Breaking News | Seiji Ozawa Dies at 88

Classical music lovers everywhere mourn the death of Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, who died on Feb. 6, at the age of 88. His passing was announced this morning, on the Seiji Ozawa International Academy of Switzerland website.

In 1959, Ozawa was the first Japanese conductor to win the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors, after which he was invited by Charles Münch to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Festival – marking the beginning of his career in North America.

Ozawa spent some of career in Canada, with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which he led from 1965-1969. The orchestra’s fourth ever conductor, he introduced new composer’s to the ensemble’s repertoire, including Charles Ives and Olivier Messiaen. Ozawa recorded Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie with the orchestra in 1968. He also pioneered the “Jazz at the Symphony” series with the TSO, which went on to feature the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Benny Goodman, and Oscar Peterson.

Among a long list of professional accolades, Ozawa will be remembered for leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 29 years, from 1973-2002. During this time, he was also named honorary artistic director of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (New Japan Philharmonic). Following his departure from the BSO, he became the music director of the Vienna State Opera, where he conducted until 2010.

The end of Ozawa’s career was marred with various health issues, which prevented him from executing several scheduled performances (such as a December 2010 appearance at Carnegie Hall). He died of heart failure, at his home in Tokyo.