View source for Herbert Blomstedt

{{Short description|Swedish conductor (born 1927)}}
{{Refimprove|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Herbert Blomstedt
| image              = Herbert Blomstedt - Eröffnung Leipziger Buchmesse 2023 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Blomstedt in 2023
| birth_name         = Herbert Thorson Blomstedt
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1927|07|11|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| occupation         = Conductor
| spouse             = <!--Waltraud Regina Peterson (1955–2003) no ref, no article, no mention in body-->
}}
'''Herbert Thorson Blomstedt''' ({{IPA|sv|ˈhæ̌rːbɛʈ ˈblʊ̌mːstɛt|lang}}; born 11 July 1927) is an American-born Swedish conductor of classical music.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/Herbert-Blomstedt | title = Herbert Blomstedt | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122222753/http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/Herbert-Blomstedt |archive-date=22 January 2013 |website= San Francisco Symphony}}</ref> At the age of 98, he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States.

==Biography==
Herbert Blomstedt was born in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], Massachusetts, the son of Adolf Blomstedt (1898–1981) and his wife Alida Armintha Thorson (1899–1957).<ref name=nyt2022>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/arts/music/ny-philharmonic-herbert-blomstedt.html | access-date = 4 March 2022 | date = 2 March 2022 | title = A Conductor Brings Nearly a Century of Experience to Beethoven | work = [[The New York Times]] | first = David | last = Allen }}</ref> Two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin. He studied at the [[Stockholm Royal College of Music]] and the [[University of Uppsala]], followed by studies of contemporary music at the [[Darmstädter Ferienkurse]] in 1949, Baroque music with [[Paul Sacher]] at the [[Schola Cantorum Basiliensis]], and further conducting studies with [[Igor Markevitch]], [[Jean Paul Morel|Jean Morel]] at the [[Juilliard School]], and [[Leonard Bernstein]] at [[Tanglewood]]'s [[Berkshire Music Center]]. Blomstedt also lived in Finland during his youth.

He won the [[Koussevitzky Conducting Prize]] in 1953 and the Salzburg Conducting Competition in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stevenson |first=Joseph |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/herbert-blomstedt-q13670/biography |title=Herbert Blomstedt – Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date=11 July 1927 |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref>

Blomstedt is most noted for his performances of German and Austrian composers, such as [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], [[Felix Mendelssohn]], [[Johannes Brahms]], [[Franz Schubert]], [[Anton Bruckner]], [[Richard Strauss]] and [[Paul Hindemith]], and also as a champion of Scandinavian composers, such as [[Edvard Grieg]], [[Franz Berwald]], [[Jean Sibelius]] and [[Carl Nielsen]].

A devout [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], Blomstedt does not rehearse on Friday nights or Saturdays, the [[Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism]]. He does, however, conduct concerts, since he considers actual performances to be an expression of his religious devotion rather than secular work.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/09/arts/san-francisco-s-new-conductor-a-man-of-firm-beliefs.html | access-date = 10 July 2017 | date = 9 March 1986 | title = San Francisco's New Conductor – A Man of Firm Beliefs | work = [[The New York Times]] | first = Mark | last = Steinbrink }}</ref>

He has been Music Director or Principal Conductor of the [[Norrköping Symphony Orchestra]] (1954–1962), [[Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra]] (1962–1968), [[Danish National Symphony Orchestra|Danish Radio Symphony]] (1967–1977) and [[Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra|Swedish Radio Symphony]] (1977–1982). From 1975 to 1985, he served as chief conductor of the [[Staatskapelle Dresden]] as well as the [[Saxon State Opera]], in the process making many well-regarded recordings, including works of Richard Strauss and the complete Beethoven and Schubert symphonies, and leading the orchestra on international tours.

Blomstedt was music director of the [[San Francisco Symphony]] from 1985 to 1995.<ref name=nyt2022/> He led the orchestra on regular tours of Europe and Asia, and made numerous prize-winning recordings for [[London Records|London/Decca]], winning two [[Grammy Awards]], a [[Gramophone Awards|Gramophone Award]] and a [[Grand Prix du Disque]], as well as awards from Belgium, Germany, and Japan. After leaving San Francisco full-time, Blomstedt held principal conductorships with the [[North German Radio Symphony]] (1996–1998) and [[Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]] (1998–2005).

