The great classical music conductors North America
Kunzel or Stern? Cliburn or Monteux? It is difficult for inquiring minds to tackle such abundant fields as classical music and opera, covering 10 centuries of history: there are really many conductors. Making a selection of musicians, such as a “top 10” for example, is a difficult and subjective exercise. A musical selection is often the expression of personal preferences or artistic opinions, very interesting but also very different according to critics or musicologists, or simply influenced by the context: will an English conductor not be instinctively privileged by an English critic?
For example: in Mexico, Alondra de la Parra, Mexican conductor, occupies a special place in front of the Belgian conductor Philippe Herreweghe, who is more distant but nevertheless more internationally renowned.
Timeline of conductors in North America
Whoever wants to discover classical music or opera does not always have an experienced music lover, an expert or an educator at his or her side to support and guide him or her in these fields. So : Kunzel (American orchestra conductor; conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra) or Stern (American musician) ? Hannigan (Canadian operatic soprano) or Perlman (Israeli-American violinist and conductor) ? However, the knowledge available about musicians is enormous. It was processed to select the 10, 25, 50... most popular conductors around the world, for those living or having lived en North America, . And this objectively, and for the first time (soclassiq exclusivity).
Conductors rendered as a timeline to bring a little perspective:
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ComposersConductorsTLyrical singersPerformers 2024
This timeline is interactive to navigate through the ages or across continents (with ).
Why are all these composers included in this timeline?
Many composers have also been concert performers or conductors, although their fame is associated with their work today. On the other hand, some conductors such as Arturo Toscanini, Georg Solti ... or musicians such as Martha Argerich, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould ... have also composed. Itzhak Perlman, David Oïstrakh... very well known as concert performers, have also conducted orchestras. Others, such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, William Christie ..., are renowned as much for their careers as composers, conductors and performers.
Top 10 conductors in North America
Who are these greatest conductors, the most famous over the 1880-2020 era in North America? The carreer of these musician has marked the history of classical music. There are those you probably know, or at least by name and the others.
Here are these 10 conductors, renowned artists from around the world:
The musicians and artists who also composed were removed from this ranking.
The selections of musicians (conductors) proposed by soclassiq are based exclusively on algorithms. The same applies to the composers, their works, the performers, the lyrical singers, les orchestras, and the venues : opera houses, concert halls or festivals.
What about the others? 25, 50 or more?
Summarizing to 10 musician names such a wide and diverse field may seem extreme or too simplistic for those who know classical music and lyrical art well, for those who can easily name 50 or more conductors. Järvi, Craft, Levine, Gilbert, Thomas, Järvi, Ormandy...
At this time, soclassiq has listed more than 5000 conductors. So here is a selection of some conductors for the years 1880-2020, in North America, widely recognized around the world:
Note:
- This selection may include highly reputed artists and musicians who have occasionally devoted themselves to classical music and not exclusively.
- It may also include conductors who have been or are composers, some more renowned for the work they have left than for their careers as musicians.
