This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2021.
Events 1 January The Vienna Philharmonic performs its annual Neujahrskonzert, conducted by Riccardo Muti, without a live audience for the first time in the history of the concert, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clemens Schuch becomes managing director of Bärenreiter-Verlag. 4 January – Dutch National Opera and Ballet announces the appointment of Stijn Schoonderwoerd as its new general director (algemeen directeur), effective 1 February 2021. 7 January – The Montreal Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Rafael Payare as its next music director, effective with the 2022–2023 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. 11 January The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Sir Simon Rattle as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2023–2024 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. The London Symphony Orchestra announces that Sir Simon Rattle is to stand down as music director of the orchestra in 2023, and subsequently to take the title of conductor emeritus for life. The Opéra national de Bordeaux announces that Marc Minkowski is to stand down as artistic director of the company in 2022. The city of Leipzig announces Hans-Joachim Schulze and Christoph Wolff as the joint recipients of the Bach-Medaille 2021 der Stadt Leipzig, the first time that the Leipzig Bach Medal has been awarded to two recipients. 12 January – The National Repertory Orchestra announces the appointment of Michael Stern as its new music director. 13 January Klaus Lederer, Berlin Senator for Culture, announces the closure of theatres and opera houses in Berlin through Easter 2021, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Midori is announced as one of the recipients of the 2020 Kennedy Center Honors. 14 January – The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation announces the appointment of Vasily Petrenko as its next principal conductor, effective 1 September 2021. 19 January – The New Century Chamber Orchestra announces the appointment of Richard Lonsdorf as its new executive director, with immediate effect. 22 January – The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra announces that Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla is to conclude her tenure as its music director after the 2021–2022 season, and subsequently to take on the post of principal guest conductor. 25 January The Gesellschaft für Musikgeschichte Baden-Württemberg announces the appointment of Frieder Bernius as its new president. The Metropolitan Opera announces the appointment of Marcia Sells as its new chief diversity officer, the first such appointment in the history of the company. Opera Columbus announces the appointment of Julia Noulin-Mérat as its next general director and chief executive officer, with immediate effect. 26 January – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Andreas Delfs as its next music director. 27 January The Opéra national de Lorraine announces the appointment of Marta Gardolińska as its next music director, the first female conductor ever named to the post, effective with the 2021–2022 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. Dallas Opera announces the cancellation of its scheduled spring 2021 subscription season, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seong-Jin Cho gives the first performance of a recently re-discovered piano piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Allegro in D, K. 626b/16, at the Great Hall of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation. 28 January – The Bayreuth Festival announces the appointment of Ulrich Jagels as its new managing director. 29 January The American Composers Orchestra announces that George Manahan is to conclude his music directorship of the ACO on 1 July 2021, and subsequently to take the title of music director emeritus. The Metropolitan Opera announces Erin Morley, Brenda Rae, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Ben Bliss, and Ryan Speedo Green as the joint recipients of the 2021 Beverly Sills Award, the first time that this award has been divided among multiple singers. 3 February – The Orchestre Lamoureux announces the appointment of Adrien Perruchon as its next music director, effective autumn 2021, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. 4 February The Opéra national de Paris announces the appointment of Ching-Lien Wu as its new Cheffe des Chœurs (director of choruses), the first female conductor named to the post, effective 26 April 2021. Dutch National Opera announces the departure of Ching-Lien Wu as its chorus director, effective April 2021. 5 February – The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival announces Isata Kanneh-Mason as the recipient of its Leonard Bernstein Award for 2021. 8 February – The American Composers Orchestra announces the appointment of Melissa Ngan as its next president and chief executive officer, the first woman ever named to the posts, effective February 16, 2021. 9 February The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Robert Spano as its next music director, effective with the 2022–2023 season, with an initial contract of three years. The Oregon Symphony announces the appointment of David Danzmayr as its next music director, effective with the 2021–2022 season. 12 February – The Santa Fe Opera announces the appointment of David Lomelí to its newly created post of chief artistic officer, effective 1 May 2021. 16 February – Rory Jeffes announces his intention to stand down as chief executive officer of Opera Australia. 18 February The City of London Corporation announces the cancellation of plans for the intended Centre for Music, with scheduled renovations of the Barbican Centre to occur instead. The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Gail Samuel as its next president and chief executive officer, the first woman named to the posts, effective 21 June 2021. 