This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2022.
Events 1 January – The Vienna Philharmonic performs its annual Neujahrskonzert, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, with a live audience for the first time since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with Eva Teimel as the presenter for the ORF radio transmission of the concert, the first female radio presenter for ORF in the history of the concert. 4 January – The Komische Oper Berlin announces the appointment of James Gaffigan as its next music director, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. 7 January Thomas Dausgaard resigns as music director of the Seattle Symphony, via e-mail, with immediate effect. Elina Vähälä, the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä give the first-ever live performance in North America of the original 1904 version of the Violin Concerto of Jean Sibelius. The same artists reprised the work the next evening, 8 January 2022. 12 January – The Toronto Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Mark Williams as its next chief executive officer, effective April 2022. 18 January – In Milan, the first night of the new La Scala production of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi takes place, conducted by Speranza Scappucci, the first female Italian conductor ever to conduct a production at La Scala. 19 January At the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, 'Kapsalon Theater' ('Hair Salon Theatre'), a piece of performance art, takes place with hairdressers serving patrons in the presence of performing musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, in protest at the Dutch government's then-most recent restrictions on concerts with live audiences in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. English Touring Opera announces that James Conway is to stand down as its artistic director at the close of 2022, and to serve in a part-time capacity in the post for the remainder of the calendar year. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic announces that Josep Caballé Domenech is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2022-2023 season. 24 January – The Opéra Royal de Wallonie announces the appointment of Giampaolo Bisanti as its next music director, effective with the 2022-2023 season. 25 January – The Landestheater Detmold announces the appointment of Per-Otto Johansson as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2022-2023 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. 1 February The Royal Danish Orchestra announces the appointment of Marie Jacquot as its next music director, the first female conductor ever named to the post, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. Norwegian National Opera and Ballet announces the appointment of Edward Gardner as its artistic advisor, with immediate effect, and as its next music director, effective 1 August 2024. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis announces the appointment of Daniela Candillari as its principal conductor, the first female conductor ever named to the post, with an initial contract of 3 years. The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) awards Jordi Savall honorary membership in the RPS, at his concert appearance at Wigmore Hall. 8 February – The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Ryan Wigglesworth as its next chief conductor, effective September 2022. 9 February – The Barbican Centre announces the appointment of Claire Spencer as its first-ever chief executive officer, effective May 2022. 12 February – The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century announces the appointment of Kate Rockett as its next general director, effective 1 September 2022. In parallel, Sieuwert Verster is to stand down as the orchestra's general director. 13 February – Never produced during the creators' lifetimes, the first performance of the opera Grete Minde, with music by Eugen Engel and libretto by Hans Bodenstedt, takes place at the Theater Magdeburg, 79 years after the March 1943 death of the composer in the Sobibor extermination camp, following preparation of a complete performing score from the surviving papers. 15 February Central City Opera announces the appointment of Pamela A. Pantos as its new president and chief executive officer, effective 28 February 2022. The Colorado Symphony announces the appointment of Peter Oundjian as its principal conductor. 23 February – The North Carolina Symphony announces the appointment of Carlos Miguel Prieto as its next music director, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. 24 February – The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Jonathan Darlington as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2022-2023 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. 28 February – The Edinburgh International Festival announces the resignation of Valery Gergiev as its honorary president, in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. 1 March The Edinburgh International Festival announces the appointment of Nicola Benedetti as its next festival director, the first woman and the first Scot to hold the post, effective 1 October 2022. Munich mayor Dieter Reiter announces the dismissal of Valery Gergiev as principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, with immediate effect, after his request to Gergiev to denounce the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine received no response. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra announces the termination of its artistic relationship with Valery Gergiev, rescinding his title of eredirigent (honorary conductor) and discontinuing its Gergiev Festival. 2 March Vasily Petrenko announces a suspension of his conducting work in Russia, including his duties with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation, in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The New World Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas jointly announce that Thomas is to stand down as the organisation's artistic director, effective 1 June 2022, in the wake of Thomas' public disclosure of his cancer condition. 