Paul Abraham The great classical music conductors
1892-1960 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Maurice Abravanel The great classical music conductors
1903-1993 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Timothee Adamowski The great classical music conductors
1857-1943 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Adams The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Samuel Adler The great classical music conductors
age 96 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Marin Alsop The great classical music conductors
age 67 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Daniele Amfitheatrof The great classical music conductors
1901-1983 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Leroy Anderson The great classical music conductors
1908-1975 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Desi Arnaz The great classical music conductors
1917-1986 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Leopold von Auer The great classical music conductors
1845-1930 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Aaron Avshalomov The great classical music conductors
1894-1965 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Angelo Badalamenti The great classical music conductors
1937-2022 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leonardo Balada The great classical music conductors
age 90 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Enrique Bátiz Campbell The great classical music conductors
age 81 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Elmer Bernstein The great classical music conductors
1922-2004 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leonard Bernstein The great classical music conductors
1918-1990 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jorge Bolet The great classical music conductors
1914-1990 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Victor Borge The great classical music conductors
1909-2000 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leon Botstein The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Conductor
Bruce Broughton The great classical music conductors
age 79 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leo Brouwer The great classical music conductors
1939-2003 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Semyon Bychkov The great classical music conductors
age 71 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Karina Canellakis The great classical music conductors
age 43 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Julián Carrillo The great classical music conductors
1875-1965 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Carlos Chávez The great classical music conductors
1899-1978 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
William Christie The great classical music conductors
age 79 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Van Cliburn The great classical music conductors
1934-2013 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Sergiu Comissiona The great classical music conductors
1928-2005 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
James Conlon The great classical music conductors
age 74 (20th century)
Conductor
Aaron Copland The great classical music conductors
1900-1990 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Anton Coppola The great classical music conductors
1917-2020 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Carmine Coppola The great classical music conductors
1910-1991 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Robert Craft The great classical music conductors
1923-2015 (20th century)
Conductor
Ingolf Dahl The great classical music conductors
1912-1970 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Walter Damrosch The great classical music conductors
1862-1950 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Dennis Russell Davies The great classical music conductors
age 79 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Carl Davis The great classical music conductors
1936-2023 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Franz-Paul Decker The great classical music conductors
1923-2014 (20th century)
Conductor
Dean Dixon The great classical music conductors
1915-1976 (20th century)
Conductor
Plácido Domingo The great classical music conductors
age 83 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Conductor
Antal Doráti The great classical music conductors
1906-1988 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Percy Faith The great classical music conductors
1908-1976 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Arthur Fiedler The great classical music conductors
1894-1979 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leon Fleisher The great classical music conductors
1928-2020 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Malcolm Forsyth The great classical music conductors
1936-2011 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Lukas Foss The great classical music conductors
1922-2009 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Lawrence Foster The great classical music conductors
age 82 (20th century)
Conductor
Massimo Freccia The great classical music conductors
1906-2004 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Blas Galindo The great classical music conductors
1910-1993 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
George Gershwin The great classical music conductors
1898-1937 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Kenneth Gilbert The great classical music conductors
1931-2020 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Alan Gilbert The great classical music conductors
age 57 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Don Gillis The great classical music conductors
1912-1978 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Szymon Goldberg The great classical music conductors
1909-1993 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Jerry Goldsmith The great classical music conductors
1929-2004 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Morton Gould The great classical music conductors
1913-1996 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Percy Grainger The great classical music conductors
1882-1961 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
William Grant Still The great classical music conductors
1895-1978 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Alexander Gretchaninov The great classical music conductors
1864-1956 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ferde von Grofé The great classical music conductors
1892-1972 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Daron Hagen The great classical music conductors
age 62 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Marvin Hamlisch The great classical music conductors
1944-2012 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Barbara Hannigan The great classical music conductors
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Howard Hanson The great classical music conductors
1896-1981 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Harbison The great classical music conductors
age 85 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Victor Herbert The great classical music conductors
1859-1924 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Bernard Herrmann The great classical music conductors
1911-1975 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Paul Hindemith The great classical music conductors
1895-1963 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jascha Horenstein The great classical music conductors
