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Here is our pick of the best classical music festivals taking place across the USA and Canada in 2025. Don’t forget to also check out our useful guides to the\u00a0U<\/a>K’s best classical music festivals<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0b<\/a>est festivals in Europe in 2026<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n New York, NY, 30 April \u2013 3 May\u00a0 How to squeeze over 70 concerts into four days? Best ask the experts. Bang on a Can has been curating its Brooklyn-wide festival for five years now and the latest edition fires off a centenary salute to Morton Feldman<\/a><\/strong>. In Fort Greene Park, winds, brass and 40 percussionists convene for John Luther Adams<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Crossing Open Ground<\/em>, Stockhausen<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Kontakte<\/em> is performed by Steven Schick and Cory Smythe, and Bang on a Can All-Stars, meanwhile, premiere a new arrangement of Philip\u00a0Glass<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Glassworks<\/em>.<\/p>\n Cincinnati, OH, 15-23 May\u00a0 Cincinnati must have a thing about sopranos. Ren\u00e9e Fleming was last year\u2019s artistic director, and she passes the torch to Julia Bullock, who\u2019s contemplating the Harlem Renaissance. The poetry of Langston Hughes suffuses an opening night that climaxes in an \u2018Eclectic Mass\u2019 uniting Palestrina<\/a><\/strong>, JS Bach<\/a><\/strong>, Handel<\/a><\/strong>, Margaret Bonds and Carols Simon. Stravinsky<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Les noces<\/em> is danced; and under the watchful gaze of Handel\u2019s \u2018Hallelujah Chorus\u2019, an all-American finale glows.<\/p>\n Charleston, SC, 22 May \u2013 7 June\u00a0 Founded by Gian Carlo Menotti, and limbering up to its half-century next year, Spoleto is pondering freedom of expression as well as celebrating America 250. And with over 110 multi-genre performances, there\u2019s an abundance of expression to savour! Ren\u00e9e Fleming and B\u00e9la Fleck delve into Appalachian folk traditions, orchestral highlights range across Copland<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s evocation of Appalachia, Mahler<\/a><\/strong> and a new work by Michael Abels; Menotti\u2019s radio opera The Old Maid and the Thief<\/em> is reimagined; and acrobatics suffuse Circa\u2019s staging of Purcell<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Dido and Aeneas<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\nBest USA and Canada classical music festivals: May 2026<\/h3>\n
Long Play\u00a0<\/h4>\n
bangonacan.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMay Festival<\/h4>\n
mayfestival.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nSpoleto Festival USA<\/h4>\n
spoletousa.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n