7 March – Thomas Sanderling resigns as principal conductor of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, with immediate effect, in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. 10 March – The Teatro Carlo Felice announces the appointment of Riccardo Minasi as its next music director, for the period from 2022 to 2025. 14 March – Trinity Wall Street dismisses Julian Wachner as its director of music, with immediate effect, following its suspension of Wachner on 12 March 2022 after allegations against him of sexual misconduct. 23 March – The BBC announces that Paul Hughes is to stand down as director of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus, and the BBC Singers, effective 15 July 2022. 29 March – The Royal Albert Hall announces the appointment of four new associate artists, including Jess Gillam and Anna Lapwood. 31 March – English Touring Opera announces the appointment of Robin Norton-Hale as its next general director, effective July 2022. 5 April The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Santtu-Matias Rouvali is to conclude his tenure as chief conductor of the orchestra at the close of the 2022-2023 season. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Mark C. Hanson as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 21 April 2022. 8 April – The International Contemporary Ensemble announces the appointment of George E. Lewis as its next artistic director, effective April 2022. 11 April – The Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias announces the appointment of Nuno Coelho as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2022-2023 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. 12 April The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra announces the appointment of Sophie Rowell as its next artistic director, effective in 2023. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Jukka-Pekka Saraste as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. Andrés Orozco-Estrada resigns as chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony, with immediate effect. The Rheingau Musik Festival announces Herbert Blomstedt as the recipient of the Rheingau Musik Preis 2022. 15 April – The San Antonio Symphony announces the revocation of Sebastian Lang-Lessing's status as its music director emeritus, with immediate effect. 25 April The Philharmonia Orchestra announces the appointment of Thorben Dittes as its next chief executive, effective 1 August 2022. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra announces that Elisa Citterio no longer holds the post of its music director. 27 April – The Queensland Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Yarmila Alfonzetti as its next chief executive, effective 11 July 2022. 4 May – The Taipei Chinese Orchestra announces the appointment of Yu-an Chang as its new principal conductor, with immediate effect. 6 May The Staatskapelle Halle announces the appointment of Fabrice Bollon as its next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD), effective with the 2022-2023 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. The Landestheater Schleswig-Holstein announces the resignation of Kimbo Ishii as its GMD, with immediate effect. 9 May – The San Francisco Conservatory of Music announces its purchase of the Pentatone record label. 10 May – The Juilliard String Quartet announces the appointment of Molly Carr as its new violist. 11 May – Opera Saratoga announces that Lawrence Edelson is to stand down as its artistic and general director at the end of July 2022. 12 May The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Tarmo Peltokoski as its next music director and artistic director, effective with the 2022-2023 season. The Berlin State Opera announces the appointment of Elisabeth Sobotka as its new Indentantin, effective September 2024. 17 May – The Birgit Nilsson Foundation announces Yo-Yo Ma as the recipient of the 2022 Birgit Nilsson Prize, the first instrumentalist ever to receive this award. 18 May – The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Wong Kah Chun as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. 19 May – The Academy of St Martin in the Fields announces the appointment of Annie Lydford as its next chief executive, effective September 2022. 20 May – The Teatro Colón announces the appointment of Jan Lathan-Koenig as its next music director, effective in 2023. 21 May – The first night of the new Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of The Wreckers takes place, the first opera by a female composer to be staged at Glyndebourne, and the first professional staging of the opera with its original French libretto. 23 May The BBC announces its new roster of New Generation Artists for the period 2022-2024: Santiago Cañón-Valencia (cellist) Ryan Corbett (accordionist) Hugh Cutting (countertenor) Leonkoro Quartet Geneva Lewis (violinist) Fergus McCreadie (jazz pianist) Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (soprano) The English Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Seb Lovell-Huckle as its next chief executive officer, effective 8 August 2022. 25 May – The Glimmerglass Festival announces the appointment of Robert Ainsley as its next artistic director and general director. 27 May – The Queensland Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Umberto Clerici as its next chief conductor, effective 1 January 2023, with an initial contract of three years. 31 May – The Association of British Orchestra announces that Mark Pemberton is to stand down as its chief executive at the end of September 2022. 1 June – Queen's Birthday Honours (Platinum Jubilee) Stephen Hough is made a Knight Bachelor. Chi-chi Nwanoku is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Harry Bicket and David Jackson are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.