Bachtrack reveals 2024’s busiest musicians and emerging trends

Bachtrack’s much-anticipated Annual Classical Music Statistics for 2024 has been unveiled, offering a comprehensive snapshot of the performing arts world.

With 30,774 concert, opera and dance performances listed across 48 countries, this year’s report highlights emerging trends, rising stars, evolving repertoire and persistent gender disparities in classical music.

One of the most striking shifts in 2024 was the dramatic rise of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, climbing 10 places to become the busiest orchestra with 118 engagements. Meanwhile, Klaus Mäkelä emerged as the busiest conductor with 113 concert engagements, overtaking his 2023 second-place position. Another significant change was Sir Simon Rattle’s return to the top 10, with his engagements increasing to 78—more than doubling his 2023 total.

Women conductors continue to gain prominence, with well-known names such as Joana Mallwitz, Nathalie Stutzmann, Simone Young, Kristiina Poska and Marie Jacquot seeing increased engagements. However, gender disparities persist: only 13 percent of concerts in 2024 were conducted by women, a modest rise from 11 percent in 2023. Among the top 50 busiest conductors, just five are women, and none appear in the top 20.

A similar trend is evident among soloists. Women accounted for only 26 percent of concert pianists and 21 percent of concert cellists, though violinists fared slightly better at 45 percent. Despite these disparities, individual female musicians and composers made notable strides.

The report highlights a growing diversity in the repertoire of concert soloists. Violinists Renaud Capuçon and Augustin Hadelich performed 15 and 17 different concertante works, while pianist Kirill Gerstein performed an impressive 18 concertos, ranging from Beethoven to Adès. Meanwhile, contemporary music continued its ascent, with John Williams and Arvo Pärt maintaining their positions as the most frequently performed living composers. Caroline Shaw’s rise to the fourth most performed living composer was a particularly notable achievement. 

Anniversaries played a significant role in programming choices. Performances of Fauré surged in 2024, with a staggering 362 percent increase in France and a 250 percent rise in the UK. The US, while only listing 33 performances of Fauré, still saw a 300 percent increase from the previous year. Smetana’s 200th anniversary coincided with the Year of Czech Music, boosting performances of his and Dvořák’s works. Bruckner’s bicentenary led to a fivefold increase in performances in the UK, though his native Austria saw only modest gains. 

Other anniversaries included the centenary of Puccini’s death resulting in more opera performances. This knocked Verdi off the top spot, with over 1,204 listed performances—though the proportional increase was only 26 percent. However, Schoenberg’s 150th anniversary fared better seeing a 252 percent increase in concert performances and an impressive 58 opera stagings.

In ballet, The Nutcracker maintained its dominance despite an 11 percent dip as companies experimented with alternative seasonal productions, including Cinderella, The Snow Queen and A Christmas Carol. Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland made its debut in the top 10 most performed ballets, signalling a shift toward modern repertoire. Meanwhile, gender disparities persist in choreography, with Sharon Eyal remaining the only woman in the top 20, ranked 13th.

While gender representation is improving, progress remains slow. Equity among performers and composers is advancing in some areas but remains limited in others. The coming years will reveal the extent to which artistic directors and audiences are willing to push for lasting change.

To read the full report, visit bachtrack.com/classical-music-statistics-january-2025