2011 in classical music

Events

 * February – The Juilliard String Quartet receives the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award for its outstanding contributions to recorded classical music.
 * May 12 – The Classical Brit Awards are presented by Myleene Klass at London's Royal Albert Hall.

New works

 * Kalevi Aho – Trumpet Concerto
 * Elliott Carter – Two Controversies and a Conversation
 * Julius Dobos – Hymn to The Fukushima 50
 * Francesco Filidei – Ballata, for organ, ensemble and live electronics
 * Philip Glass – Symphony No. 9
 * Mehdi Hosseini – Monodies
 * Iamus (computer) – Hello World!
 * Wojciech Kilar –
 * Lumen for mixed a cappella choir
 * Piano Concerto No. 2
 * Paul Mealor – Ubi Caritas et Amor
 * Per Nørgård – Symphony No. 8
 * Christopher Rouse
 * Prospero's Rooms
 * Symphony No. 3
 * Steven Stucky – Silent Spring

Albums

 * Nicola Benedetti – Italia
 * Andrea Bocelli – Concerto: One Night in Central Park
 * Joseph Calleja – The Maltese Tenor
 * Jackie Evancho – Dream With Me
 * Wynne Evans – A Song In My Heart
 * Angela Gheorghiu – Homage to Maria Callas
 * Katherine Jenkins – Daydream
 * Miloš Karadaglić – The Guitar
 * Oregon Symphony – Music for a Time of War
 * André Rieu & the Johann Strauss Orchestra – Moonlight Serenade

Musical films

 * Violin

Deaths

 * January 24 – Bhimsen Joshi, Indian classical vocalist, 88
 * January 28 – Dame Margaret Price, Welsh operatic soprano, 69
 * February 2 – Armando Chin Yong, 52, Malaysian opera singer
 * February 5 – Beatrice Krebs, 86, American mezzo-soprano
 * February 6 – Per Grundén, 88, Swedish tenor
 * February 10 – Claus Helmut Drese, 88, German opera manager
 * February 21 – Antonín Švorc, 77, Czech bass-baritone
 * February 26 – Eugene Fodor, US violinist, 60
 * March 13 –, 81, Austrian baritone
 * March 22 – Victor Bouchard, Canadian pianist and composer, 84
 * March 28 – Lee Hoiby, 85, American composer and pianist
 * March 29 – Robert Tear, Welsh operatic tenor and conductor, 72
 * April 8 – Donald Shanks, 70, Australian bass-baritone
 * April 8 – Daniel Catán, 62, Mexican composer
 * April 15 – Vincenzo La Scola, Italian operatic tenor, 53 (heart attack)
 * May 7 – Jane Rhodes, 82, French soprano/mezzo-soprano
 * May 30 – Giorgio Tozzi, 88, American bass
 * July 4 – Gerhard Unger, 95, German tenor
 * July 6 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and conductor, 81
 * July 23 – David Aiken, 93, American baritone
 * July 26 – Denise Scharley, French operatic contralto, 94
 * August 1 – Milada Šubrtová, Czech operatic soprano, 87
 * August 2 – Ralph Berkowitz, US composer and painter, 100
 * August 3 – Louise Behrend, US violinist and academic, 94
 * August 25 – Anne Sharp, 94, Scottish coloratura soprano
 * September 5 – Salvatore Licitra, 43, Italian tenor
 * September 29 – Vera Veljkov-Medaković, Serbian pianist and piano teacher, 88
 * October 8 – Ingvar Wixell, Swedish operatic baritone, 80
 * October 19 – James Yannatos, US composer conductor, violinist and teacher, 82
 * October 29 – Walter Norris, American pianist and composer, 79
 * November 22 – Sena Jurinac, Bosnian operatic soprano, 90
 * November 23 – Montserrat Figueras, Catalan operatic soprano, 70
 * December 5 – Violetta Villas, Polish coloratura soprano, cabaret star, singer, actress, composer and songwriter, 73
 * December 8 – Minoru Miki, 81, Japanese composer

International Tchaikovsky Competition 2011 – Piano

 * Daniil Trifonov

International Tchaikovsky Competition 2011 – Violin

 * No first prize awarded. Sergey Dogadin and Itamar Zorman share second prize.

2011 International Franz Liszt Piano Competition

 * Masataka Goto

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition

 * Valentina Naforniţă

Classical Brits

 * Composer of the Year – Arvo Pärt
 * Male Artist of the Year – Antonio Pappano
 * Female Artist Of The Year – Alison Balsom
 * Critics' Award – Tasmin Little
 * Artist of the Decade – Il Divo

Grammy Awards

 * See 53rd Grammy Awards