R.I.P. MAESTRO

Seiji Ozawa, Legendary Japanese Conductor, Dies at 88

The trailblazing musician led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for almost three decades.

Seiji Ozawa, the celebrated Japanese conductor, died in Tokyo on Tuesday. He was 88. A spokesperson for the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland said his cause of death was heart failure, with the academy announcing news of his passing via a press release on Friday. The groundbreaking maestro led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for a record 29 years between 1973 and 2002. Famous musicians including cellist Yo-Yo Ma were drawn to the BSO by Ozawa, with the conductor helping make it the biggest-budget orchestra on the planet. Ozawa later served as the music director of the Vienna State Opera until 2010. His final public performance came in 2022 as he conducted at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Japan to celebrate the music and opera event’s 30th anniversary. Ozawa’s health had declined in recent years, with him undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer in 2010 and pulling shows in both 2015 and 2016 for medical issues.