Ken-David Masur (born 1977 [1] ) is a German-born American conductor.
Born in Leipzig of Japanese and German ancestry, Masur is the son of conductor Kurt Masur and Masur's third wife, the soprano Tomoko Sakurai. He began piano studies at age 6. Masur was also a boy soprano, and sang with the Gewandhaus Children's Choir at age 9. [2] He later obtained a formal vocal education at the Hanns Eisler Conservatory in Berlin, where his teachers included Thomas Quasthoff. During his father's tenure with the New York Philharmonic, Masur attended the Music Conservatory of Westchester, where he studied trumpet. [2] He subsequently attended Columbia University, where he established the Bach Society Orchestra and Chorus, and served as its first music director from 1999 to 2002. [3] [4] He graduated from Columbia in 2002. [5]
In Europe, Masur was an assistant conductor with the Orchestre National de France from 2004 to 2006. He became principal guest conductor of the Munich Symphony Orchestra in 2011. In the US, Masur was resident conductor of the San Antonio Symphony from 2007 to 2011. In 2011, he became an assistant conductor at the San Diego Symphony. [2] He was a conducting fellow at the Tanglewood Festival in 2011, [6] and made his conducting debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in July 2012, in a program where he and his father shared conducting duties. [7] He later became assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as of the 2014–2015 season, [3] and later took on the title of associate conductor of the orchestra.
In May 2018, Masur first guest-conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The MSO immediately re-engaged him for a second guest-conducting appearance in September 2018. On the basis of these concerts, in November 2018, the MSO announced the appointment of Masur as its next music director, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. This appointment marks Masur's first music directorship. He took the title of MSO music director-designate with immediate effect. [8] [9] With his appointment to the MSO, Masur stood down from his Boston post. [6] In June 2019, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Masur as the next principal conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, effective with the 2019–2020 season. [10] In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MSO extended the initial duration of Masur's tenure first contract as music director through the 2023-2024 season. In November 2023, the MSO announced an extension of Masur's contract as its music director through the 2025-2026 season. [11]
Masur is married to the pianist Melinda Lee Masur. They founded the Chelsea Music Festival and serve as its artistic directors. [12] They have 3 children. [9]
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, the BSO performs most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at Tanglewood.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. Klaus Mäkelä was named music director-designate in 2024, with his first contractual season to begin in 2027. The orchestra's most recent music director is Riccardo Muti, whose tenure spanned 13 seasons, from 2010 to 2023, and he continues to perform on occasion as director-emeritus. The CSO is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five".
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink was a Dutch conductor and violinist. He was the principal conductor of several international orchestras, beginning with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1961. He moved to London, as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967 to 1979, music director at Glyndebourne Opera from 1978 to 1988 and of the Royal Opera House from 1987 to 2002, when he became principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Finally, he was principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010. The focus of his prolific recording was classical symphonies and orchestral works, but he also conducted operas. He conducted 90 concerts at The Proms in London, the last on 3 September 2019 with the Vienna Philharmonic. His awards include Grammy Awards and the 2015 Gramophone Award for his lifetime achievements.
Kurt Masur was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also served as music director of the New York Philharmonic for about ten years. He made many recordings of classical music with major orchestras. Masur is also remembered for his actions to support peaceful demonstrations against the East German government in the 1989 demonstrations in Leipzig; those protests were part of the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall.
Seiji Ozawa was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After conducting the Vienna New Year's Concert in 2002, he was director of the Vienna State Opera until 2010. In Japan, he founded the Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1984, their festival in 1992, and the Tokyo Opera Nomori in 2005.
Edo de Waart is a Dutch conductor. He is Music Director Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. De Waart is the former music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019), chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (2011-2016) and Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (2010-2014).
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The orchestra performs primarily at the Bradley Symphony Center in Allen-Bradley Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for Florentine Opera productions.
Robert Spano is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Aspen Music Festival and School, principal conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, and music director laureate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO).
Markus Stenz is a German conductor. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Köln with Volker Wangenhein and at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa.
Charles Ansbacher was an American conductor. After undergraduate and graduate work at Brown University ('65) and the University of Cincinnati, he studied conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Ansbacher was the conductor and musical director of the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra from 1970 to 1989, and, in 2000, founded the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, which gives free classical music concerts at various locations in the Boston area. On September 1, 2010, he was named Conductor Laureate of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra.
Jaime Martín is a Spanish conductor and flautist.
Grant Llewellyn is a Welsh conductor and music director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne.
Andris Nelsons is a Latvian conductor. He is currently music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He was previously music director of the Latvian National Opera, chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Ludovic Morlot is a French conductor.
Louis Langrée is a French conductor. He is the son of organist and theorist Alain Langrée.
Victor Yampolsky is a Russian-born conductor and the son of pianist Vladimir Yampolsky. He was most recently director of orchestras at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, a position he had held from 1984 to 2022. He is the music director emeritus of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, where he was music director from 1995 to 2004. He also is the music director of the Peninsula Music Festival and the honorary director of the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Before his appointment to the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Yampolsky served as the principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa and as the resident conductor of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the training ground for younger musicians under the auspices of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
James Gaffigan is an American conductor.
Robert Treviño is an American conductor. He is currently music director of the Basque National Orchestra in Spain, principal guest conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, and artistic advisor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden.
Cristian Măcelaru is a Romanian conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, music director of the Orchestre National de France, and the designated music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Klaus Mäkelä is a Finnish conductor and cellist. He is currently chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, music director of the Orchestre de Paris, artistic partner and chief conductor-designate of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and music director-designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.