Eschenbach, Christoph
Born 20 Feb. 1940
conductor and pianist; Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra and John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, 2010–17
Education
Hamburg Conservatory; State Music Conservatory, Cologne
Career
Chief Conductor, Tonhalle Orch., Zürich, and Artistic Dir, Tonhalle-Gesellschaft, Zürich, 1982–86; Music Director: Houston SO, 1988–99, now Conductor Laureate; Ravinia Fest., 1994–2003; NDR SO, 1998–2004; Orch. de Paris, 2000–10; Philadelphia Orch., 2003–08; Artistic Dir, Schleswig-Holstein Music Fest., 1999–2002; Co-Artistic Dir, Pacific Music Fest., 1992–98. As conductor: studied with W. Bruckner Ruggeberg, George Szell; guest appearances include: NY Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orch., Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Munich, Munich Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Houston Grand Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and Vienna State Opera. As pianist: studied with Eliza Hansen; winner: Internat. Piano Competition, Munich, 1962; Concours Clara Haskil, 1965; Canadian début, Montreal Expo, 1967; US début, Cleveland Orch., 1969; has toured Europe, N and S America, USSR, Israel, Japan, China, Australia; and has performed as pianist with leading orchs incl. Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Orch. de Paris, London Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orch.; festivals incl. Salzburg, Lucerne, Bonn, Aix-en-Provence, and BBC Proms. (Jtly) Best Classical Compendium, Grammy Awards, 2014. Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, 2015. Officer’s Cross with Ribbon, 1990, Commander’s Cross, 1993, Order of Merit (Germany)
