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Herbert Blomstedt | |
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 Blomstedt in theGewandhaus, 2015 | |
| Born | (1927-07-11)11 July 1927 (age 97) |
| Occupation | Conductor |
Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (Swedish:[ˈhæ̌rːbɛʈˈblʊ̌mːstɛt]; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music.[1] At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States.
Herbert Blomstedt was born inSpringfield, Massachusetts, the son of Adolf Blomstedt (1898–1981) and his wife Alida Armintha Thorson (1899–1957).[2] Two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin. He studied at theStockholm Royal College of Music and theUniversity of Uppsala, followed by studies of contemporary music at theDarmstädter Ferienkurse in 1949, Baroque music withPaul Sacher at theSchola Cantorum Basiliensis, and further conducting studies withIgor Markevitch,Jean Morel at theJuilliard School, andLeonard Bernstein atTanglewood'sBerkshire Music Center. Blomstedt also lived in Finland during his youth.
He won theKoussevitzky 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 asBeethoven,Felix Mendelssohn,Johannes Brahms,Franz Schubert,Anton Bruckner,Richard Strauss andPaul Hindemith, and also as a champion of Scandinavian composers, such asEdvard Grieg,Franz Berwald,Jean Sibelius andCarl Nielsen.
A devoutSeventh-day Adventist, Blomstedt does not rehearse on Friday nights or Saturdays, theSabbath in Seventh-day Adventism. He does, however, conduct concerts, since he considers actual performances to be an expression of his religious devotion rather than secular work.[4]
He has been Music Director or Principal Conductor of theNorrköping Symphony Orchestra (1954–1962),Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1962–1968),Danish Radio Symphony (1967–1977) andSwedish Radio Symphony (1977–1982). From 1975 to 1985, he served as chief conductor of theStaatskapelle Dresden as well as theSaxon State Opera, 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 theSan Francisco Symphony from 1985 to 1995.[2] He led the orchestra on regular tours of Europe and Asia, and made numerous prize-winning recordings forLondon/Decca, winning twoGrammy Awards, aGramophone Award and aGrand Prix du Disque, as well as awards from Belgium, Germany, and Japan. After leaving San Francisco full-time, Blomstedt held principal conductorships with theNorth German Radio Symphony (1996–1998) andLeipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1998–2005).
Blomstedt holds the title of conductor laureate with the San Francisco Symphony and is honorary conductor of theBamberg Symphony,Danish National Symphony Orchestra,NHK Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra andStaatskapelle Dresden. At age 97, he continues to conduct and in February 2025 he completed a series of concerts with the San Francisco Symphony.
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| 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 |
Leipzig Gewandhaus Kapellmeister | ||
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