Blomstedt holds the title of conductor laureate with the San Francisco Symphony and is honorary conductor of the [[Bamberg Symphony]], [[Danish National Symphony Orchestra]], [[NHK Symphony]], Swedish Radio Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, [[Staatskapelle Dresden]] and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. At age 98, he continues to conduct, and in February 2025, he completed a series of concerts with the San Francisco Symphony.

==Awards==
* 2022 Knight Commander's Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Dirigent Herbert Blomstedt erhält Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern – neue musikzeitung | website=[[Neue Musikzeitung]] | date=11 November 2022 | url=https://www.nmz.de/kiz/nachrichten/dirigent-herbert-blomstedt-erhaelt-grosses-verdienstkreuz-mit-stern | language=de | access-date=11 November 2022}}</ref>
* 2023 [[Opus Klassik]] for life's work<ref>{{cite web | title=Dirigent Herbert Blomstedt erhält Opus Klassik für Lebenswerk | website=[[Neue Musikzeitung]] | date=28 July 2023 | url=https://www.nmz.de/menschen/personalia/dirigent-herbert-blomstedt-erhaelt-opus-klassik-fuer-lebenswerk | language=de| access-date=28 July 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=q13670}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20201123155725/https://www.sfsymphony.org/About-SFS/Conducting-Staff/Herbert-Blomstedt Herbert Blomstedt biography] at the [[San Francisco Symphony]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081204224909/http://www.sonic.net/~matthewv/blomstedt/index.html Herbert Blomstedt – a perspective as of 1998 (includes discography, quotes and concert schedules)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214190231/http://www.bamberger-symphoniker.de/ehrendirigenten.html?&L=1 Bamberg Symphony Honorary Conductor]
* [http://www.dr.dk/Orkestre/DR%20Radiosymfoniorkestret/RSO%20in%20English/Conductors/herbertblomstedt.htm Danish Radio Symphony Honorary Conductor]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080305072617/http://www.nhkso.or.jp/en/profile.html NHK Symphony Honorary Conductor]
* [http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/berwaldhallen/program/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2555&Artikel=1186930 Swedish Radio Symphony Honorary Conductor]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{S-start}}
{{s-culture}}
{{succession box | title=[[Norrköping Symphony Orchestra|Principal Conductor, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra]] | before=Heinz Freudenthal | years=1954–1962 | after=[[Everett Lee]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Danish National Symphony Orchestra|Chief Conductor, Danish National Symphony Orchestra]] | before=[[Fritz Busch]] | years=1967–1977 | after=[[Lamberto Gardelli]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra|Principal Conductor, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra]] | before=[[Sergiu Celibidache]] | years=1977–1982 | after=[[Esa-Pekka Salonen]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[NDR Symphony Orchestra|Principal Conductor, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra]] | before=[[John Eliot Gardiner]] | years=1996–1998 | after=[[Christoph Eschenbach]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Christianity|Classical Music}}
{{Schock Prize laureates}}
{{Léonie Sonning Music Prize laureates}}
{{Oslo-Filharmonien conductors}}
{{Dresden Staatskapelle conductors}}
{{SFS music directors}}
{{Gewandhausorchester conductors}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blomstedt, Herbert}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Swedish conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Swedish male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Uppsala University alumni]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Royal College of Music, Stockholm, alumni]]
[[Category:Swedish Seventh-day Adventists]]
[[Category:New England Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize]]
[[Category:Swedish expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Classical musicians from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Musicians from Springfield, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:20th-century Swedish male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Swedish musicians]]
[[Category:Music directors of the San Francisco Symphony]]
[[Category:Music directors of the Oslo Philharmonic]]
[[Category:Kapellmeisters of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]]
[[Category:Chief conductors of the Staatskapelle Dresden]]
[[Category:Chief conductors of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra]]
[[Category:Principal conductors of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra]]