Lorin Maazel

Lorin Maazel (born March 6, 1930, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France—died July 13, 2014, Castleton, Virginia, U.S.) was a conductor and violinist who, as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1972 to 1982, was the second American to have served as principal conductor of a major American orchestra.

Maazel grew up in Los Angeles and began his first musical instruction at age five. A musical prodigy, he began conducting as early as age nine and worked at the Hollywood Bowl (1939) and with the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1941) before enrolling (in languages, mathematics, and philosophy) at the University of Pittsburgh and joining (1948) the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as a violinist and apprentice conductor. He made his adult debut in 1953 in Italy, where he was researching Baroque music on a Fulbright scholarship.

Maazel held conducting appointments with the Deutsche Oper, West Berlin (1965–71), the West Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (1965–75), the New Philharmonia Orchestra of London (1970–72; 1976–80), the Cleveland Orchestra (1972–82), the French National Orchestra (1977–90), the Pittsburgh Symphony (1988–96; music consultant 1984–88), and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1993–2002). In 1982–1984 he was artistic director of the Vienna State Opera, the first American to hold that post. He later served as music director of the New York Philharmonic (2002–09) and of the Munich Philharmonic (2012–14).

Maazel was equally at home in operatic and orchestral music, and his repertoire ranged from the 18th century to the most recent works. Undemonstrative on the podium, he combined clarity with great emotional depth. He also composed and appeared frequently as a violinist. In 2009 Maazel founded the annual Castleton Festival for young musicians at his farm in Virginia.