Longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Seiji Ozawa has passed away. He was 88.
Born in Japanese-occupied China in 1935, Ozawa graduated from Tokyo s Toho School of Music, having switched to conducting after a rugby injury threatened his studies in piano. He later studied under Herbert von Karajan, and Leonard Bernstein appointed him assistant conductor the New York Philharmonic in 1961.
Ozawa became the music director for Ravinia Festival, near Chicago, in 1964, followed by appointments with Toronto Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony. But he was perhaps best known for his long tenure as the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Appointed in 1973 and serving 29 years, Osawa captured national attention in large part due to the PBS series "Evening at Symphony," produced by Boston s WGBH.
Pioneer Japanese pianist is at home in Budapest budapesttimes.hu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from budapesttimes.hu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.