1953 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1953.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
- February 6 – Contralto Kathleen Ferrier, already terminally ill with cancer, leaves Covent Garden Opera House in London on a stretcher after being taken ill on the second night of her run in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.
- March 12 – Heinrich Sutermeister's opera Romeo und Julia receives its English première at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, conducted by James Robertson.
- April – Pat Boone begins his recording career at Republic Records.
- May 26 – Werner Meyer-Eppler, Fritz Enkel, Herbert Eimert and Robert Beyer open a pioneering electronic music studio at the Cologne studios of the NWDR.
- May 30 - Shirley Booth, Dino Di Luca and John Serry Sr. collaborate for the last time in the final performance of The Time of the Cuckoo at the closing of the Empire Theatre in New York City.
- July 16–29 – The Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik are held at Darmstadt.
- July 18 – Elvis Presley's Sun recordings: Elvis Presley makes his first recordings.
- September 27 – Helen Traubel ends her long association with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City after having appeared in Chicago as a night-club singer.
- October – Sir Arthur Bliss replaces Sir Arnold Bax as Master of the Queen's Music in the United Kingdom.
- October 5 – Wilhelm Furtwängler and the soloists in the Vienna State Opera's production of Don Giovanni publicly protest against the suspension of Egon Hilbert as administrator of the Burg Theater and State Opera.
- October 19 – Opening of the Covent Garden opera season in London, with a production of Wagner's Die Walküre.
- October 30 – Ernst Marboe is announced as the new administrator of the Vienna State Opera and Burg Theater, replacing Egon Hilbert.
- November 2 – the Metropolitan Opera announces that a new two-year contract has been agreed with the musicians' union, averting a threatened strike by the orchestra.
- November 17 – Carl Ebert is announced as the new Intendant of the Städtische Oper, Berlin.
- December 7 – the La Scala opera season opens with a production of Alfredo Catalani's La Wally, to mark the hundredth anniversary of the composer's birth.
- Alfred Schnittke becomes a student of Evgeny Golubev.
- Frank Sinatra begins recording at Capitol.
- "Crazy Man, Crazy", recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets, becomes the first rock and roll single to make the Billboard national American musical charts.
- American singer Frankie Laine sets the all-time United Kingdom record for weeks at Number One in a given year on the UK Singles Chart, when his hit singles "Answer Me," "Hey Joe!" and "I Believe" hold the top slot for 27 weeks: a little over half a year. "I Believe", Number One for 18 weeks, also holds the all-time record for a single. Over 50 years later, both records will still hold.
- Eddie Fisher becomes "The Coca-Cola Kid" on the television show Coke Time at a salary of one million dollars a year.
- The Allegri Quartet is formed in the United Kingdom.
- The Platters form in Los Angeles.
- The Erato Records label is founded to promote French classical music.
Albums released
- Anita O'Day Collates – Anita O'Day
- The Astaire Story – Fred Astaire
- Broadway's Best – Jo Stafford
- By the Light of the Silvery Moon – Doris Day
- Calamity Jane – Doris Day
- Country Girl – Bing Crosby
- Dean Martin Sings – Dean Martin
- Dinah Shore Sings the Blues – Dinah Shore
- Georgia Gibbs Sings Oldies – Georgia Gibbs
- Jazz at Massey Hall – The Quintet
- Kay Starr Style – Kay Starr
- Let There Be Love – Joni James
- May I Sing To You – Eddie Fisher
- New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm – Stan Kenton
- Portrait Of New Orleans – Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine
- Requested By You – Frank Sinatra
- Sinatra Sings His Greatest Hits – Frank Sinatra
- Songs by Tom Lehrer – Tom Lehrer
- Songs of Open Spaces – Guy Mitchell
- Starring Jo Stafford – Jo Stafford
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highestin the limited set of charts available for 1953.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
| 1 | Dean Martin | That's Amore | 1953 |  US No. 1 hit singlesThese singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1953.Top R&B and country hits on record
Published popular music
Classical music">European classical music">Classical musicCompositions
[Opera]The Decembrists first staged 23 June 1953 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.The Dumb Wife, premiered 21 November 1953 at the Guildhall School, London, by the Intimate Opera Company.Gloriana composed 1953, first performed on 8 July 1953 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in the presence of Elizabeth II.Irmelin composed 1890–92; first produced Oxford, 4 May 1953.Lenora 40/50 first produced in Berlin on 12 February 1953 at the State Opera House in the British sector.Man of Enterprise first produced on 8 December 1953 at Tiffin School, Kingston, Surrey, by the school operatic society.Menna premiered by the Welsh National Opera at the Pavilion in Cardiff on 9 November, with the composer conducting.Nelson, premiered in a concert performance 14 February 1953 by the English Opera Group at Wigmore Hall, London.Sevil Three's Company, premiered 21 November 1953 at the Guildhall School, London, by the Intimate Opera Company.The Tinners of Cornwall, premiered 30 September 1953 at Rudolf Steiner Hall, conducted by Geoffrey Corbett.Film
[Musical theater]Airs On A Shoestring London revue opened at the Royal Court Theatre on April 22 and ran for 772 performancesAt The Lyric London productionThe Boy Friend commenced at London's Players Club on April 14 and reopened in an expanded version on October 13 before moving to the West End proper in 1954.Braziliana London productionThe Buccaneer London productionCan-Can – Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on May 7 and ran for 892 performancesThe Glorious Days West End production opens at the Palace Theatre on February 28 and ran for 246 performancesHazel Flagg Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on February 11 and ran for 190 performancesJohn Murray Anderson's Almanac Broadway revue opened at the Imperial Theatre on December 10 and ran for 227 performancesThe King And I London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on October 8 and ran for 926 performancesKismet Broadway production opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 3 and ran for 583 performances Maggie Broadway production opened at the Royal National Theatre on February 18 and ran for 5 performances Me And Juliet Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on May 28 and ran for 358 performancesPaint Your Wagon – London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on February 11 and ran for 477 performances The Wayward Way Wonderful Town – Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on February 25 and ran for 559 performances[Musical film]sThe Affairs of Dobie Gillis starring Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van, Barbara Ruick and Bob FosseThe Band WagonBy the Light of the Silvery MoonCalamity Jane starring Doris Day and Howard KeelThe Desert SongThe Farmer Takes a Wife starring Betty Grable, Dale Robertson, John Carroll, Thelma Ritter and Eddie Foy, Jr.Gentlemen Prefer BlondesI Love Melvin starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'ConnorThe Jazz SingerKiss Me Kate starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn and James WhitmoreLiliPeter Pan animated featureSingin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie ReynoldsSmall Town Girl starring Jane Powell, Ann Miller, Farley Granger, S. Z. Sakall, Bobby Van, Billie Burke, Fay Wray and featuring Nat "King" Cole. Directed by László Kardos.So This Is Love released July 15 starring Kathryn Grayson as Grace Moore.The Stooge released February 4 starring Martin and Lewis.Three Sailors and a Girl starring Jane Powell, Gordon MacRae and Gene Nelson
Births
Deaths
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