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David Zinman

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

David Zinman is an American conductor. He was born in 1936 in New York and studied violin at Oberlin and theory and composition at the University of Minnesota. He learned conducting at Tanglewood and from Pierre Monteux, whose assistant he was from 1961 to 1964. His career took him through three countries. From 1965 to 1977 he was associate conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and from 1979 to 1982 principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. In the United States he led the Rochester Philharmonic and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 1995 he became music director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.

Music and breakthrough

In Zurich he devised new concert formats, such as the late-evening concerts Tonhalle Late, in which classical music was played in a nightclub atmosphere. He recorded all of Beethoven's symphonies for Arte Nova, following Jonathan Del Mar's new edition of the scores. He also conducted film music, such as the film of the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker from 1993.

Influence

His best-known record is the 1992 recording of Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3 with Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta. It became an international bestseller, unusual for contemporary classical music. Zinman received five Grammys, two Grand Prix du Disque and two Edison Awards for his recordings. He showed that a conductor can reach a large audience even outside the standard repertoire.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to his recording of Górecki's third symphony. Notice how slowly the music unfolds and how the soprano rises above the orchestra.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists