Edo de Waart [b. 1941] is a native of Amsterdam and easily the most prominent Dutch-born conductor of the late 20th century. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who began their musical careers as instrumentalists, de Waart knew from a young age that his career path led exclusively to the podium. He was 23 when he won New York’s Dimitri Mitropoulos award for conducting. One of the prizes included a one-year term as Leonard Bernstein’s assistant conductor with the New York Philharmonic. After returning home in 1965, de Waart was hired to fulfill the same post for his hometown orchestra—the Concertgebouw—that, at the time, was led by Bernard Haitink.
From the 1970s through the 1990s, de Waart spent much of his time in the United States, first as music director of the San Francisco Symphony [1977–1985] and then as music director of the Minnesota Symphony [1986–1995]. These semi-permanent posts, however, did not dissuade him from accepting a number of guest conducting stints with orchestras around the world. His roster of appearances is impressive, including leading such ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many others.
Edo de Waart accepted the post of artistic director and chief conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2004, where he will remain until stepping down at the conclusion of the company’s 2011–12 season. Overlapping that responsibility, he also was named music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in early 2008, and his contract has since been extended through the orchestra’s 2016–17 season. He has lived in Middleton, Wisconsin, since 1999, which is the hometown of his wife, Rebecca Dopp.
Widely regarded as a champion of late twentieth century classical music, de Waart has premiered orchestral works by composers John Adams and Steve Reich. He has also gained a significant reputation in opera, having spent four years as the chief conductor for Santa Fe Opera, beginning in summer 2007. His recording of Adams’ opera Nixon in China is considered the touchstone for quality of that particular work.
Maestro de Waart leads the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in the conclusion of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” [2011]:
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