Photo: Photo by Don Hunstein, New York / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Seiji Ozawa as a conductor, music director and musician. Seiji Ozawa was born on September 1, 1935 in Shenyang, People's Republic of China. Death is recorded on February 6, 2024, at the age of 88. Awards on record include Knight of the Legion of Honour, Order of Culture (2008), Emmy Award and 5 more.
My Take
Seiji Ozawa is, to me, simply one of the towering figures of twentieth-century music. Born in Shenyang, trained under Hideo Saito at Toho, he led the Boston Symphony for an astonishing 29 years and later conducted the Vienna New Year's Concert, a height few Japanese musicians have reached. The garland of honors, the Order of Culture, Kennedy Center Honors, Legion of Honour, only hints at his stature. What moves me most is the lifelong devotion behind it. His passing in 2024 closed an era, yet the sound he shaped endures. I hold him in the deepest respect.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Seiji Ozawa
- Name (Japanese)
- 小澤征爾
- Reading
- おざわ せいじ
- Born
- September 1, 1935 – February 6, 2024
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Boar
- Origin
- Shenyang, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- conductor / music director / musician
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 2008 Order of Culture
- Emmy Award
- 2011 Praemium Imperiale
- Order of Friendship
- 1999 Kikuchi Kan Prize
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 2001 Person of Cultural Merit
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.ozawa-festival.com
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/seijiozawa_official/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiji%20Ozawa
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8F%E6%BE%A4%E5%BE%81%E7%88%BE
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313649
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Seiji Ozawa born?
Born September 1, 1935.
When did Seiji Ozawa die?
Died February 6, 2024, aged 88.
Where was Seiji Ozawa from?
Seiji Ozawa was from Shenyang, People's Republic of China.
What did Seiji Ozawa do?
Seiji Ozawa worked as conductor, music director, musician.
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