Lorin (Varencove) Maazel

Conductor, born in Neuilly, NC France. Brought as a child to the USA and raised in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, he was a child prodigy as a violinist, pianist, and conductor. He made his conducting debut at age eight and at age 12 conducted the New York Philharmonic. He stepped out of the limelight to study at the University of Pittsburgh and then embarked on further musical training and guest conducting, mostly in Europe, becoming the first American to conduct at Bayreuth (1960). For many years he was based in Berlin as musical director of the Deutsche Oper (1965–71) and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (1965–75), but he moved on to a series of conductorships, including the Cleveland Orchestra (from 1972), the Vienna State Opera (1982–4), the Orchestre National de France (1988–90), and the Pittsburgh Symphony (1988–96). In 2002 he was appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic. He is known for his exacting musicianship and intense interpretations of the classical repertoire. In 2002 he conducted the premiere of John Adams' work, The Transmigration of Souls, commissioned to commemorate the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Lorin Varencove Maazel (born March 6, 1930) is a conductor, violinist and composer.

Maazel was born to American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States.

In 1960 he became the first American to conduct at Bayreuth. He was conductor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1965 to 1971 and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1975.

In 1972 he was chosen to succeed George Szell as Musical Director at the Cleveland Orchestra. He has not returned to Cleveland since, although a return engagement concert with the Cleveland Orchestra was planned for 2006, but Maazel withdrew because of illness.

Following Cleveland, Maazel served at the Vienna State Opera from 1982 to 1984, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1996, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich from 1993 to 2002. In 2002 he succeeded Kurt Masur as music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

In March 2006, Lorin Maazel toured Asia with violinist Lidia Baich, conducting orchestras such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

In September 2006 Maestro Maazel conducted the orchestra of the new opera house of the [Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències] of Valencia, of which he is principal conductor.

Maazel has also composed an opera, called 1984, based on George Orwell's book of the same name.