This article lists major events and other topics related to the year 2017 in classical music.
Events
1 January – Gustavo Dudamel conducts the New Year's Day concert of the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time, the youngest conductor in the history of this event. He also conducted the Vienna Philharmonic concerts of this same programme on 30 December 2016 and 31 December 2016. 5 January – The Royal Danish Opera announces that its artistic director, Sven Müller, is to stand down from the post in the summer of 2017, 3 years ahead of the previously scheduled conclusion of his contract in 2020. 11 January The Singapore Symphony Orchestra announces that Lan Shui is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra in January 2019. The Théâtre du Châtelet ratifies the appointment of Ruth Mackenzie as its next artistic director. The first public announcement of her appointment was on 3 January 2017. The first concert at the newly opened Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg takes place, with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the NDR Chor and conductor Thomas Hengelbrock. The Winston-Salem Symphony announces that Robert Moody is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra after the close of the 2017–2018 season. 12 January – The City of London Corporation announces a pledge of £2.5M to a feasibility study, previously halted in November 2016, for a proposed new London concert hall. 13 January – The Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst announces the appointment of Francesco Angelico as the next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Hessischen Staatstheater Kassel, effective with the 2017–2018 season. 17 January – The American Composers Orchestra announces the appointment of Edward Yim as its next president, effective 21 February 2017. 18 January Scottish Opera announces the winners of its 'Opera Sparks 2018' competition: Henry McPherson – Maud Lewis Murphy and Laura Attridge – untitled work Matthew Whiteside and Helene Grøn – Little Black Lies The Ojai Music Festival announces that Patricia Kopatchinskaja is to be the festival's music director in 2018, ahead of her originally scheduled season in 2020. Kopatchinskaja replaces Esa-Pekka Salonen, the originally scheduled music director for 2018, who withdrew from his scheduled appointment because of his composition schedule. 20 January The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Kahchun Wong as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. Eugene Opera announces the suspension of the remainder of its season, because of lack of funds. 22 January – Simultaneous announcements by the Shanghai Symphony, the Guangzhou Symphony, and the China Philharmonic Orchestras report the cancellation of scheduled concert appearances with Korean soprano Sumi Jo, without formal explanation. This follows a comparable announcement from the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of the replacement of Korean pianist Kun-woo Paik for a scheduled March 2017 concert. The political context has been reported to concern political tensions between the South Korean and Chinese governments with respect to the planned deployment of the Thaad missile-defence system by the South Korean government. 24 January The University Musical Society of the University of Michigan announces the appointment of Matthew VanBesien as its next president, effective July 2017. The New York Philharmonic announces that Matthew VanBesien is to step down as its president in the spring of 2017, one year ahead of his scheduled contract date of 2018, to take up the post of president of the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan. 25 January The London Festival of Baroque Music announces that Lindsay Kemp is to stand down as artistic director, and Lucy Bending is to stand down as festival manager, in May 2017, at the conclusion of the 2017 festival. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center announces its award of the 2017 Elise L. Stoeger Prize, for contributions to chamber music composition, to Huw Watkins. 26 January The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Pierre-Laurent Aimard as the recipient of the 2017 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra announces the appointment of Elisa Citterio as its next music director, effective July 2017. 29 January – The Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim complete their live concert cycle of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner at Carnegie Hall, the first live Bruckner symphony cycle ever performed in the USA. The cycle began on 19 January 2017, and the 20 January 2017 concert also marked the 60th anniversary of Barenboim's first appearance at Carnegie Hall.