The great classical music conductors
Masur or Rattle? Cantelli or Levine? 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
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 : Masur (German conductor (1927-2015)) or Rattle (British conductor) ? Järvi (Estonian conductor) or Mravinsky (Russian conductor, pianist, and music pedagogue (1903–1988)) ? However, the knowledge available about musicians is enormous. It was processed to select the 10, 25, 50... most popular conductors around the world. 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
Who are these greatest conductors, the most famous over the 1880-2020 era? 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. Beecham, 2nd Baronet, Perahia, Jansons, Kremer, Sawallisch, Haitink, Mehta...
At this time, soclassiq has listed more than 5000 conductors. So here is a selection of some conductors for the years 1880-2020, 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.
Evald Aav The great classical music conductors
1900-1939 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Claudio Abbado The great classical music conductors
1933-2014 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Paul Abraham The great classical music conductors
1892-1960 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Salvatore Accardo The great classical music conductors
age 82 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
John Adams The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jehan Alain The great classical music conductors
1911-1940 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Isaac Albéniz The great classical music conductors
1860-1909 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Géza Anda The great classical music conductors
1921-1976 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ernest Ansermet The great classical music conductors
1883-1969 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Anton Arensky The great classical music conductors
1861-1906 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Vladimir Ashkenazy The great classical music conductors
age 86 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leopold von Auer The great classical music conductors
1845-1930 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Paul Badura-Skoda The great classical music conductors
1927-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Mily Balakirev The great classical music conductors
1836-1910 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Barbirolli The great classical music conductors
1899-1970 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Daniel Barenboim The great classical music conductors
age 81 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Rudolf Barshai The great classical music conductors
1924-2010 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Yury Bashmet The great classical music conductors
age 71 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet The great classical music conductors
1879-1961 (20th century)
Conductor
Luciano Berio The great classical music conductors
1925-2003 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Leonard Bernstein The great classical music conductors
1918-1990 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Karl Böhm The great classical music conductors
1894-1981 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Victor Borge The great classical music conductors
1909-2000 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Giovanni Bottesini The great classical music conductors
1821-1889 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nadia Boulanger The great classical music conductors
1887-1979 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pierre Boulez The great classical music conductors
1925-2016 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Johannes Brahms The great classical music conductors
1833-1897 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Benjamin Britten The great classical music conductors
1913-1976 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Max Bruch The great classical music conductors
1838-1920 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Hans von Bülow The great classical music conductors
1830-1894 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ferruccio Busoni The great classical music conductors
1866-1924 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Guido Cantelli The great classical music conductors
1920-1956 (20th century)
Conductor
Teresa Carreño The great classical music conductors
1853-1917 (Romantic)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Pau Casals The great classical music conductors
1876-1973 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Alfredo Casella The great classical music conductors
1883-1947 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Sergiu Celibidache The great classical music conductors
1912-1996 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Riccardo Chailly The great classical music conductors
age 71 (20th century)
Conductor
Elim Chan The great classical music conductors
age 37 (20th century)
Conductor
Ernest Chausson The great classical music conductors
1855-1899 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Van Cliburn The great classical music conductors
1934-2013 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Aaron Copland The great classical music conductors
1900-1990 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Alfred Cortot The great classical music conductors
1877-1962 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Peter Maxwell Davies The great classical music conductors
1934-2016 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ernő von Dohnányi The great classical music conductors
1877-1960 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & 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
Gustavo Dudamel The great classical music conductors
age 43 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Tan Dun The great classical music conductors
age 66 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Marcel Dupré The great classical music conductors
1886-1971 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Antonín Dvořák The great classical music conductors
1841-1904 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Edward Elgar The great classical music conductors
1857-1934 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
George Enescu The great classical music conductors
1881-1955 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau The great classical music conductors
1925-2012 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
Julius Fučík The great classical music conductors
1872-1916 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Wilhelm Furtwängler The great classical music conductors
1886-1954 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Niels Gade The great classical music conductors
1817-1890 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
James Galway The great classical music conductors
age 84 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
John Eliot Gardiner The great classical music conductors
age 81 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Valery Gergiev The great classical music conductors
age 70 (20th century)
Conductor
George Gershwin The great classical music conductors
1898-1937 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Carlo Maria Giulini The great classical music conductors
1914-2005 (20th century)
Conductor
Alexander Glazunov The great classical music conductors
1865-1936 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Jerry Goldsmith The great classical music conductors
