December 2025: the main classical music anniversaries to celebrate
Every month, composers and musicians to remember! Classical music and opera have brought out tens of thousands of artists, are performed in thousands of venues and their composers have written scores in great numbers throughout 10 centuries of history. From January 1 to December 31, there are therefore many opportunities to remember a composer or discover an artist, to explore a genre or to expand a work' s knowledge.
December 2025 : essential commemorations
2025 is, as every year, an opportunity to celebrate many centenarians or multi-centenarians related to classical music and opera. In December 2025, some well-known or not so famous artists, composers or musicians, are to be commemorated: Nisar Bazmi (100th anniversary, Birth), Hynek Vojáček (200th anniversary, Birth), Malvina Garrigues (200th anniversary, Birth), Eugène Gigout (100th anniversary, Death), Zdeněk Šesták (100th anniversary, Birth).
There are many more: 1925, 1825, 1725...
What's next? Every month, dozens of anniversaries are good reasons to discover a work, to rediscover a musician. January 2026? ... In a year? December 2026...
Day by day, all celebrations for December 2025
Nisar Bazmi , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Pakistani composer
100th anniversary (Birth)
Vilmos Beck , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, opera singer
100th anniversary (Death)
Vicente Arregui Garay , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Spanish composer
100th anniversary (Death)
Dinu Lipatti , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Romanian pianist and composer (1917-1950)
75th anniversary (Death)
Johann Simon Mayr , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German composer (1763–1845)
180th anniversary (Death)
Osvaldo Pugliese , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Argentine pianist and tango composer
120th anniversary (Birth)
Work for orchestra with soloist
“Concerto in F major” , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music
Premiere in 1925 (100th anniversary)
Carnegie Hall
Georgy Sviridov , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian composer
110th anniversary (Birth)
Johan Halvorsen , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist (1864–1935)
90th anniversary (Death)
Hynek Vojáček , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Czech faggotist, music educator, composer, choirmaster and collector of regional songs
200th anniversary (Birth)
Helena Vinkka , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Finnish opera singer and actress
100th anniversary (Birth)
Orazio Vecchi , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Italian composer
475th anniversary (Birth)
Werner Klemperer , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German-American actor and musician
25th anniversary (Death)
Joe Hisaishi , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Japanese composer and pianist
75th anniversary (Birth)
Malvina Garrigues , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, singer
200th anniversary (Birth)
Jean Sibelius , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Finnish composer (1865–1957)
160th anniversary (Birth)
Alexander Siloti , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian composer and pianist
80th anniversary (Death)
Opera
“Salome, Op. 54” , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music
Premiere in 1905 (120th anniversary)
Semperoper
Eugène Gigout , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French organist and composer (1844-1925)
100th anniversary (Death)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German opera soprano
110th anniversary (Birth)
Karl Doppler , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German musician
200th anniversary (Birth)
Henry Cowell , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario (1897-1965)
60th anniversary (Death)
Vincent Bueno , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Austrian-Filipino singer
40th anniversary (Birth)
Zdeněk Šesták , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Czech composer
100th anniversary (Birth)
Polina Osetinskaya , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian pianist
50th anniversary (Birth)
Vladimir Shainsky , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Soviet and Russian composer
100th anniversary (Birth)
Márton Illés , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, (1975-) composer, classical pianist
50th anniversary (Birth)
Klavdia Kudriashova , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Soviet singer and opera singer (1925-2012)
100th anniversary (Birth)
Opera
“Wozzeck, Op. 7” , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music
Premiere in 1925 (100th anniversary)
Berlin State Opera
André Hekking , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French cellist
100th anniversary (Death)
Rose Pauly , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Hungarian singer and opera singer
50th anniversary (Death)
Dobri Hristov , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Bulgarian composer (1875-1941)
150th anniversary (Birth)
François Adrien Boieldieu , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French composer
250th anniversary (Birth)
Mukhtar Ashrafi , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Uzbekistani musician (1912-1975)
50th anniversary (Death)
Tito Schipa , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Italian tenor (1889-1965)
60th anniversary (Death)
Work for orchestra
“Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unvollendete”” , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music
Premiere in 1865 (160th anniversary)
Michelagnolo Galilei , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Italian lutenist and composer (1575-1631)
450th anniversary (Birth)
Kurt Masur , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German conductor (1927-2015)
10th anniversary (Death)
George Frederick Bristow , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, American composer (1825-1898)
200th anniversary (Birth)
Zdeněk Fibich , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Czech conductor, music educator, composer and choirmaster (1850-1900)
175th anniversary (Birth)
André Turp , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Canadian opera singer
100th anniversary (Birth)
Antoine Mariotte , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French composer, conductor and music administrator (1875-1944)
150th anniversary (Birth)
Nikolai Alexeyevich Titov , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian composer
150th anniversary (Death)
Jan Dismas Zelenka , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Czech baroque composer
280th anniversary (Death)
Victor Borge , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Danish comedian and pianist (1909–2000)
25th anniversary (Death)
Vitaly Katayev , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian conductor
100th anniversary (Birth)
Alban Berg , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Austrian composer
90th anniversary (Death)
Bernard Herrmann , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, American composer and conductor
50th anniversary (Death)
Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German composer
180th anniversary (Death)
Bethany Beardslee , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, American opera soprano
100th anniversary (Birth)
Chevalier de Saint-Georges , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French virtuoso violinist, composer, conductor, and fencing master
280th anniversary (Birth)
Birgit Nilsson , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Swedish opera singer (1918-2005)
20th anniversary (Death)
Thea King , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, British clarinettist (1925-2007)
100th anniversary (Birth)
João Domingos Bomtempo , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Portuguese musician (1775-1842)
250th anniversary (Birth)
Vasily Kalinnikov , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Russian composer
125th anniversary (Death)
Giuseppe Cambini , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, Italian musician (1746-1825)
200th anniversary (Death)
Mojca Erdmann , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, German opera soprano
50th anniversary (Birth)
Work for choir
“Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende” , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music
Premiere in 1725 (300th anniversary)
Charles Koechlin , Celebrations (December 2025), Classical music, French composer, teacher and writer on music (1867-1950)
75th anniversary (Death)