The 1992 recording of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony no.3, featuring Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta, became an international bestseller under the baton of David Zinman. Born in New York City in 1936, the conductor and violinist has held major leadership roles across the United States, the Netherlands, and Switzerland throughout his long-standing career in classical music.
Early Training and Influences
Zinman attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School before pursuing violin studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He later moved to the University of Minnesota to focus on theory and composition, earning an M.A. in 1963. His conducting training took place at Tanglewood, complemented by a significant period in Maine working with Pierre Monteux from 1958 to 1962. He served as an assistant to Monteux between 1961 and 1964.
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From 1965 to 1977, Zinman served as second conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He later became principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held from 1979 until 1982. In the United States, he was music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra from 1974 to 1985. During his final two years in Rochester, he simultaneously acted as principal guest conductor for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, eventually becoming its music director in 1985. He remained in Baltimore until 1998, later being named the orchestra's conductor laureate.
Innovations in Zurich and Festivals
Zinman became music director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in 1995, concluding his tenure on July 21, 2014, with a performance at The Proms. While in Zurich, he introduced 'Tonhalle Late', a series of concerts bridging classical repertoire with a nightclub atmosphere. He also led the Aspen Music Festival and School from 1998 until his sudden resignation in April 2010. During this time, he founded and directed the festival's American Academy of Conducting.
Recordings and Artistic Recognition
Throughout his career, Zinman utilized ideas from the historically-informed-performance movement to interpret Beethoven symphonies. His complete cycle of Beethoven recordings for Arte Nova, based on the Jonathan Del Mar critical edition, earned significant critical acclaim. His professional work includes conducting the soundtrack for the 1993 film of the New York City Ballet production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and the score for the 2009 film 180°: If Your World Is Suddenly Upside-Down. His honors include the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Classical Album and the 2015 Echo Klassik Conductor of the Year award.
Fast facts
- Born: 1936, New York City
- Citizenship: United States; Switzerland
- Education: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School; Oberlin Conservatory; University of Minnesota
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Tenure: 1985–1998
- Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich Tenure: 1995–2014
- 1997 Grammy Awards: Best Classical Album; Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance
- Notable Recording: Henryk Górecki’s Symphony no.3 (1992)
- Awards: Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
Questions readers ask
Why did David Zinman leave his post at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra?
After being named conductor laureate in 1998, he renounced the title three years later due to his dissatisfaction with the orchestra's increasingly conservative programming.
What was the Tonhalle Late series?
It was a program initiated by Zinman at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich that combined live classical music performances with the setting and atmosphere of a nightclub.
Achievements
- Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) — 1997
- Grammy Award for Best Classical Album — 1997
- Instruments: violin
- Genres: classical music
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