1898-1973 (20th century)
Conductor
James Horner The great classical music conductors
1953-2015 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Alan Hovhaness The great classical music conductors
1911-2000 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
James Newton Howard The great classical music conductors
age 72 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Karel Husa The great classical music conductors
1921-2016 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Kristjan Järvi The great classical music conductors
age 51 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Paavo Järvi The great classical music conductors
age 61 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Neeme Järvi The great classical music conductors
age 86 (20th century)
Conductor
Bradley Joseph The great classical music conductors
age 58 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jeronimas Kačinskas The great classical music conductors
1907-2005 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Emmerich Kálmán The great classical music conductors
1882-1953 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Jānis Kalniņš The great classical music conductors
1904-2000 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Henry Kimball Hadley The great classical music conductors
1871-1937 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Gershon Kingsley The great classical music conductors
1922-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Werner Klemperer The great classical music conductors
1920-2000 (20th century)
Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Rudolf Kolisch The great classical music conductors
1896-1978 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Nikolai Korndorf The great classical music conductors
1947-2001 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Erich Wolfgang Korngold The great classical music conductors
1897-1957 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Andre Kostelanetz The great classical music conductors
1901-1980 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Serge Koussevitzky The great classical music conductors
1874-1951 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Stephen Kovacevich The great classical music conductors
age 83 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Yakov Kreizberg The great classical music conductors
1959-2011 (20th century)
Conductor
Ernst Krenek The great classical music conductors
1900-1991 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Erich Kunzel The great classical music conductors
1935-2009 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Efrem Kurtz The great classical music conductors
1900-1995 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Alondra de la Parra The great classical music conductors
age 41 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Morten Lauridsen The great classical music conductors
age 81 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Calixa Lavallée The great classical music conductors
1842-1891 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Michel Legrand The great classical music conductors
1932-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Dieter Lehnhoff The great classical music conductors
age 68 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Erich Leinsdorf The great classical music conductors
1912-1993 (20th century)
Conductor
Tania León The great classical music conductors
1943-1996 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
James Levine The great classical music conductors
1943-2021 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Lowell Liebermann The great classical music conductors
age 63 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Andrew Litton The great classical music conductors
age 64 (20th century)
Conductor
Otto Luening The great classical music conductors
1900-1996 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Lorin Maazel The great classical music conductors
1930-2014 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ernest MacMillan The great classical music conductors
1893-1973 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Henry Mancini The great classical music conductors
1924-1994 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Arturo Márquez The great classical music conductors
age 73 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Wynton Marsalis The great classical music conductors
age 62 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Eduardo Mata The great classical music conductors
1942-1995 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
George M. Cohan The great classical music conductors
1878-1942 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Conductor
Zubin Mehta The great classical music conductors
age 87 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Yehudi Menuhin The great classical music conductors
1916-1999 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Michael Minsky The great classical music conductors
1918-1988 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Conductor
Dimitri Mitropoulos The great classical music conductors
1896-1960 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pierre Monteux The great classical music conductors
1875-1964 (20th century)
Conductor
Douglas Moore The great classical music conductors
1893-1969 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Oskar Morawetz The great classical music conductors
1917-2007 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Kent Nagano The great classical music conductors
age 72 (20th century)
Conductor
Charles Neidich The great classical music conductors
age 71 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
John Nelson The great classical music conductors
age 82 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
David Newman The great classical music conductors
age 70 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Randy Newman The great classical music conductors
age 80 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Yannick Nézet-Séguin The great classical music conductors
age 49 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Konstantin Orbelyan The great classical music conductors
1928-2014 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Eugene Ormandy The great classical music conductors
1899-1985 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Peter Oundjian The great classical music conductors
age 68 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
José Pablo Moncayo García The great classical music conductors
1912-1958 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Wilfrid Pelletier The great classical music conductors
1896-1982 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Murray Perahia The great classical music conductors
age 76 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Itzhak Perlman The great classical music conductors
age 78 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Louis Persinger The great classical music conductors
1887-1966 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Matthias Pintscher The great classical music conductors
age 53 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Walter Piston The great classical music conductors
1894-1976 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
André Previn The great classical music conductors
1929-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Sergei Rachmaninoff The great classical music conductors
1873-1943 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Gardner Read The great classical music conductors
