2 January: Daryl Dragon of Captain & Tennille died at the age of 76 due to renal failure, with his ex-wife Toni Tennille at his side.
3 January: The Royal College of Organists announces Hans Fagius and Nicolas Kynaston as the recipients of the RCO Medal for 2019.
7 January: Andy Grammer performed the national anthem, and Imagine Dragons performed the halftime show during the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship with special guest Lil Wayne.
10 January: The Brodsky Quartet announces the appointment of Gina McCormack as its new violinist, to replace the departing Daniel Rowland.
17 January:
The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Rebecca Saunders as the recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis 2019, the second woman and the first female composer ever to be honoured with the award.
Christina Perri released her first album in five years, Songs for Carmella: Lullabies & Sing-a-Longs
18 January:
Pedro the Lion released their first album in fifteen years, Phoenix.
Sharon Van Etten released her first album in five years, Remind Me Tomorrow.
21 January: The Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama jointly unveil initial designs for the proposed privately-funded centre for music in the City of London.
24 January: Tasmin Little announces her intention to retire from classical music performance in the summer of 2020.
25 January:
The BBC Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Dalia Stasevska as its next principal guest conductor, the first woman to be named to the post and the second female conductor ever to be given a titled post with a BBC orchestra.
The Ulster Orchestra announces the appointment of Daniele Rustioni as its next chief conductor, effective September 2019.
The city of Schwäbisch Gmünd announces John Rutter as the recipient of the Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik 2019.
The Backstreet Boys released their first album in six years, DNA.
3 February: Gladys Knight performed the National Anthem, and Maroon 5, Big Boi, and Travis Scott performed the halftime show during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where their performance received negative reviews from the critics naming the worst Super Bowl performances in history.
8 February: Jessica Pratt released her first album in four years, Quiet Signs.
10 February: – The 61st Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Alicia Keys, took place. The show returned to Staples Center in Los Angeles. Childish Gambino and Kacey Musgraves took home the most awards with four each. Musgraves won Album of the Year with Golden Hour, while Gambino won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "This Is America". Dua Lipa won Best New Artist.
20 February: Future Talent announces Sheku Kanneh-Mason as its newest Ambassador.
1 March:
Queensrÿche released their first album in almost four years, The Verdict.
Gary Clark, Jr. released his first album in four years, This Land.
3 to 6 March: The two part documentary, Leaving Neverland leads late singer Michael Jackson into a backlash causing radio stations to ban his music leading Jackson fans into protest.
4 March: Scala Radio, a new classical radio station, begins transmission.
8 March:
A British Phonographic Industry report indicates that with respect to music provision, state schools have seen a 21% decrease over the past 5 years, compared to a net increase of 7% in independent schools during the same period.
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group announces the appointment of Seb Huckle as its new executive director.
Misery Index released their first album in five years called Rituals of Power.
Tesla released their first album in five years, Shock.
22 March: La Dispute released their first album in five years, Panorama.
29 March: George Strait released his first album in four years, Honky Tonk Time Machine.
29 to 31 March: The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival takes place in Liverpool.
31 March: Rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed out front of his store in Los Angeles, CA. He was 33 years old.
5 April:
Brooks & Dunn released their first album in twelve years, Reboot
Sara Bareilles released her first album in four years, Amidst the Chaos
7 April:
The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Billie Eilish becomes the first musician born in the 21st century to top the Billboard 200 chart with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
17 April:
Motown Records celebrated 60th anniversary.
English National Opera announces the resignation of Daniel Kramer as its artistic director, effective at the end of July 2019.
The Court of Appeal unanimously upholds the earlier ruling by the High Court of Justice in the case of Christopher Goldscheider v. Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, in favour of Goldscheider.
22 April: The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams regains its position at number 1 in the Classic FM Top 300, revealed over the Easter weekend.
25 April: The Development Management Sub-Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council approves plans for the construction of Dunard Centre, the first purpose-built music and performance venue in Edinburgh in over 100 years.
26 April:
Rob Thomas released his first album in four years, Chip Tooth Smile.
Taylor Swift, in collaboration with Panic! at the Disco lead Brendon Urie, released her highly anticipated lead single "ME!" off her seventh studio album Lover. The song made the biggest leap in Billboard Hot 100 history, from 100–2, and the song's music video broke the Vevo 24 hour record.
29 April: The PRS Foundation announces that Vanessa Reed is to stand down as its executive director, effective with the summer of 2019.
1 May: The Billboard Music Awards took place in Las Vegas.
3 May:
Ashley Tisdale released her first album in ten years, Symptoms.
Bad Religion released their first album in six years, Age of Unreason.
L7 released their first album in twenty years, Scatter the Rats.
Vampire Weekend released their first album in six years, Father of the Bride.
7 May: BBC Radio 3 announces the musicians for its New Generation Artists scheme from 2019-2021:
Eric Lu, piano
Alexander Gadjiev, piano
Timothy Ridout, viola
Consone Quartet
Johan Dalene, violin
Rob Luft, jazz guitar
Ema Nikoslovska, mezzo-soprano
10 May:
The Philharmonia Orchestra announces that Helen Sprott is to stand down as its managing director.
