What is Seiji Ozawa?
[[File:Seiji Ozawa 1963.jpg|thumb|Seiji Ozawa]] '''Seiji Ozawa''' (born 1 September 1935 – 6 February 2024) was a [[Japan]]ese [[conducting|conductor]]. He has conducted many of the world’s greatest orchestras and is especially known for his work with the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]] which he conducted for 29 years. ==Life== Seiji Ozawa was born in 1935 in Fenytien (now Shenyang, Liaoning, [[China]]). His parents were [[Japan]]ese. Shenyang was under Japanese [[Military occupation|occupation]] at the time. When his family returned to Japan in 1944 he started learning the piano. After hurting his [[finger]] in a game of [[Rugby football|rugby]] in 1950 he became interested in [[conducting]]. He studied at the Toho School of Music, [[Tokyo]] and graduated with first prizes in [[Composition (music)|composition]] and conducting. In 1959, he won first prize at the International Competition of Orchestra Conductors in Besançon, [[France]]. He was invited to the [[Tanglewood Music Center]] where he won a prize for conducting. Ozawa worked with [[Herbert von Karajan]] in [[Berlin]]. In 1961, he was appointed as [[Leonard Bernstein]]’s assistant conductor of the [[New York Philharmonic]] for one year. He conducted the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]] at their summer residence, the Ravinia Festival, for five summers, then became director of the [[Toronto Symphony]] from 1965 to 1969 and music director of the [[San Francisco Symphony]] from 1970 to 1976. He often conducted the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]] and became its music director in 1973, a post which he held for 29 years. He became artistic director of Tanglewood in 1970. In 2002, he became music director of the [[Vienna State Opera]], also conducting concerts with the [[Vienna Philharmonic]]. Ozawa has made many recordings which have been highly praised. He has received many honours, including the Chevalier de la [[Legion of Honour|Légion d’Honneur]] for his support for [[France|French]] composers. When a new hall was built in Tanglewood it was named Seiji Ozawa Ha