Around the Music Festival

Herbert Blomstedt, the elder statesman of the conducting world, passed away on November 4 in Gothenburg, Sweden—his home country—at the age of 99. Having remained at the forefront of the classical music scene for over 70 years, he fell ill in May while conducting the San Francisco Symphony, after which he ceased his conducting activities to focus on his recovery.

He was born in Springfield, USA. At the age of two, he moved to Sweden—his parents’ home country—and at age five, he relocated to Finland. After spending about five years there, he returned to Sweden. He began serious study of the piano around the age of six, later adding the violin.

He went on to attend the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and Uppsala University, before continuing his studies at The Juilliard School in New York, where he received guidance from figures including Leonard Bernstein.

He made his professional conducting debut in 1954, leading the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed principal conductor of the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in his home country—his first permanent position with an orchestra. This March, he returned as a guest conductor for the first time since 2012, an occasion marked by the conferral of the title of Honorary Conductor.

After stepping down in 1962, he served successively as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic (1962–1968), the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (1967–1977), and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1977–1982); in 1975, he also became chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden (a position he held until 1985). He first visited Japan in 1973, accompanying the Staatskapelle Dresden on their tour of the country.

He shared a deep connection with Japan; he first conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra in November 1981 and went on to collaborate with the ensemble for over 200 concerts spanning more than 40 years. His final visit to Japan took place last October.

The orchestra bestowed upon him the title of Honorary Conductor in 1986, followed by the title of Conductor Laureate in 2016. Furthermore, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in the spring of 2018, and in 2026, he received the Praemium Imperiale (Japan Art Association’s international arts prize).

Following his time in Dresden, he served as music director of the San Francisco Symphony (1985–1995), chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra (1995–1998), and chief conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1998–2005).

While he made a guest appearance with the Berlin Philharmonic as early as 1976, his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic did not occur until January 26, 2011—a relatively late start—when he stepped in for Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Salzburg Mozart Week. Following subsequent guest appearances, however, he was awarded the title of honorary member by the orchestra in 2019.

His conducting has captivated many audiences by bringing the musical structure—from the Classical to the Romantic eras—into clear, elegant relief, while simultaneously drawing out the orchestra’s own spontaneity to craft a vibrant, living performance. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he was also known for leading a stoic lifestyle that included total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco.

PHOTO：Berliner Philharmoniker　/　Monika Rittershaus