2012 in Asian music

Events

January – It is announced that the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg will join KM Music Conservatory musicians in a 100-member concert tour of five Indian cities performing compositions by Indian composer A. R. Rahman. The tour, named "Germany and India 2011–2012: Infinite Opportunities'. Classic Incantations", marks the centenary of Indian cinema and of Studio Babelsberg, the world's oldest film studio.
February 4 – An anti-government rally at Bolotnaya Square, Moscow, is concluded by Yuri Shevchuk with one of his best-known songs, "Rodina".
February 17 – Start of Season 7 of the music competition Indonesian Idol.
March 2 – Release of London, Paris, New York, starring Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari.
May – Biennial International Morin khuur Festival and competition.
July 7 – 59th Filmfare Awards South ceremony is held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, India.
August 24 – Pianist Lang Lang is awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his engagement in the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
September – Chinese pianist Jiayan Sun finishes third in the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.
September 27–30 – Darbar Festival takes place in London.
December 1 – Opening of the 2012 Madras Music Season.

January 1 – Yafa Yarkoni, Israeli singer, 86
February 5 – Jiang Ying, Chinese opera singer and music teacher, 92
March 24 – Jose Prakash, Indian singer and actor, 86
March 28 – Alexander Arutiunian, Armenian composer, 91
May 2 – Zvi Zeitlin, Russian violinist and music teacher, 90
May 29 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer, 67
June 4 – Eduard Khil, Russian baritone, 77
June 14 – Hassan Kassai, Iranian Ney player, 83
July 10 – Viktor Suslin, Russian composer, 70
July 17 – İlhan Mimaroğlu, Turkish-born American composer and record producer, 86
October 5 – Edvard Mirzoyan, Armenian composer, 91
October 8 – Bidit Lal Das, Bengali folk musician and composer, 74
November 15 – Khin Maung Toe, Burmese singer-songwriter and guitarist, 62
December 11
*Ravi Shankar, Indian sitar player and composer, 92
*Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist, 86
December 20 – Victor Merzhanov, Russian classical pianist, 93