centre for music in the City of London. 22 January – WFMT announces the appointment of George Preston as its new vice-president and general manager, effective 1 March 2019. 24 January Tasmin Little announces her intention to retire from classical music performance in the summer of 2020. The Handel and Haydn Society announces that Harry Christophers is to conclude his tenure as its artistic director at the close of the 2020–2021 season. 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. The Ulster Orchestra announces the appointment of Daniele Rustioni as its next chief conductor, effective September 2019. The city of Schwäbisch Gmünd announces John Rutter as the recipient of the Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik 2019. 26 January Elena Kats-Chernin is made an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia. Yvonne Kenny receives the 2019 Australian of the Year in the UK award from the Australia Day Foundation. 27 January – Bernard Haitink conducts his final concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. 29 January Through the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, over 5000 papers and sketches by Giuseppe Verdi become available to scholars for the first time. Police in Ann Arbor, Michigan arrest David Daniels and his husband, Scott Walters, on charges of second-degree assault, following allegations by Samuel Schultz that the couple assaulted him in 2010. 30 January – The Colorado Music Festival announces the appointment of Peter Oundjian as its next music director. 1 February Deutsche Grammophon announces the signing of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla to an exclusive long-term recording contract, the first female conductor ever signed to such a contract with the label. The Theater Lübeck announces the appointment of Stefan Vladar as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective 1 August 2019, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation announces Barbara Hannigan as the recipient of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2020. 6 February – The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts announces the appointment of Henry Timms as its next president and chief executive officer, effective May 2019. 8 February – The Spanish National Orchestra announces the elevation of its principal conductor David Afkham to the posts of chief conductor and artistic director, effective 1 September 2019, through the 2020–2021 season. 12 February – The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Steven Sloane as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season. 13 February The Polar Music Prize announces Anne-Sophie Mutter as one of the three winners of the 2019 Polar Music Prize. Annapolis Opera announces that Ronald Gretz, its current artistic director, is to retire from the post effective 30 June 2020. 14 February The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its principal flautist, Elizabeth Rowe, reach a confidential, undisclosed settlement on her pay discrimination lawsuit against the orchestra filed originally in July 2018. The Bozeman Symphony announces the resignation of Matthew Savery as its music director, following allegations of bullying and verbal harassment against him by musicians and past orchestra staff. 19 February – The Louisville Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert Massey as its new chief executive officer, effective March 2019. 20 February – Future Talent announces Sheku Kanneh-Mason as its newest Ambassador. 21 February The Stichting Praemium Erasmianum announces John Adams as the recipient of the Erasmus Prize 2019. Florentine Opera announces the appointment of Maggey Oplinger as its new general director and chief executive officer, effective 1 March 2019. 22 February Opera Australia announces the awarding of its Opera Australia Trophy to Elijah Moshinsky, the second recipient of the honour in the history of the company. The city of Hanau announces Olli Mustonen as the recipient of its Hindemith-Preis der Stadt Hanau for 2019. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces the departure of Terrence Dwyer as its president, with immediate effect. 25 February – Young Concert Artists announces the appointment of Daniel Kellogg as its new president, effective 1 July 2019. 27 February – The Duisburg Philharmonic announces the appointment of Axel Kober as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. 28 February The Deutscher Musikautorenpreis announces Wolfgang Rihm as the recipient of the Deutscher Musikautorenpreis 2019 for his life's work. At an internal company meeting, San Francisco Opera indicates that it is to make redundant its director of communications and public affairs, Jon Finck, and its director of development, Andrew Morgan, with those posts not to be re-staffed, others to be abolished, and four open positions not to be filled. 1 March The Dresdner Musikfestspiele announces Joshua Bell as the recipient of its Glashütte Original Musikfestspielepreis 2019. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces that its concertmaster (leader) emeritus, Jonathan Lees, is to retire from the orchestra, as a result of persistent nerve injuries in his left hand. The La Jolla Music Society announces the appointment of Ted DeDee as its next chief executive officer and president, effective 1 April 2019. 4 March – Scala Radio, a new classical radio station, begins transmission in the UK. 8 March A British Phonographic Industry report indicates that with respect to music provision, UK 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. Birmingham Contemporary Music Group announces the appointment of Seb Huckle as its new executive director. Never heard during the composer's lifetime, Roland Furieux by Augusta Holmès receives its world premiere performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Valentina Peleggi, following reconstruction of the full orchestral score.BBC National Orchestra of Wales, 8 March 2019 programme The opera Das Schloß Dürande, with music by Othmar Schoeck, unstaged since its 1943 premiere, receives the first performance in its second-ever production, by the Staatstheater Meiningen, with a revised libretto by Francesco Micieli. Cincinnati Opera announces that its general director, Patricia Beggs, is to retire from the post in August 2020. 11 March – The musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra take industrial action, in protest at proposed changes by management to the musicians' pension structure. 13 March – The Vienna Philharmonic announces the election of Bernard Haitink as an honorary member of the orchestra. 14 March – The Tulsa Symphony announces the appointment of Keith C. Elder as its next executive director, effective 5 August 2019. 17 March – The Borletti-Buitoni Trust announces the Quartetto di Cremona as the recipient of the Franco Buitoni Award 2019. 18 March – The board of directors of the Teatro alla Scala votes to return €3 million of funds to Saudi Arabia, following protests at the attempted donation. 19 March The Czech National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Steven Mercurio as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season. The Kansas City Symphony announces the appointment of Daniel E. Beckley as its new executive director, effective 29 July 2019. 20 March – The Flanders Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Kristiina Poska as its next chief conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective with the 2019–2020 season. 21 March – Seattle Opera announces the appointment of Christina Scheppelmann as its next general director, effective August 2019. 25 March – The Regensburger Domspatzen announces the appointment of Christian Heiss as its next director, effective September 2019. 26 March The Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg announces the appointment of Leo McFall as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. The San Antonio Symphony announces that Sebastian Lang-Lessing is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2019–2020 season. 27 March – Edita Gruberová sings her final opera performance, as Elizabetta in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, at the Bavarian State Opera. 29 March The Armenia National Opera and Ballet Theatre terminates the contract of Constantine Orbelian as its director. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces the resignation of Christopher T. Barton as its executive director, and the appointments of Mary Palmer and Mark Fischer as co-interim executive directors. 2 April – The Musikverein announces the appointment of Stephan Pauly as its new Intendant, effective 1 July 2020. 5 April The Argovia Philharmonic announces the appointment of Rune Bergmann as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons.