Herbert Blomstedt, who headed San Francisco Symphony, dies age 99

Herbert Blomstedt, who headed the San Francisco Symphony from 1985-95 and led orchestras in Scandinavia and Germany during a career over seven decades, died on Wednesday.

Blomstedt died at his home in Gothenburg, Sweden, according to his management agency, KünstlerSekretariat am Gasteig.

His final performance was on May 15 with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Hall, when he entered the stage in a wheelchair and struggled to get through Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, which halted for several minutes during the third movement. He was replaced for concerts the following two days and canceled future scheduled appearances this year.

“An an extraordinary role model,” Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra music director Manfred Honeck said. “One of the greatest conductors and a beacon of humanity.”

Blomstedt had performances scheduled into 2027, including with the Vienna Philharmonic next June, just shy of what would have been his 100th birthday.

“Until the very end, we had hoped to celebrate his 100th birthday with a concert together,” Vienna Philharmonic chairman Daniel Froschauer said.

Blomstedt was a Seventh-day Adventist who refused to conduct rehearsals on Friday nights and Saturdays because of the Sabbath but would lead performances on those days because he considered himself a preacher of…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business