Herbert Blomstedt
Born in the USA to Swedish parents, Herbert Blomstedt received his musical education at the Royal Academy of Music in Stock­ holm, the University of Uppsala, the Juilliard School in New York as well as in Darmstadt and Basel. He also worked with Igor Markevitch in Salzburg and Leonard Bernstein in Tanglewood.

Herbert Blomstedt made his debut as conductor with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 1954 and later became Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic and the Swedish and Danish Radio Orchestras. For ten years each he was at the helm of the Staatskapelle Dresden and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Subsequently, he was engaged as Music Director by the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg and, from 1998 until 2005, served as Music Director of the Gewandhausorchester.

As Honorary Conductor of this orchestra, he returns to Leipzig regularly. Five more orchestras awarded him the title of Honorary Conductor: NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan, the Danish National Symphony and the Swedish Radio Symphony as well as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Dresden.

In addition to his commitments with these orchestras, Herbert Blomstedt continues guest conducting the world’s pre_ eminent orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and all leading North American orchestras.

Many of the recordings of his extensive discography received prestigious awards and enjoy reference standard. The box set of the complete Bruckner symphonies with the Gewandhausorchester won the International Classical Music Award. Herbert Blomstedt holds several Honorary Doctorates and is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy. In 2003 he was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit and received the prestigious Danish Léonie Sonning Music Prize for his lifetime achievement.