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Classical music is an area in which good artists are rare to find, also because not all talents have the means to seek higher education. Still, 2013 is the year when classical music celebrates two bicentenaries – Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner – which allows numerous operas and festivals to focus on getting the best singers, instrumental players and composers for their performances.

Who will make the spotlights this year? Who will win the crowds every evening in the major performance halls? The following three names promise a great deal of notoriety and are surrounded by high expectations from producers and from the public alike.

Xian Zhang

This Chinese-American conductor grew up in Beijing, without taking the time to think about the direction that her career took. She simply gave in to her passion for music. Beginning as a pianist at the Beijing Conservatory, she started conducting at the age of 16. This, eventually marked the beginning of a flourishing career in the US, and she is now, slowly but surely, becoming one the most respected and sought-for conductors in the world.

A pioneer in this area, Zhang decided to break the barriers, fears and prejudices about women conductors, and she successfully started to create a name for herself in this world. In 2013, she can be seen mostly at the Dutch Orchestra and at the Ensemble Academy.

Philippe Jaroussky

This countertenor shows brilliance and artistry every time he performs, proving that, indeed, this is one of the most exotic and esoteric careers for a male singer. Philippe Jaroussky is a French singer who turns heads through his boyish charm and incredible vocal performance.

But he did not start this way. He began playing the piano and the violin and he, gradually but steadily, escalated to become a countertenor. He was engaged in the Monteverdi trilogy, conducted by the French Jean-Claude Malgoire, and it proved to be the opportunity that he needed in order to begin a stellar career and to maintain his ascending path ever since. In 2013, he has several concerts scheduled concerts all around France, the most expected being in Toulouse, Paris and Angers.

Luke Bedford

This British composer is on the verge of becoming, not only one of Britain’s most distinguishing musical voices, but also an international phenomenon. With the piece he created for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, “On Voit Tout”, he created one of the most exceptional compositions of the 21^st century and gained his place in the spotlight, first in Great Britain and, then, slowly, all around the world.

The secret of his success, as he confesses, is that he never forgets where he came from and that the world is a tough place, especially for the young composers who need their chance to shine. This year, he can be watched performing in Dublin, London and Hamburg.

Every year brings new faces in the spotlight, new voices in the auditoriums and new names on the billboards, but 2013 promises to cross all barriers and reveal numerous talents, most of which will make the headlines of the following years.

2013 promises to be a very prosperous year for the classical music industry, not just because of the two bicentenaries to be celebrated, of Giuseppe Verdi and of Richard Wagner, but also due to the numerous names that are going to animate the scene of various theatres around the globe, from New York and London to Paris and Sidney.

Classical Music in the US in 2013

The Los Angeles Opera already made the plans for the 2013 – 2014 season and the public looks forward to the premiere “Einstein on the Beach”, from Philip Glass, as well as to the revival of “Billy Budd”, by Britten, an excellent way to celebrate the 100 years that passed from the author’s.

Opera lovers will have to wait until October 2013 to discover the plot and the dances from “Einstein”, and even more for “Billy Budd”, said to thrill spectators starting with February 2014. Another treasure of the season promises to be Verdi’s “Falstaff”, while the General Director Placido Domingo will play the role of Athanael in Massenet’s “Thais”, in May, and will also conduct the inaugural night concert for Bizet’s famous opera, “Carmen”, in September this year.

The New York City Opera placed the emphasis on the famous “Moses in Egypt”, by Gioachino Rossini, a play designed to amaze the audience, as it has been a long time since a full rendition of it was last seen on this stage.

On the agenda for the 2013 season are also Bizet’s “Carmen”, Donizetti’s revelation “Maria Stuarda” – which, so far, has caused a fuss and has receive multiple positive reviews – and Giacomo Puccini’s “La Rondine”.

A special attention is paid to both Verdi and Wagner, as five of their plays are brought to life, namely Verdi’s “Don Carlo”, “Rigoletto”, “Otello, “Il Trovatore” and the highly acclaimed “La Traviata”, and Wagner’s “Gotterdammerung”, “Parsifal”, “Siegfried”, “Die Walkure” and “ Das Rheingold”.

Classical Music in Australia in 2013

The Sydney Opera pays a great attention to the Italian composers, putting into scene Puccini’s “La Boheme” and “Tosca”, while Verdi receives a lot of appraisal in the 2013 opera season in Sidney, with six renditions of his masterpieces: “A Masked Ball”, “Il Trovatore”, “Falstaff”, “Aida”, “The Force of Destiny” and the very loved “La Traviata”.

Classical Music in Paris in 2013

Rossini is present on the Paris scene with “La Cenerentola”, which started in November 2012 and will have its last representation of this season in March 2013, while Wagner’s bicentenary is celebrated through the renditions of “Das Rheingold”, “Die Walkure”, “Siegfried”, “Gotterdammerung”, L’Anneau du Nibelung”, most of them performed at Opera Bastille. Verdi is celebrated with “Falstaff”, at the Opera Bastille, with the representations lasting for one month, from the end of February to the end of March 2013.

Classical Music in London in 2013

The Royal Opera House in London will witness numerous classical music performances this year, from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” to Puccini’s “La Boheme” and “Tosca”, as well as Verdi’s “Nabucco” and “Don Carlo” and Rossini’s “La donna del lago”. The interesting thing about these renditions is that each production’s director decided to imprint his own view and personality, keeping only the core.

No matter where 2013 will find you, your taste for opera and classical music should be more than satisfied, so do not miss the premieres and make sure you get the best seats.

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