This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2023.
Events 1 January – At the 2023 Vienna New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, the Vienna Girls Choir (Wiener Chormädchen) performs in its first-ever appearance in the concert, the first female choir ever to participate in the event. The Wiener Chormädchen also performed at the 30 December 2022 and 31 December 2022 concerts of the same programme. 6 January The Staatsoper Unter den Linden announces the resignation of Daniel Barenboim as its Generalmusikdirektor, effective 31 January 2023. Glyndebourne Festival Opera announces that its originally planned 2023 Glyndebourne on Tour season will not occur, as a result of the reduced funding from Arts Council England for the 2023–2026 National Portfolio. 9 January The Royal Albert Hall announces the appointment of James Ainscough as its next chief executive director, effective in the late spring of 2023. The Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz announces that Insa Pijanka is to stand down as its Intendantin, earlier than the currently scheduled time of her most recent contract extension through 2024. 10 January – The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra announces that Kirill Karabits is to conclude his chief conductorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2023–2024 season. 11 January – The Phoenix Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Peter Kjome as its next chief executive officer, effective 1 February 2023. 12 January – The National Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Jean Davidson as its next executive director, effective 1 April 2023. 13 January The BBC announces the appointment of Sam Jackson as the new controller of BBC Radio 3, effective April 2023. The new organ of the NOSPR Concert Hall in Katowice is inaugurated with the world premiere of the Sinfonia concertante of Esa-Pekka Salonen, with Iveta Apkalna as the soloist and the NOSPR conducted by the composer. 17 January Arts Council England (ACE) announces the presentation to English National Opera (ENO) of a one-year grant of £11.46M for the period of April 2023 – March 2024, following its previous November 2022 announcement of a total withdrawal of ACE's funding to ENO for the period 2023–2026 unless ENO relocates outside of London. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Matthew Kraemer as its next music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season. The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Dane Lam as its first-ever music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. 23 January – The Orchestre de chambre de Paris announces the appointment of Jörn Tews as its next general director. 25 January The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Julian Rachlin as its next music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season. The Opéra de Marseille announces the appointment of Michele Spotti as its next music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season. 28 January – A news report in NRC Handelsblad states that: Lahav Shani is to stand down as chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra at the close of the 2025–2026 season. Shani is subsequently scheduled to take up the post of chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra at the start of the 2026–2027 season. 31 January – The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Sir George Benjamin as the recipient of the 2023 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. 1 February The Hong Kong Sinfonietta announces the appointment of Christoph Poppen as its next music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Munich City Council officially announce the appointment of Lahav Shani as its next chief conductor, with an initial contract of 5 years. The Théâtre du Châtelet announces the appointment of Olivier Py as its next artistic director. In an interview on Finnish Radio, Sir Mark Elder states that he is to stand down as music director of The Hallé in August 2024, at the close of the 2023–2024 season. 3 February – The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra announces that Ulrike Niehoff is to stand down as its artistic director at the close of the 2022–2023 season. 6 February – The Deutsche Oper Berlin announces the appointment of Aviel Cahn as its next Intendant, effective 1 August 2026. 7 February The New York Philharmonic announces the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as its next music director, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. The Los Angeles Philharmonic announces that Gustavo Dudamel is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2025–2026 season. 9 February Lausanne Opera announces the appointment of Claude Cortese as its next general director, effective 1 July 2024. Opera Saratoga announces the appointment of Mary Birnbaum as its next general and artistic director, with immediate effect. 11 February – Pensacola Christian College cancels a concert appearance by The King's Singers two hours before the scheduled performance time, after objections from a group of students, parents and college staff to the presence of homosexuals in the ensemble. 15 February – The Cincinnati May Festival announces that Robert Porco is to conclude his tenure as director of choruses after the 2023–2024 season. 16 February – The Royal Conservatory of Music announces the appointment of Alexander Brose as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 1 September 2024. 17 February – The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Vineta Sarieka-Völkner as one of its first concertmasters (1.Konzertmeisterin), the first woman ever named to a first concertmaster post with the orchestra. 22 February – The Orchestre classique de Montréal announces the appointment of Jacques Lacombe as its next artistic director, effective 1 July 2023, with an initial contract of 5 years. 