99: Age of Herbert Blomstedt at Death After Conducting at 98

Herbert Blomstedt was 99 years old when he died at his home in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Wednesday. His management company, KünstlerSekretariat am Gasteig, announced the news in a statement.

Blomstedt continued to work in his late 90s, maintaining the title of the world's oldest active conductor. This year, at age 98, he led concerts with the Detroit Symphony and the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig in Germany. He recently cancelled planned engagements with the San Francisco Symphony for May and January 2027 due to health issues.

The conductor, born Herbert Thorson Blomstedt in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1927, grew up in Sweden with Seventh-day Adventist parents. He studied conducting at the Swedish Royal College of Music and made his professional debut in 1954. He held major posts with the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony, where he served as music director from 1985 to 1995.

Joshua Kosman, a former critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, noted that Blomstedt brought discipline to the San Francisco Symphony, helping it prepare for international tours and recordings. Kosman recalled that the orchestra responded with spirited playing when Blomstedt returned to lead them in 2003.

Blomstedt was known for a calm, economical style that avoided showmanship. He recorded all nine of Beethoven's symphonies twice, once with Dresden and later with Leipzig. He said in 2022 that Beethoven's music represents the suffering of everyone, not just the composer.

A devout Seventh-day Adventist, Blomstedt avoided alcohol, coffee, tobacco, and meat. He initially refused to rehearse on Saturdays to observe the sabbath, a practice that cost him some jobs. He later reasoned that performing on the sabbath was a spiritual communication, as the hard work was done in rehearsal.

In an interview with Die Welt in fall 2025, the 98-year-old conductor discussed plans for his 100th birthday in July 2027. He considered conducting Mendelssohn for the occasion. He said Sunday Morning that without work, he did not feel alive, adding that the sound of the orchestra transformed him every time he stood before it.