Universally acclaimed as both a conductor and pianist, Christoph Eschenbach has held directorships with many leading orchestras and gained the highest musical honors. Born in 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), he was a war orphan, raised in Schleswig-Holstein and Aachen by his mother’s cousin, the pianist Wallydore Eschenbach. Her lessons laid the foundation of his musical career. Following his studies with Eliza Hansen (piano) and Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg (conducting), he won numerous piano competitions, including the Clara Haskil Competition (1965), which launched his international career. Mentored by George Szell and Herbert von Karajan, he has held the posts of Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich (1982-86), Music Director of the Houston Symphony (1988-99), Music Director of the NDR Symphony (1998-2004), Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris (2000-10), Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra (2003-08), Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. (2010-17), Music Director of the Konzerthausorchester, Berlin (2019-23), Music Director of the Ravinia Festival (1994-2003) and Artistic Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (1999-2002). In demand as a distinguished guest conductor with major orchestras throughout the world, he has led the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, La Scala Philharmonic, NHK Symphony in Tokyo and the Israel Philharmonic, among others. Over the course of five decades, Mr. Eschenbach has built an impressive discography, both as a conductor and a pianist, with a repertoire ranging from J. S. Bach to contemporary music. Many of his recordings have received prestigious awards, including the German Record Critics’ Prize, the MIDEM Classical Award and a Grammy Award. For many years, his preferred Lied partner has been the baritone Matthias Goerne. He is also well-known as a tireless supporter of young talent, with pianist Lang Lang, violinist Julia Fischer and cellists Leonard Elschenbroich and Daniel Müller-Schott among his discoveries. Christoph Eschenbach’s many honors include the Légion d’Honneur, Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Officer of the German Order of Merit and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He also received the Leonard Bernstein Award from the Pacific Music Festival and the Ernst von Siemens Music Award in honor of his life’s dedication to music.