Ciara released her first album in four years, Beauty Marks.
Possessed released their first album in 33 years, Revelations of Oblivion.
19 May: Laine Hardy won the seventeenth season of American Idol. Alejandro Aranda is named runner-up.
21 May: Maelyn Jarmon won the sixteen season of The Voice. Gyth Rigdon was the runner-up.
22 May:
The Philharmonia Orchestra announces the appointment of Santtu-Matias Rouvali as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.
The Benedetti Foundation announces the appointment of Michael Garvey as its first-ever executive director.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) announces that Michael Garvey is to stand down as director of the BBC NOW and the BBC National Chorus of Wales.
24 May: Flying Lotus released his first album in five years, Flamagra.
7 June:
Boxing Gandhis released their first album in seven years, Culture War.
Jonas Brothers released their first album in ten years, Happiness Begins.
Perry Farrell released his first solo album in eighteen years, Kind Heaven.
Queen's Birthday Honours:
Stephen Cleobury, Ian Stoutzker, and David Pountney are each made a Knight Bachelor.
Jonathan Dove, Joanna MacGregor, Mitch Murray and Mark Padmore are each made a Commander of the Order of British Empire.
Elvis Costello, Kathryn Harries, Feargal Sharkey and Robin Ticciati are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Mary Bevan, Sophie Bevan, Alfie Boe, Jacqui Dankworth, Andy Heath, Anna Meredith, and Timothy Reynish are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
11 June: The New York Times Magazine publishes an investigative report by music journalist Jody Rosen, detailing the extent of the 2008 Universal fire. The article reveals that much of the fire's damage was concealed from the public for well over a decade, and that the full extent of the fire included the destruction of up to 175,000 master recordings of songs— both released and unreleased— by Universal Music Group-owned artists. UMG representatives would initially dispute the accuracy of the article, before eventually confirming that their archives had indeed sustained considerable losses as a result of the fire.
14 June:
Baroness released their first album in four years, Gold & Grey.
Bruce Springsteen released his first album in five years and his first of all original material in seven years, Western Stars.
Madonna released her first album in four years, Madame X.
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies released Bigger Life, their first album of original material in six years and their first ska album in 11 years.
14 to 16 June:Download Festival 2019 takes place at Donington Park in Leicestershire. The main stage is headlined by Def Leppard, Slipknot and Tool, the Zippo encore stage by Rob Zombie, Halestorm and Slayer (in their final UK appearance), the Avalanche stage by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Simple Creatures and Enter Shikari, and the Dogtooth stage by At the Gates, Carcass and Municipal Waste.
16 June: Adema parted ways with original lead singer Mark Chavez for the third time. He was replaced by Julien-K frontman and former Orgy guitarist Ryan Shuck.
17 June: The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) announces the appointments of Alexander Goehr and Sir David Pountney as honorary members of the RPS.
19 June: Original Unwritten Law drummer Wade Youman left the band for the second time.
21 June: The Raconteurs released their first album in eleven years, Help Us Stranger.
22 June:The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019 competition results are announced:
Main Prize – Andrei Kymach
Song Prize – Mingjie Lei
Audience Prize – Katie Bray
24 June: Opera North announces the appointment of Garry Walker as its next music director, effective with the 2020-2021 season.
26 June: Opera Rara announces the appointment of Carlo Rizzi as its next artistic director, effective June 2020.
28 June: The Black Keys released their first album in five years, Let's Rock.
1 July: Janet Weiss left Sleater-Kinney after 23 years with the band.
5 July: Westside Gunn released his major debut album FLYGOD is An Awesome GOD
6 July:
The CMT Music Awards took place in Nashville.
Machine Gun Kelly released his fourth studio album "Hotel Diablo".
19 July: Karina Canellakis conducts the First Night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, the first female conductor ever to conduct the First Night.
25 July: The London Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Edward Gardner as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.
26 July: Mini Mansions released their first album in four years, Guy Walks Into A Bar.
29 July: Lil Nas X reached his seventeenth week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Old Town Road"; obtaining the all-time record.
2 August:
Diana DeGarmo released her first album in 15 years, Gemini.
O-Town released their first album in 5 years, The O.T.W.N. Album.
9 August: Slipknot released their first album in five years, We Are Not Your Kind.
16 August: Sleater-Kinney released their first album in four years, The Center Won't Hold.
19 August: Billie Eilish became the first artist born in the 21st century to top the Billboard Hot 100 with "Bad Guy"
26 August: The VMA's took place at the Prudential Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
30 August: Tool released their first studio album in 13 years, Fear Inoculum.
3 September: At the BBC Proms, Bernard Haitink conducts his 90th and final Prom, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Emanuel Ax.
6 September: Melanie Martinez released her first album in four years, K-12.
11 September: The BBC National Orchestra of Wales announces the appointment of Ryan Bancroft as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020-2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.
13 September:
Cold released their first album in eight years, The Things We Can't Stop.
Eddie Money passed away at age 70 following a battle with esophageal cancer.
