Sydney Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor Simone Young has been ranked in the Top 10 busiest conductors worldwide in Bachtrack’s annual Classical Music Statistics report for 2025, marking a major milestone for one of the most respected figures in the global classical scene.

The annual survey compiles performance data from thousands of concerts, operas and dance programs in dozens of countries. Young’s ranking is a reflection of her prolific schedule in Australia and of the growing global recognition of her work, particularly in Germany.

Simone Young conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Photo supplied

Across 2025, Bachtrack recorded roughly 31,445 live classical music performances worldwide, encompassing orchestral concerts, operas and dance events.

The latest statistics continue to reflect broader changes in the industry. Women conductors, though still under-represented relative to male peers, have been steadily gaining visibility on major stages. Alongside Young, several acclaimed female conductors saw increased engagements in 2024 and into 2025, illustrating incremental progress in programming equity. Young was the only woman to make the Top 10 list, however.

Bachtrack’s annual overview also highlights enduring patterns in classical music performance, including the dominance of established repertory alongside gradual increases in music by living composers. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and other canonical composers remain frequently programmed, while contemporary works and diverse programming are slowly expanding their footprint.

Bachtrack Top 10 Lists

Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Photo © Hans van der Woerd

Busiest Conductors

1. Yannick Nézet-Séguin
2. Andris Nelsons
3. Koen Kessels
4. Klaus Mäkelä
5. Paavo Järvi
6. Manfred Honeck
7. Fabio Luisi
8. Edward Gardner
9. Gustavo Gimeno
10. Simone Young

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Photo supplied

Most Active Orchestras (concert performances)

1. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
2. Berliner Philharmoniker
3. Vienna Philharmonic
4. New York Philharmonic
5. Los Angeles Philharmonic
6. Boston Symphony Orchestra
7. Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
8. The Cleveland Orchestra
9. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
10. Toronto Symphony Orchestra 

Kirill Gerstein. Portrait supplied

Top 10 Pianists (by performances)

1. Kirill Gerstein
2. Seong-Jin Cho
3. Víkingur Ólafsson
4. Igor Levit
   =5. Pierre-Laurent Aimard
   =5. Daniil Trifonov
5. Sir András Schiff
6. Alexandre Kantorow
7. Jan Lisiecki
8. Emanuel Ax 

Renaud Capuçon. Photo © Benjamin Decoin

Top 10 Violinists

1. Renaud Capuçon
2. Augustin Hadelich
3. Isabelle Faust
4. Leonidas Kavakos
5. Janine Jansen
6. James Ehnes
   7-8. Lisa Batiashvili / María Dueñas
7. Richard Tognetti 

Most Performed Composers (concert)

1. Ludwig van Beethoven
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Maurice Ravel
5. Johannes Brahms
6. Franz Schubert
7. Fryderyk Chopin
8. Dmitri Shostakovich
9. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
10. Robert Schumann 

Arvo Pärt. Portrait supplied

Most Performed Living Composers

1. Arvo Pärt
2. John Williams
3. Philip Glass
4. John Adams
5. Thomas Adès
6. György Kurtág
7. Hans Zimmer
8. Anna Clyne
9. Caroline Shaw
10. Sir James MacMillan 

Most Performed Operas

1. Die Zauberflöte (Mozart)
2. Carmen (Bizet)
3. La bohème (Puccini)
4. La traviata (Verdi)
5. Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
6. Tosca (Puccini)
7. Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)
8. Don Giovanni (Mozart)
9. Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck)
10. Rigoletto (Verdi)