The life of tchaikovsky

27 December , | Updated: 27 December ,

Herbert Blomstedt continues to work with top-class orchestras all over the world at the staggering age of

The renowned conductor Herbert Blomstedt has led the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s mighty Ninth Symphony.

At 97 years old, the Swedish maestro is the oldest conductor on the circuit, keeping a busy schedule with top-tier orchestras worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo) and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is one of the most emotionally taxing symphonies in the repertoire, placing huge demands on performers and lasting over 90 minutes in length.

Blomstedt tchaikovsky biography The ninety-four-year-old Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt has achieved a longevity that is almost unprecedented in his profession. Earlier this month, he spent nearly two weeks at Tanglewood , working with the Boston Symphony and with students from the Tanglewood Music Center. At the end of the summer, he will take the Vienna Philharmonic on an eight-city European tour. More American dates are slated for next year, including a return to the San Francisco Symphony, which he led from to With the recent retirement of Bernard Haitink, who is ninety-two, Blomstedt is effectively ensconced as the elder sage of the podium.

It been interpreted as a farewell, containing quotations from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26, ‘Les Adieux’ (The Farewell).

Read more: The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

Despite the immensity of the challenge, in a recent performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Blomstedt was in complete control, guiding his players through the peaks and troughs of the late romantic masterpiece.

Making contained but crystal-clear gestures, he can still communicate his expressive thoughts as clearly as someone half his age.

Read more: The 25 greatest conductors of all time

Raised in Sweden in , Blomstedt rose to prominence after winning the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize in , followed by the Salzburg Conducting Competition in

During his astonishing career, he has held the position of music director with several world-class ensembles, including the Oslo Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, where he won two Grammy awards for his recordings.

He has become renowned for his interpretation of the works of German and Austrian composers, particularly Bruckner, Brahms, Strauss and Schubert and has used his influence to champion works by Scandinavian composers such as Grieg, Berwald, Sibelius and Nielsen.

To see him conduct now is to witness the fruition of a lifetime of experience, music-making at the highest level, and human achievement.

Blomstedt has a busy diary stretching into and beyond the new year.

Watch Herbert Blomstedt’s full performance with Classic FM’s partner orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, below on YouTube: