With 2012 now upon us it is timely to look forward to some of the many musical treats in store this year, which for London will see all aspects of artistic life (as well as transport facilities and walking space) enveloped by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

What follows is a personal choice of what is on offer, albeit space only allows for a few selections. A highlight will surely be Daniel Barenboim's Bruckner Project, which will see him and Staatskapelle Berlin perform the last three of Bruckner's symphonies at the Royal Festival Hall in April. He'll also conduct a Beethoven symphony cycle at the BBC Proms. (All being well, Classical Source will once again review EVERY Prom; if so it will be for the tenth consecutive year: truly Olympian!) Yuri Temirkanov, a too irregular visitor to London, conducts the St Petersburg Philharmonic in Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony, and Martha Argerich is scheduled to appear too, at Barbican Hall in March. More Bruckner, this time from Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in May (also Barbican Centre, 30 years young this year) to reaffirm the indefatigable spirit of one of the great conductors. He will be joined by the equally celebrated Mariss Jansons and Nikolaus Harnoncourt in the RCO’s trio of concerts.

At the Royal Opera House there is a long-awaited artistic reunion in June for Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna in La bohème, as well as Jonas Kaufmann singing Enée in a new production of Berlioz’s Les Troyens in June and July, both certainly not to be missed; and four Ring Cycles, with Bryn Terfel as Wotan and Wanderer, will open The Royal Opera's 2012/13 season in epic fashion. The newly knighted Antonio Pappano will conduct. ENO and Wigmore Hall are not forgotten.

As to the other half of Classical Source’s ‘twin peaks’, New York, The Metropolitan Opera completes its new Der Ring des Nibelungen with performances of Götterdämmerung in January, and the full cycle in April, conducted by Fabio Luisi. New York Philharmonic concerts, of course, and, like London, New York is a magnet for visiting ensembles and soloists.

Whether new, or seen and heard before, and despite no-end of recordings, the reason why attending live performances is so important and worthwhile is to be a part of the magic and frisson of an electric, moving, and great occasion. That doesn’t always happen, but when it does, one can be moved beyond measure.

I urge readers to support their local events (for many, London and New York concerts and opera-productions are indeed local) so that live music-making can continue and thrive – especially important in these economically stringent times.

On behalf of The Classical Source, I send you New Year best wishes for a musically exciting and fulfilling 2012.