Classical Obituaries
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Dame Felicity Lott (1947-2026)
18th May 2026
The radiant English lyric soprano, who was as captivating in operetta as she was in aristocratic Mozart and Strauss roles, has died aged 79.
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Michael Tilson Thomas (1944-2026)
23rd Apr 2026
The energetic and inspiring American conductor, composer and pianist Michael Tilson Thomas, celebrated for his work across musical boundaries and with both established and aspiring musicians, has died aged 81.
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José van Dam (1940-2026)
20th Feb 2026
The elegant Belgian bass-baritone, who created the title-role in Messiaen’s Saint François d’Assise and excelled in repertoire from Mozart to Wagner, died on Tuesday aged 85.
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Helmuth Rilling (1933-2026)
16th Feb 2026
The German conductor and academic Helmuth Rilling, acclaimed in particular for his recordings of Bach (including the first complete survey of his complete output on CD), has died aged 92.
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John Wallace (1949-2026)
15th Jan 2026
The Scottish trumpeter and composer John Wallace, known not just for his recordings but also for his work on reviving and rediscovering historical brass performance practices, has died at the age of 76.
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Maurice Millward (1931-2026)
12th Jan 2026
Chris pays tribute to the beloved businessman, music-lover and arts philanthropist, who owned Presto from 2001-2017 and has died aged 94.
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2025 Goodbyes
8th Jan 2026
A short video-tribute to some of the artists and creatives who died in 2025, including Alfred Brendel, John Nelson, Sofia Gubaidulina, Luigi Alva and Sir Donald McIntyre.
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Sir Donald McIntyre (1934-2025)
17th Nov 2025
The New Zealand-born bass-baritone, who was a regular at the Bayreuth Festival for over two decades and triumphed as Wotan in the 1976 centenary production of the Ring Cycle, has died aged 91.
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Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Donald McIntyre (Wotan), Gwyneth Jones (Brünnhilde), Peter Hofmann (Siegmund), Jeannine Altmeyer (Sieglinde/Gutrune), Matti Salminen (Hunding), Manfred Jung (Siegfried), Hanna Schwarz (Fricka), Hermann Becht (Alberich), Heinz Zednik (Mime), Fritz Hübner (Hagen) Bayreuth Festspiele, Pierre Boulez
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Martin Neary (1940-2025)
1st Oct 2025
The organist and choirmaster, famous primarily for his role in directing and shaping the music for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, has died aged 85.
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Christoph von Dohnányi (1929-2025)
8th Sep 2025
The veteran German conductor, perhaps best known for his tenure as music director of The Cleveland Orchestra, has died aged 95.
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Rodion Shchedrin (1932-2025)
8th Sep 2025
The Soviet and Russian pianist and composer, with works ranging across many genres but in particular ballets written for his wife Maya Plisetskaya, has died at the age of 92.
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The Verbier Festival Celebrates Rodion Shchedrin At Ninety
Martha Argerich (piano), Mischa Maisky (cello), Rodion Shchedrin (piano), Sol Gabetta (cello), Roland Pöntinen (piano), Yuja Wang (piano), Verbier Festival Orchestra, Neeme Järvi, Mikhail Pletnev
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Tom Lehrer (1928-2025)
28th Jul 2025
The American musician, satirist and mathematician, whose songs included 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' and 'The Masochism Tango', has died at the age of 97
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David Rendall (1948-2025)
23rd Jul 2025
The versatile British tenor, whose career was cut short by a stage accident in 2005, has died aged 76.
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Béatrice Uria-Monzon (1963-2025)
22nd Jul 2025
The French dramatic mezzo-soprano, who was especially celebrated for her visceral yet nuanced interpretations of Carmen, has died aged 61 after a lengthy illness.
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Roger Norrington (1934-2025)
21st Jul 2025
The British conductor, known for his lifelong opposition to the over-use of vibrato in orchestral playing and for his passionate devotion to historically-informed performance in general, has died aged 91.
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Stuart Burrows (1933-2025)
30th Jun 2025
The Welsh lyric tenor, who was particularly renowned for his Mozart roles and also excelled in Tippett and Stravinsky, has died aged 92.
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Alfred Brendel (1931-2025)
17th Jun 2025
The legendary Czech-born Austrian pianist, writer, poet and artist has died at the age of 94, surrounded by family at his home in Hampstead Heath.
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Per Nørgård (1932-2025)
30th May 2025
The influential, prolific and adventurous Danish composer (who was widely regarded as the heir to Carl Nielsen) has died aged 92.
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Luigi Alva (1927-2025)
16th May 2025
The Peruvian light lyric tenor, who was especially acclaimed for his elegant interpretations of Mozart and Rossini, has died aged 98.
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Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia
Maria Callas (Rosina), Tito Gobbi (Figaro), Luigi Alva (Almaviva), Fritz Ollendorf (Bartolo), Nicola Zaccaria (Basilio), Gabriella Carturan (Berta), Mario Carlin (Fiorello) Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Alceo Galliera
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David Watkin (1965-2025)
15th May 2025
The British cellist, conductor and pedagogue, an influential and beloved member of the teaching staff at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and particularly acclaimed for his 2015 recording of the Bach cello suites, has died aged 60.
