Conductor Herbert Blomstedt dies at 99

Herbert Blomstedt, one of the leading conductors of his time, died in Gothenburg on Wednesday aged 99, surrounded by his family, BR reported.

The Leipzig Gewandhaus, where Blomstedt was chief conductor from 1998 to 2005, announced his death. He later became honorary conductor of the orchestra. From 2005, he was also a regular guest conductor with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and frequently conducted the Munich Philharmonic. He was honorary conductor of the Bamberg Symphony.

The Gewandhaus said it had lost “one of the most important conductors of our time, an exceptional musician and a person of rare modesty, integrity and kindness”. It said Blomstedt had shaped Leipzig’s musical life for decades and had treated audiences and the orchestra with “extraordinary affection and deep respect”.

Blomstedt was previously chief conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle. He continued to conduct leading orchestras into old age. In 2022, he received the Grand Cross of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany. Leipzig awarded him its Medal of Honour in 2017.