19 February The Queensland Symphony Orchestra announces the re-appointment of Johannes Fritzsch to the orchestra as its new principal conductor and artistic adviser, with a contract until 2023. The Mikhailovsky Theatre announces the appointment of Alevtina Ioffe as its new musical director, the first female conductor ever named to the post, with immediate effect. 22 February – Long Beach Opera announces the appointment of James Darrah as its new artistic director and chief creative officer, with immediate effect, with an initial contract through 2024. 1 March – The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts announces the appointment of Edward J. Lewis III as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 1 May 2021. 9 March – The Charleston Symphony Orchestra announces a structural reorganisation that includes elimination of the position of music director, with Ken Lam scheduled to conclude his tenure in the post at the close of the 2021–2022 season. 10 March – Boston Lyric Opera announces that Esther Nelson is to stand down as its general director and artistic director at the close of the 2020–2021 season. 11 March – The Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla announces the appointment of Marc Soustrot as its next principal conductor and artistic director, with an initial contract of 3 years. 12 March – The Association of British Orchestras announces its 2021 ABO Awards at its 2021 conference: ABO Award: The MusiciansThis is a collective award to all UK orchestra musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Classical Music Artist Manager of the Year: Moema Parrott Classical Music Concert Hall Manager of the Year: John Gilhooly Orchestra Manager of the Year: Crispin Woodhead Commendation: Greg Felton ABO Special Award: John Summers and Timothy Walker 16 March – Royal Northern Sinfonia announces the appointment of Dinis Sousa as its next principal conductor, effective September 2021. 17 March The Borletti-Buitoni Trust announces Silvia Colasanti as the recipient of the Franco Buitoni Award 2021. Mills College announces that it is to transition away from its status as a degree-granting college institution. 18 March – The BBC announces that the leadership team of BBC Radio 3 is to relocate to Salford. 23 March Michigan Opera Theatre announces the appointment of Christine Goerke as its new associate artistic director, with a contract of 3 years. The New England Conservatory of Music announces the appointment of Benjamin Sosland as its new provost and dean, effective 5 July 2021. 30 March The London Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Sir Antonio Pappano as its next chief conductor, effective in September 2024. The Royal Opera announces that Sir Antonio Pappano is to conclude his tenure as ROH music director at the close of the 2023–2024 season. 31 March – The Orchestre national d'Auvergne announces the appointment of Thomas Zehetmair as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season. 7 April – Southbank Sinfonia and St John's Smith Square mutually announce their merger into a single charity and organisation, Southbank Sinfonia at St John's Smith Square. 8 April – The London Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Elena Dubinets as its next artistic director, effective September 2021, following the departure of Cristina Rocca from the post. 9 April – The NHK Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Fabio Luisi as its next chief conductor, effective September 2022, with an initial contract of 3 years 10 April National Opera gives its premiere company performance, of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, at Llewellyn Hall of Australian National University in Canberra. Australian Vocal Ensemble (AVÉ) performs its debut concert at the queensland Conservatorium Theatre. 12 April – Cologne Opera announces the appointment of Hein Mulders as its new artistic director (Intendant), effective with the 2022–2023 season. 13 April – English Touring Opera announces the appointment of Gerry Cornelius as its next music director, with immediate effect. 15 April – The SWR announces the appointment of Lydia Rilling as the next artistic director of the Donaueschinger Musiktage, the first woman ever named to the post, effective 1 March 2022. 16 April – The Paris Opera announces the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as its next music director, effective 1 August 2021, with an initial contract of 6 seasons. 21 April – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra announces that Anne Parsons is to retire as its president and chief executive officer in the autumn of 2022. 22 April – The Berliner Symphoniker announces the appointment of Hansjörg Schellenberger as its next chief conductor. 26 April – The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announces that Peter Kjome is to stand down as its president and chief executive officer after the close of his contract in January 2022. 28 April – The Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris announces the appointment of Olivier Mantel as its next artistic director, effective 1 November 2021, with an initial contract of 5 years. 2 May – The BBC announces percussionist Fang Zhang as the BBC Young Musician 2020. 10 May – The Cleveland Institute of Music announces the appointment of Carlos Kalmar as its next director of orchestral studies, effective 1 July 2021. 11 May – Barbara Klepsch, the Culture Minister of Saxony, announces simultaneously that at the close of the 2023–2024 season, Peter Theiler is to stand down as Intendant of the Semperoper and that Christian Thielemann is to conclude his chief conductorship of the Staatskapelle Dresden. 18 May – The recreation – Grosses Orchester Graz announces the appointment of Mei-Ann Chen as its next principal conductor, the first female conductor and the first Asian conductor to be named to this post, effective with the 2021–2022 season. 20 May – The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announces that Duain Wolfe is to retire as director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus at the close of the 2021–2022 season. 24 May