Herbert Blomstedt

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Herbert Blomstedt
Blomstedt in the Gewandhaus, 2015
Born (1927-07-11) 11 July 1927 (age 96)
OccupationConductor

Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (Swedish: [ˈhæ̌rːbɛʈ ˈblʊ̌mːstɛt]; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor.[1]

Herbert Blomstedt was born in

Berkshire Music Center
. Blomstedt also lived in Finland during his youth.

He won the

Koussevitzky Conducting Prize in 1953 and the Salzburg Conducting Competition in 1955.[3]

Blomstedt is most noted for his performances of German and Austrian composers, such as Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Richard Strauss and Paul Hindemith, and also as a champion of Scandinavian composers, such as Edvard Grieg, Franz Berwald, Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen.

A devout

Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism. He does, however, conduct concerts, since he considers actual performances to be an expression of his religious devotion rather than work.[4]

He has been Music Director or Principal Conductor of the

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1962–1968), Danish Radio Symphony (1967–1977) and Swedish Radio Symphony (1977–1982). From 1975 to 1985, he served as chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden
, in the process making many well-regarded recordings, including works of Richard Strauss and the complete Beethoven and Schubert symphonies, and leading the orchestra on international tours.

Blomstedt was music director of the

(1998–2005).

Blomstedt is currently Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony and Honorary Conductor of the

NHK Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Staatskapelle Dresden
.

Awards

References

  1. ^ Herbert Blomstedt Archived 22 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine, SF symphony
  2. ^ Allen, David (2 March 2022). "A Conductor Brings Nearly a Century of Experience to Beethoven". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  3. ^ Stevenson, Joseph (11 July 1927). "Herbert Blomstedt – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  4. ^ Steinbrink, Mark (9 March 1986). "San Francisco's New Conductor – A Man of Firm Beliefs". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  5. nmz
    (in German). 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  6. nmz
    – neue musikzeitung (in German). 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.

External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Heinz Freudenthal
Principal Conductor, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
1954–1962
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Conductor, Danish National Symphony Orchestra
1967–1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
1977–1982
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Principal Conductor, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra

1996–1998
Succeeded by