23 February – The Dover Quartet announces the appointment of Juliane Lee as its new violist, effective September 2023. 24 February The Hamburg State Opera announces the appointment of Omer Meir Wellber as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2025–2026 season. The Sinfonieorchester Basel announces the appointment of Markus Poschner as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2025–2026 season. 27 February Alexander Pereira resigns as director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in the wake of accusations of financial mismanagement. The Florida Orchestra announces the departure of Mark Cantrell as its president and chief executive officer, effective May 2023. The Colorado Symphony announces the appointment of Mark Cantrell as its next chief executive officer, effective 8 May 2023. 28 February The Orchestra della Toscana announces the appointment of Diego Cerretta as its next principal conductor, with immediate effect. On Site Opera announces the departure of Eric Einhorn as its general and artistic director at the end of 2023. 3 March – The Deutsche Oper am Rhein announces that Axel Kober is to stand down as its Generalmusikdirektor at the close of the 2023–2024 season. 6 March – The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia announces the appointment of Daniel Harding as its next music director, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. 7 March – The BBC releases its 2023 Classical Review 2023, whose intended plans include: A reduction in the number of salaried posts in the three BBC England-based orchestras by 20% The closure of the BBC Singers 15 March – Universal Music Group announces its purchase of Hyperion Records. 22 March – A publication in Current Biology describes analyses of hairs from Ludwig van Beethoven, which indicates hepatitis B as a principal cause of his terminal illness and death. 23 March – The Donatella Flick Conducting Competition announces Nicolò Umberto Foron as the winner of the 17th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition. 24 March – The BBC announces a reversal of its intended closure of the BBC Singers, following public reactions in protest at the original 7 March 2023 announcement. 26 March – The Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg announces the appointment of Roberto González-Monjas as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024–2025 season. 27 March The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Emma Stenning as its next chief executive, effective 3 April 2023. Arvo Pärt is announced as one of the three 2023 Polar Music Prize laureates. 30 March The city of Cologne announces the appointment of Andrés Orozco-Estrada as the next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the city, which encompasses the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and Cologne Opera general director, effective with the 2025–2026 season. A news report in Tagespiegel states that Robin Ticciati is to stand down as principal conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2025, two years ahead of his previously announced contract extension. 3 April – New Zealand Opera announces the appointment of Brad Cohen as its next general director. 12 April – Opera North announces the appointment of Laura Canning as its next general director, the first woman named to the post, effective December 2023. 13 April – The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra announces its patronage of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, with immediate effect. 16 April – Vox Urbane performs its inaugural concert at the Asylum Chapel in Peckham, London. 18 April On Site Opera announces the appointment of Piper Gunnarson as its next general director and chief executive officer, effective 1 May 2023. In parallel, Eric Einhorn is to stand down as general director ahead of schedule, whilst retaining his title of artistic director through the end of 2023. Artis-Naples announces the appointment of Alexander Shelley as its next artistic and music director, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of four seasons. 21 April – Dutch National Opera, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra announce that Lorenzo Viotti is to stand down as chief conductor of all three ensembles at the close of the 2024–2025 season. 4 May – The Council of Ministers of the government of Italy announces a mandatory retirement age of 70 for non-Italian directors of Italian opera houses. 6 May – At the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, the following new compositions receive their world premieres: Judith Weir – Brighter Visions Shine Afar Karl Jenkins – Crossing the Stone Sarah Class – Sacred Fire Nigel Hess, Roderick Williams, Shirley Thompson – Be Thou My Vision Iain Farrington – Voices of the World Patrick Doyle – King Charles III Coronation March Paul Mealor – Kyrie Eleison (the first composition sung in Welsh at a coronation) Christopher Robinson – The Recognition Debbie Wiseman – Alleluia Andrew Lloyd Webber – Make A Joyful Noise Roxanna Panufnik – Coronation Sanctus Tarik O'Regan – Coronation Agnus Dei 9 May – The Kansas City Symphony announces the appointment of Matthias Pintscher as its next music director, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. 15 May The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Chad Smith as its next president and chief executive officer, effective in the autumn of 2023. The Los Angeles Philharmonic announces the departure of Chad Smith as its chief executive, effective in the autumn of 2023. 22 May – The Copenhagen Philharmonic announces the appointment of Christoph Gedschold as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024–2025 season. 23 May – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Anthony Blake Clark as its next chorus director, effective with the 2023–2024 season. 25 May