1913-2005 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Fritz Reiner The great classical music conductors
1888-1963 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Silvestre Revueltas The great classical music conductors
1899-1940 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Wallingford Riegger The great classical music conductors
1885-1961 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
David Robertson The great classical music conductors
age 65 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Juventino Rosas The great classical music conductors
1868-1894 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Miklós Rózsa The great classical music conductors
1907-1995 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Julius Rudel The great classical music conductors
1921-2014 (20th century)
Conductor
Max Rudolf The great classical music conductors
1902-1995 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Robert Russell Bennett The great classical music conductors
1894-1981 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Lalo Schifrin The great classical music conductors
age 91 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Thomas Schippers The great classical music conductors
1930-1977 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Alexander Schneider The great classical music conductors
1908-1993 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Arnold Schoenberg The great classical music conductors
1874-1951 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Gunther Schuller The great classical music conductors
1925-2015 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
William Schuman The great classical music conductors
1910-1992 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Joseph Schuster The great classical music conductors
1903-1969 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Joseph Schwantner The great classical music conductors
age 81 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Gerard Schwarz The great classical music conductors
age 76 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Sholom Secunda The great classical music conductors
1894-1974 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Anton Seidl The great classical music conductors
1850-1898 (Romantic)
Conductor
Fabien Sevitzky The great classical music conductors
1893-1967 (20th century)
Conductor
Ralph Shapey The great classical music conductors
1921-2002 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Howard Shore The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Elie Siegmeister The great classical music conductors
1909-1991 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Alexander Siloti The great classical music conductors
1863-1945 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Dmitry Sitkovetsky The great classical music conductors
age 69 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Leonard Slatkin The great classical music conductors
age 79 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nicolas Slonimsky The great classical music conductors
1894-1995 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nikolai Sokoloff The great classical music conductors
1886-1965 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Philip Sousa The great classical music conductors
1854-1932 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
William Steinberg The great classical music conductors
1899-1978 (20th century)
Conductor
Max Steiner The great classical music conductors
1888-1971 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Isaac Stern The great classical music conductors
1920-2001 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Fritz Stiedry The great classical music conductors
1883-1968 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Josef Stránský The great classical music conductors
1872-1936 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Ignace Strasfogel The great classical music conductors
1909-1994 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Igor Stravinsky The great classical music conductors
1882-1971 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Carlos Surinach The great classical music conductors
1915-1997 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
George Szell The great classical music conductors
1897-1970 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Alexander Tcherepnin The great classical music conductors
1899-1977 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Theodore Thomas The great classical music conductors
1835-1905 (Romantic)
Performer & Conductor
Randall Thompson The great classical music conductors
1899-1984 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Virgil Thomson The great classical music conductors
1896-1989 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Michael Tilson Thomas The great classical music conductors
age 79 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Dimitri Tiomkin The great classical music conductors
1894-1979 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Brian Tyler The great classical music conductors
age 51 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Eugene Tzigane The great classical music conductors
age 42 (20th century)
Conductor
Frank Van der Stucken The great classical music conductors
1858-1929 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Alfred Wallenstein The great classical music conductors
1898-1983 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Robert Ward The great classical music conductors
1917-2013 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Kurt Weill The great classical music conductors
1900-1950 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jaromír Weinberger The great classical music conductors
1896-1967 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Earl Wild The great classical music conductors
1915-2010 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Healey Willan The great classical music conductors
1880-1968 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Williams The great classical music conductors
age 92 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Keri-Lynn Wilson The great classical music conductors
age 56 (20th century)
Conductor
Hugh Wolff The great classical music conductors
age 70 (20th century)
Conductor
Charles Wuorinen The great classical music conductors
1938-2020 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Benjamin Zander The great classical music conductors
age 85 (20th century)
Conductor
Efrem Zimbalist The great classical music conductors
1889-1985 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
David Zinman The great classical music conductors
age 87 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Paul Zukofsky The great classical music conductors
1943-2017 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
See also...
Timelines : Conductors
- The great classical music conductors
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century conductors [II.] (1950 - 2000)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century conductors [I.] (1900 - 1950)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 19th-century conductors (1850 - 1900)
Indexes
- All conductors : by era * by country
- by alphabetical order : A * B * C * D * E * F * G * H * I * J * K * L * M * N * O * P * Q * R * S * T * U * V * W * X * Y * Z
- Young artists (Conductors)
Other timelines
- Composers : 10 centuries of classical music
- The great lyrical singers
- The great classical music performers
Commemorations 2024, 2025, ...
Last update : 2024-04-10