15 September: Ric Ocasek, lead singer of The Cars, was found dead at 75.
16 September:
The BBC announces the appointment of Lisa Tregale as the new Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC National Chorus of Wales, effective in 2020. Tregale is the first woman to be named to the post.
Wigmore Hall awards Iestyn Davies the Wigmore Medal, after a concert at Wigmore Hall on his 40th birthday.
26 September: Nivea released her first album in 13 years, Mirrors.
4 October:
that dog released their first album in 22 years, Old LP. It was also their first album without founding member Petra Haden.
Akon released his first album in ten years, El Negreeto.
Lagwagon released their first album in five years, Railer.
5 October: Lucia Lucas becomes the first transgender singer to perform with the English National Opera in London.
8 October: English National Opera announces the appointment of Annilese Miskimmon as its next artistic director, effective September 2020.
11 October: Chris Knight released his first album in seven years, Almost Daylight.
29 October: After seven months of banned Michael Jackson music, some radio stations re-added some of his hits.
1 November: Hootie & the Blowfish released their first album in fourteen years, Imperfect Circle.
8 November: The Royal Albert Hall announces a new 5-year partnership with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as its new associate orchestra for year-round orchestral programmes.
13 November: The Country Music Association Awards took place.
18 November: Mötley Crüe utilized a loophole in their "Cessation of Touring" agreement to reform for a stadium tour with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in summer 2020.
24 November: The American Music Awards took place.
29 November: Cattle Decapitation released their first album in four years, Death Atlas.
30 November: Slayer played their final concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California, subsequently disbanding 38 years after their formation.
6 December:
Sufjan Stevens released his first album in four years, titled The Decalogue.
Camila Cabello released her sophomore album, Romance.
8 December: Rapper Juice WRLD died of a seizure at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. He was 21 years old.
9 December: The Yehudi Menuhin School announces the appointment of Tasmin Little as its new co-president.
15 December: Red Hot Chili Peppers parted ways with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, and then announced that John Frusciante would rejoin them for the third time.
17 December: Jake Hoot was named winner of the seventeenth season of The Voice. Ricky Duran was named runner-up.
21 December: 25 years after its original release, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" reached No. 1 for the first time on Billboard Hot 100, breaking several records and becoming her 19th No. 1 on the chart.
27 December:UK New Year's Honours 2020 announced:
Sir Elton John is made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.
Olivia Newton-John is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Humphrey Burton is made a Knight Bachelor.
Timothy Walker and Errollyn Wallen are each made a Commander of the Order of British Empire.
Judith Bingham, Nicola Killean, Gary Lightbody and Roger Taylor are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Helen Grime, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Charles Kennard are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Classical Music
THOMAS ADÈS
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
SALLY BEAMISH
Nine Fragments (for string quartet)
MICHAEL BERKELEY
Epitaphs of War
Sir HARRISON BIRTWISTLE
Duet for 8 Strings (for viola and cello)
MARK DAVID BODEN
Descent
JAY CAPPERAULD
Egalitair
JOHN CASKEN
Madonna of Silence (Trombone Concerto)
JONATHAN DOVE
Accordion Concerto ('Northern Lights')
We Are One Fire
DAVID FENNESSY
The Ground
(commissioned by BBC; premièred on 12 January at Glasgow City Hall)
HELEN GRIME
Percussion Concerto
GAVIN HIGGINS
Book of Miracles (Trombone Concerto)
ROBIN HOLLOWAY
Phaeton’s Journey: Son of the Sun (Trumpet Concerto)
DANI HOWARD
Gates of Spring
EMILY HOWARD (music) and MICHAEL SYMMONS ROBERTS (text)
The Anvil - An elegy for Peterloo
DANIEL KIDANE
Woke
JOHN WOOLRICH
A Book of Inventions
NICHOLAS KORTH
Harmoniae Naturales VI
Sir JAMES MacMILLAN
Symphony No 5 ('Le grand Inconnu')
GRACE-EVANGELINE MASON
Midnight Spires
COLIN MATTHEWS
Octet
TOM POSTER
The Turning Year
ANDRÉ PREVIN and TOM STOPPARD
Penelope
JOBY TALBOT
A Sheen of Dew on Flowers
MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE
Massarosa (for bassoon and string quartet)
HUW WATKINS
The Moon
RYAN WIGGLESWORTH
Piano Concerto
SCOTT WILSON
À Mezza Voce
JOHN WOOLRICH
A Book of Inventions
Opera
IAIN BELL and MARK CAMPBELL
Stonewall
IAIN BELL and EMMA JENKINS
The Women of Whitechapel
GAVIN HIGGINS and FRANCESCA SIMON
The Monstrous Child
DANI HOWARD (music), ZOE PALMER and REBECCA HURST (libretto)
Robin Hood
STUART MacRAE and LOUISE WELSH
Anthropocene
GABRIEL PROKOFIEV and DAVID POUNTNEY
Elizabetta
PHILIP VENABLES and TED HUFFMAN
Denis & Katya
Musical Theatre
ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES THE MUSICAL
by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, with additional music by Chas Hodges and John Sullivan
Please address any comments concerning this page to The Music Maestro
Mark Chard BSc
Page created: 16th December 2020
Last edited: 16th December 2020
