Herbert Blomstedt Swedish conductor Date of Birth: 11.07.1927 Country: Sweden

1. Early Life and Education
2. Conducting Career
3. Musical Directorships
4. Later Career

Early Life and Education

Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on July 11, 1927. Two years later, his family returned to their native Sweden. Blomstedt pursued his musical studies at the Stockholm Royal College of Music and the University of Uppsala. He furthered his knowledge of contemporary music in Darmstadt, Germany, and studied Baroque music under Paul Sacher in Basel, Switzerland.

Conducting Career

Blomstedt gained recognition in 1953 with the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize and the Salzburg Conducting Competition in 1955. He is renowned for his interpretations of German and Austrian composers, including Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Bruckner, and Strauss. Blomstedt is also a passionate advocate for Nordic composers, such as Grieg, Berwald, Sibelius, and Nielsen.

As a Seventh-day Adventist, Blomstedt does not rehearse on Friday evenings or Saturdays to observe the Sabbath. However, he continues to conduct concerts, believing that performances are an expression of his faith rather than a job.

Musical Directorships

Blomstedt has held prestigious roles with several orchestras. From 1954 to 1962, he led the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. He was subsequently音乐总监 of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1968), the Danish Radio Symphony (1967-1977), and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1977-1982).

In 1975, Blomstedt became首席指挥 of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Under his leadership, the orchestra achieved international acclaim and produced critically acclaimed recordings. Blomstedt served as音乐总监 of the San Francisco Symphony from 1985 to 1995, earning numerous awards for his recordings.

Later Career

After leaving San Francisco, Blomstedt held positions as首席指挥 of the North German Radio Symphony (1996-1998) and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1998-2005). He remains a conductor emeritus with prestigious ensembles, including the Bamberg Symphony, Danish National Symphony, NHK Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.