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About Christoph Eschenbach
Hometown
Breslau, Germany
Born
1940
Genre
Classical
Pianist and composer Christoph Eschenbach was born in Breslau in 1940. He was orphaned by age four and shuttled around refugee camps in wartime Germany; salvation came when he was rescued by an aunt, who taught the introverted and traumatized boy to play the piano. A turning point in his career came in 1965, when he won the prestigious Clara Haskil piano competition. A string of notable recordings followed, including works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. All attested to Eschenbach’s highly individual, risk-taking style of interpretation, and he quickly became a sought-after pianist on the international circuit. At the same time, he was developing his skills as a conductor, receiving mentorship from George Szell and Herbert von Karajan. In 1979, Eschenbach became music director of the Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic, and in later years held leadership positions at the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich (1971-85), the Houston Symphony Orchestra (1988-99), Orchestre de Paris (2000-10), the Philadelphia Orchestra (2003-08), and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. (2010-17). Eschenbach’s conducting style—impulsive and highly charged, with frequent tempo changes—frequently divided listeners, especially in Philadelphia, where he clashed with musicians on questions of interpretation. But a solid core of admirers valued Eschenbach’s passionate commitment to the music, and the emotional impact he was capable of creating.
Christoph Eschenbach has also released music as a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
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