Famed maestro Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for longer than any other conductor at nearly three decades, died last Tuesday at age 88. The eccentric Japanese director will be remembered for his commitment to his craft, attention-grabbing stage presence, and his continual love for the city of Boston.
He passed away on February 6 at his home in Tokyo from heart failure, according to a spokesperson for the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland.
Ozawa was championed as one of the first in his generation to make it big not only in the West—but worldwide. He entered the global arena with an unapologetic stride marked by his unconventional methods such as opting to direct with his hands rather than a baton or wearing a tunic and beaded necklaces versus a tux. Stepping into his own was the standard from day one.
“A force of nature on and off stage, Seiji Ozawa brought the BSO to new heights of international recognition and acclaim in his almost three decades as our Music Director.” stated Andris Nelsons, current Music Director of the BSO. “ He inspired audiences, fellow artists, and generations of music students through his extraordinary artistry and his adventurous and generous spirit”.
Ozawa made waves in Boston when he began his Directorship at BSO in 1973. Hiring a 38-year-old conductor from Japan was unheard of for the BSO. With predecessors like Munch, Steinberg, and Leinsdorf, Ozawa forged a new path toward a podium that had been dominated for centuries by white men. Being the first in his generation led to a cultural shift for younger generations of Asians to also join the artistry.
In a 2002 interview with NPR, Ozawa noted his unique position at the time and how the seasoned maestro hoped to see it in the future.
“Since I’m kind of a pioneer I must do my best before I die, so people younger than me think, ‘Oh that is possible. I think it’s possible, I hope it’s possible.’” Ozawa told NPR.
Ozawa was born on Sept. 1 1935 in Manchuria (Shenyang, China) where he spent his early childhood before moving to Beijing. He recalled his first memories of music came from his religious upbringing which quickly blossomed into a love for it when he heard westernized hymns.
By 1941, Ozawa’s family returned to Japan and his love for classical melodies followed. Ozawa’s father was a small-town dentist who was best known for pulling a piano 25 miles so his son could learn to play. However, a rugby accident resulting in two broken fingers cut his pianist career short. His teacher, Noboru Toyomasu, advised him to shift gears and become a conductor.
In a 2015 interview with WBUR, Ozawa recalled his first concert when the BBC’s Symphony of Air came to Japan.
“It was a completely different sound,” Ozawa described. “So I told myself I must go out of Japan to hear this kind of sound.”
Under the guidance of Hideo Saito, a leader in the Japanese orchestra world, Ozawa went on to conduct the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic in 1954. Four years later, he received first prizes in both conducting and composition at the Toho School. With the help of his teacher, Ozawa traveled to France to expand his craft. In 1959, Ozawa won first prize in the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors. There, he captured the attention of former BSO director Charles Munch who invited him to become a Fellow at the Berkshire Center in Tanglewood, Massachusetts, then known as the Tanglewood Music Center. This opportunity marked the beginning of Ozawa’s long and productive relationship with the BSO. By the end of his studies at Tanglewood, he had won the Koussevitzky Prize for Outstanding Student Conductor.
A slew of successes followed. Later mentorships with Herbert Karajan and Leonard Bernstein landed him directorships and encore appearances at the Toronto Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony’s Ravina Summer Festival, and finally, the Boston Symphony where he became the orchestra’s 13th director, a position he held for nearly three decades.
When he was first appointed, he described Boston as the “most musical city in North America.” Yet, some critics called his stylings controversial within the Boston Symphony. He is credited for altering the initially French sounds of the BSO to a more Germanic one, a departure from what his predecessors laid out. “Maybe three or four years after I stepped in,” Ozawa told Haruki Murakami on “Absolutely on Music. “…the sound changed – to the clear, concentrated German style I called ‘into the strings.’ The players put the bow in deep. It makes for a heavier sound. Until then the Boston sound was always light and beautiful.”
His bold directions for sound are reflected in his balletic conducting as well. He conducted symphonies from memory and gave little to no specific instructions for composition. Instead, he urged his students to feel. “Let the flute start over and the violins will follow,” Ozawa said in an interview with Karajan.
Ozawa worked on numerous history-making projects and had appearances on television, radio, and recordings. He earned a total of 44 commissions during his tenure, including the three Pulitzers for music, two Emmys and a Grammy. In 1998, Ozawa opened the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan where conducted Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” with six choirs performing on five continents. Ozawa’s fame on the orchestral stage and his mastery of the craft were recognized with a Kennedy Center Honor in 2015.
In 1984, Ozawa co-founded the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Japan to pay homage to his first mentor. Like his mentor, he generously shared his teachings on-and-off stage hoping to inspire the next generation of musicians and conductors. His love for conducting and teaching led him to open up the Seiji Music Academy in 2000. The Japanese Government awarded him with the Person of Cultural Merit Award in 2001.
In 2002, his chapter with the BSO came to an end. He went on to lead the Vienna State Opera, however, he stepped down in 2010 when he was diagnosed with early-stage esophageal cancer.
Ozawa continued to compose and conduct until he became too ill. However, he continued to mentor in both Japan and Boston in honor of Saito. His last stage presence was in November 2022 when he conducted for the stars, a collaboration with the Saito Kinen Orchestra and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that broadcasted Beethoven’s Egmont Overture to outer space.
