In Memoriam: Christoph von Dohnányi

“Christoph von Dohnányi was a superb conductor and Music Director, respected the world over. His storied family history gave him a unique musical perspective, and The Cleveland Orchestra was fortunate to have him in Cleveland for such a significant part of its history. Maestro Dohnányi’s artistry and dedication led to a deep mutual respect with our musicians, which was felt sincerely by our audiences who had an enormous appreciation for him. We send condolences to his family and friends, and to all he touched with his music in Cleveland and beyond,” said André Gremillet, President & CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra. 

Dohnányi’s relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra began on December 3, 1981, when he stepped onto the podium as a guest conductor. In just three short months, he was announced as the Orchestra’s sixth Music Director. During his remarkable 18-year tenure, Dohnányi propelled The Cleveland Orchestra to new artistic heights. He led the Orchestra in more than a thousand concerts, including regular tours of the United States, Europe (most notably establishing a long-standing and cherished residency at the Salzburg Festival in 1992), and Asia (including the first concert appearance by The Cleveland Orchestra in mainland China). In 1985, he presented the first fully staged opera at Blossom Music Center, the Orchestra’s summer home, with a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. 

Dohnányi’s tenure also marked a prolific era of recording for The Cleveland Orchestra. He recorded 109 works with the ensemble, contributing significantly to its international profile and documented artistry. This included the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, and Robert Schumann; selected symphonies by Bruckner, Dvořák, Mahler, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky; works by John Adams, Bartók, Berlioz, Birtwistle, Busoni, Ives, Ravel, Richard Strauss, Varèse, and Webern; and two operas from Wagner’s Ring cycle (Das Rheingold and Die Walküre). In December 2001, The Cleveland Orchestra released the Christoph von Dohnányi Compact Disc Edition, a 10-CD retrospective featuring live performances with the Orchestra from 1984 through 2001. Dohnányi’s recording work was recognized with two Grammy Award nominations, further cementing his reputation as a conductor of exceptional musical insight. 

In 1994, Time magazine honored The Cleveland Orchestra as “the best band in the land,” a testament to Dohnányi’s standards. Two of his most enduring contributions were overseeing the comprehensive renovation of Severance Hall beginning in 1998 — transforming the historic venue into a state-of-the-art concert hall while preserving its architectural grandeur — and founding The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorus. 

Outside Cleveland, Dohnányi’s appointments included opera director-ships in Frankfurt and Hamburg and orchestral conducting posts in England, Germany, and Paris. He enjoyed a long and productive partnership with the Philharmonia Orchestra, where he served as principal conductor and artistic adviser for 10 years before becoming Honorary Conductor for Life. Dohnányi led that ensemble on tour across Europe and the United States, and in a series of acclaimed opera presentations in Paris. In September 2015, he led the Philharmonia Orchestra’s gala concert in London, celebrating the ensemble’s 70th anniversary. 

Dohnányi was a frequent guest conductor in concert with the Vienna Philhar-monic and at the Vienna State Opera. Herbert von Karajan and his successor, Gerard Mortier, invited him regularly to participate in the Salzburg Festival. There he led the Vienna Philharmonic in productions of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier and Salome, Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte and The Magic Flute, and in the world premieres of Henze’s The Bassarids and Cerha’s Baal. With the orchestra, Dohnányi recorded works by Dvořák, Philip Glass, Mendelssohn, Schnittke, and Tchaikovsky, and several operas inclu-ding Beethoven’s Fidelio, Berg’s Wozzeck and Lulu, Schoenberg’s Erwartung, and Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. 

After the end of his tenure in Cleveland, Dohnányi appeared as a frequent guest conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, alongside returning for regular engagements in Cleveland. Other notable appearances included concerts with the Israel Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Dohnányi also led productions at the world’s great opera houses, including London’s Royal Opera House, Milan’s La Scala, and in Berlin and Paris. He also regularly appeared with the Zurich Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and Metropolitan Opera. 

Born in Berlin, Dohnányi began as a law student at the University of Munich, but soon chose to pursue his music studies full-time. After winning the Richard Strauss Prize of Munich for conducting, he spent time studying with his grandfather, Ernő Dohnányi, at Florida State University. He started his career as assistant to Georg Solti in Frankfurt and, in 1957, became the youngest general music director in Germany. 

Dohnányi’s many accolades include honorary doctorates of music from the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, and London’s Royal Academy of Music, as well as an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion and the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Freedom Award. He is the recipient of the Bartók Medal in Hungary and a member of the Order of Arts and Letters of France. In addition, he received the Verdienstkreuz of the Republic of Austria and the Bundes-verdienstkreuz of the German Republic. 

We are deeply grateful for Christoph von Dohnányi’s extraordinary contributions to The Cleveland Orchestra and to the broader classical music world.