30 Greatest & Famous Classical Orchestra Conductors

CONDUCTING is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble.

Conductors act as guides to the orchestras and/or choirs they conduct. They choose the works to be performed and study their scores to which they may make certain adjustments, work out their interpretation, and relay their ideas to the performers. They may also attend to such organizational matters such as scheduling rehearsals. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other sizable musical ensembles are usually led by conductors.

Classical Orchestra Conductor Resources

• 3-armed robot conductor makes debut in Dresden - "German city’s Sinfoniker says aim is not to replace humans but to play music human conductors would find impossible."
• 50 greatest conductors of all time - "A great conductor illuminates music you thought you knew in a way that you couldn't possibly have imagined. Here are 50 of the best, mostly drawn from the Gramophone Hall of Fame, and there are many more besides - so keep exploring!"
• Bradley Cooper: Leonard Bernstein's family defend actor over Maestro nose row - "The family of Leonard Bernstein have defended actor Bradley Cooper in a row over his biopic of the late composer."
• Bradley Cooper: Why Bernstein nose row is complicated - "Actors transforming themselves for roles is incredibly common - whether it inolves changing their body, hair colour or even using prosthetics."
• Celebrated conductor Bernard Haitink dies aged 92 - "Former principal conductor of London Philharmonic Orchestra was among most revered of his generation."
• CONDUCTING - Wikipedia.
• Daniel Barenboim: What Beethoven's Ninth Teaches Us - "The conductor Daniel Barenboim explores the political and spiritual power of what many consider the greatest symphony."
• 'I almost didn't enter!' - the conductor who spurned Covid to scoop a £30,000 prize - "He was conducting a ballet in Düsseldorf when lockdown struck. But rising star Finnegan Downie Dear still made it his year, blazing to victory in the Mahler Conducting Competition - and writing a groundbreaking opera."
• In Praise of Bernstein as Conductor: Movement That Mesmerized - "To his fans, especially the baby boomers who were the target audience for his Young People’s Concerts, his theatrical podium persona was thrilling."
• List of principal conductors by orchestra - Wikipedia.
• Robot takes podium as orchestra conductor in South Korea - "An android robot, EveR 6, took the conductor’s podium in Seoul on Friday evening to lead a performance by South Korea’s national orchestra, marking the first such attempt in the country. The two-armed robot, designed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, made its debut at the National Theater of Korea, leading musicians in the country’s national orchestra. The robot, with a humanoid face, first bowed to the audience and started waving its arms to control the tempo of the live show."
• Watch Bradley Cooper recreates Leonard Bernstein's conducting in Maestro - "Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from ‘Maestro,’ featuring Cooper’s Bernstein conducting Mahler’s second symphony at Ely Cathedral."
• What Gustavo Dudamel’s Recordings Reveal About His Conducting - "The discography of the New York Philharmonic’s future music director suggests that he is an often agreeable maestro with a lot of work still to do."

Top 30 Greatest Classical Orchestra Conductors

• ANDRÉ PREVIN - conducting Symphony No.2, Movement 3, (1/3) - by Rachmaninov.
• Anton Seidl - (1850-1898).
• Arthur Nikisch - (1855-1922).
• Arturo Toscanini - conducting Symphony No. 5, 1st movement - by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• BENJAMIN BRITTEN - conducting On a Poet's Lips I Slept - music by Britten, words by Shelley.
• BRUNO WALTER - conducting Symphony No. 2 in D, Opus 73, 4th movement - by Brahms.
• CARL SCHURICHT - conducting symphony no. 3, Rheinische part 1 - by Schumann.
• CARLOS KLEIBER - conducting the Rosenkavalier Overture - by Richard Strauss.
• Clemens Krauss - conducting An der schÖnen blauen Donau, Op 314. - by Johann Strauss II.
• DANIEL BARENBOIM - conducting Symphony No. 4, 1st movement (1st half) - by Tchaikovsky.
• ERNEST ANSERMET - conducting Symphony No. 3, Movement 4 - by Brahms.
• ERICH KLEIBER - conducting Blue Danube - by Johann Strauss II.
• FABIO LUISI - conducting Symphony No. 6 Movement 1 (1/2) - by Tchaikovsky.
• Fritz Busch - conducting Don Giovanni K. 527 - by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
• GEORG SOLTI - conducting Tannhauser Overture 1/2 - by Richard Wagner.
• George Szell - conducting WalkÜrenritt (Ride of the Valkyries) - by Richard Wagner.
• GUSTAVO DUDAMEL - conducting MAMBO - by Leonard Bernstein.
• Hans Knappertsbusch - conducting 9th Symphony, finale - by Beethoven.
• Hans Richter - (1843-1916).
• Hans von BÜlow - (1830-1894).
• HERBERT BLOMSTEDT - conducting 9th Symphony, 1/6 - by Anton Bruckner.
• HERBERT VON KARAJAN - conducting 9th Symphony - by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• Igor Markevitch - (1912-1983).
• IGOR STRAVINSKY - conducting LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS: THE RITE OF SPRING, PART 1.
• KARL BÖHM - rehearsing 7th symphony, 1st movement - by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• Karl Elmendorff - conducting Tristan und Isolde - by Richard Wagner.
• LEONARD BERNSTEIN - conducting Symphony no 6 in F major, Opus 68 - by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI - conducting Clair de Lune - by Claude Debussy.
• LORIN MAAZEL - conducting 5th Symphony, 4. Adagietto - by Gustav Mahler.
• MYUNG-WHUN CHUNG - conducting Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, opus 67 - by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• Nikolaus Harnoncourt - conducting Requiem: I. Introitus: Requiem Aeternam - by W.A. Mozart.
• OTTO KLEMPERER - conducting Beethoven's 8th Symphony, 1st Movement (Part 2).
• SERGEI PROKOFIEV - conducting Symphony no. 1 'Classical' (1) - by Prokofiev.
• SERGIU CELIBIDACHE - conducting Bolero - by Ravel.
• SIMON RATTLE - conducting Berliner Philharmoniker - Mahler Symphony No 2, 'Resurrection'
• Thomas Beecham - (1879-1961). English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras.
• WILHELM FURTWÄNGLER - conducting Symphony no. 1, 5/6 - by Brahms.
• Willem Mengelberg - (1871-1951). Dutch conductor, famous for his performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and Strauss with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic conductors of the 20th century.