Bernard Haitink, renowned Dutch conductor, dies at 92

Bernard Haitink, a Dutch conductor of refinement and grace who led the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for 27 years and held enactment positions successful London, Chicago and Boston, died astatine his location successful London connected Thursday, his absorption bureau announced. He was 92.

Haitink was calved successful Amsterdam connected March 4, 1929, studied violin and conducting astatine the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and made his conducting debut with the Netherlands Radio Union Orchestra connected July 9, 1954.

He conducted his archetypal show with the Concertgebouw, the Netherlands’ premier orchestra, connected Nov, 7, 1956, became co-principal conductor with Eugen Jochum successful 1961 and sole main conductor successful 1963, a presumption helium held helium held until 1988. Under his tenure, the Concertgebouw was considered among the world’s premier orchestras alongside the Berlin and Philharmonics.

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Haitink was known for interpretations without flash.

“Haitink’s attack was much passionate than portentous, happily lacking successful heaviness,” Associated Press professional Daniel J. Wakin wrote aft a Brahms Symphony No. 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic astatine New York's Carnegie Hall successful 1991.

Haitink developed a lengthy and influential vocation successful England, wherever helium was main conductor of the London Philharmonic from 1969-79 and euphony manager of the Glynebourne Festival from 1978-88.

He succeeded Colin Davis arsenic euphony manager of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, successful 1987 and held the presumption until 2002. Among the highlights of his tenure were a color-splashed Graham Vick accumulation of Verdi’s “Falstaff” that reopened the refurbished Royal Opera House successful December 1999.

“If we person seen a batch of Haitink present successful the performance hallway and the opera location implicit the past 3 decades and more, that has been our gain, for helium is 1 of the starring conductors of our age, a superbly earthy instrumentalist who brings a uncommon operation of rigour and expressiveness to everything helium tackles,” Andrew Clements wrote successful the Guardian earlier Haitink stepped down from Covent Garden. “Haitink’s performances person ever been a reflection of the antheral himself: direct, unshowy and profoundly truthful.”

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Haitink was main conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006-10, betwixt the presumption of euphony directors Daniel Barenboim and and Riccardo Muti, and became main impermanent conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1995-2004. He was besides main conductor of the European Union Youth Orchestra from 1994-2000.

“His nonaccomplishment leaves an immense void successful the satellite of music,” Muti said successful a statement.

Haitink conducted 111 performances with the Vienna Philharmonic, making his debut successful February 1972 and starring the ensemble connected circuit to Costa Mesa, California, and Carnegie Hall successful 2002. He conducted his last 4 concerts with that orchestra astatine property 90 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6, 2019, programs of Beethoven and Bruckner successful Salzburg, Austria; London; and Lucerne, Switzerland.

Haitink was nominated for 9 Grammy Awards and won two, for 2003 opera signaling with the Royal Opera for Janácek’s “Jenufa” and for 2008 orchestral show with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4.

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His recordings see Beethoven and Brahms symphony cycles for the London Symphony Orchestra’s LSO Live label, and an extended room for Phillips and EMI.

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