1929-2004 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Percy Grainger The great classical music conductors
1882-1961 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Bernard Haitink The great classical music conductors
1929-2021 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Uzeyir Hajibeyov The great classical music conductors
1885-1948 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Johan Halvorsen The great classical music conductors
1864-1935 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nikolaus Harnoncourt The great classical music conductors
1929-2016 (20th century)
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
Joe Hisaishi The great classical music conductors
age 73 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer, Performer & Conductor
James Horner The great classical music conductors
1953-2015 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Engelbert Humperdinck The great classical music conductors
1854-1921 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Jacques Ibert The great classical music conductors
1890-1962 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The great classical music conductors
1840-1893 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Leoš Janáček The great classical music conductors
1854-1928 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Mariss Jansons The great classical music conductors
1943-2019 (20th century)
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
Joseph Joachim The great classical music conductors
1831-1907 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Eugen Jochum The great classical music conductors
1902-1987 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Dmitri Kabalevsky The great classical music conductors
1904-1986 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Emmerich Kálmán The great classical music conductors
1882-1953 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Herbert von Karajan The great classical music conductors
1908-1989 (20th century)
Conductor
Rudolf Kempe The great classical music conductors
1910-1976 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Aram Khachaturian The great classical music conductors
1903-1978 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Erich Kleiber The great classical music conductors
1890-1956 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Carlos Kleiber The great classical music conductors
1930-2004 (20th century)
Conductor
Otto Klemperer The great classical music conductors
1885-1973 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Hans Knappertsbusch The great classical music conductors
1888-1965 (20th century)
Conductor
Zoltán Kodály The great classical music conductors
1882-1967 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Kirill Kondrashin The great classical music conductors
1914-1981 (20th century)
Conductor
Erich Wolfgang Korngold The great classical music conductors
1897-1957 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Serge Koussevitzky The great classical music conductors
1874-1951 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Gidon Kremer The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Rafael Kubelík The great classical music conductors
1914-1996 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Franz Lehár The great classical music conductors
1870-1948 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Erich Leinsdorf The great classical music conductors
1912-1993 (20th century)
Conductor
Gustav Leonhardt The great classical music conductors
1928-2012 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Mykola Leontovych The great classical music conductors
1877-1921 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
James Levine The great classical music conductors
1943-2021 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Borys Liatoshynsky The great classical music conductors
1895-1968 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Franz Liszt The great classical music conductors
1811-1886 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Witold Lutosławski The great classical music conductors
1913-1994 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Mykola Lysenko The great classical music conductors
1842-1912 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Lorin Maazel The great classical music conductors
1930-2014 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Muslim Magomayev The great classical music conductors
1942-2008 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Conductor
Gustav Mahler The great classical music conductors
1860-1911 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Henry Mancini The great classical music conductors
1924-1994 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Neville Marriner The great classical music conductors
1924-2016 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pietro Mascagni The great classical music conductors
1863-1945 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Kurt Masur The great classical music conductors
1927-2015 (20th century)
Conductor
Zubin Mehta The great classical music conductors
age 87 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Willem Mengelberg The great classical music conductors
1871-1951 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Yehudi Menuhin The great classical music conductors
1916-1999 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Darius Milhaud The great classical music conductors
1892-1974 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Dimitri Mitropoulos The great classical music conductors
1896-1960 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ennio Morricone The great classical music conductors
1928-2020 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Moritz Moszkowski The great classical music conductors
1854-1925 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Yevgeny Mravinsky The great classical music conductors
1903-1988 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Riccardo Muti The great classical music conductors
age 83 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Andris Nelsons The great classical music conductors
age 45 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Carl Nielsen The great classical music conductors
1865-1931 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Arthur Nikisch The great classical music conductors
1855-1922 (Romantic)
Performer & Conductor
Luigi Nono The great classical music conductors
1924-1990 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jacques Offenbach The great classical music conductors
1819-1880 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
David Oistrakh The great classical music conductors
1908-1974 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Eugene Ormandy The great classical music conductors
1899-1985 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Seiji Ozawa The great classical music conductors
1935-2024 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Andrzej Panufnik The great classical music conductors
1914-1991 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Krzysztof Penderecki The great classical music conductors
1933-2020 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Murray Perahia The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Itzhak Perlman The great classical music conductors
age 78 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Astor Piazzolla The great classical music conductors
1921-1992 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Mikhail Pletnev The great classical music conductors
age 67 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Maurizio Pollini The great classical music conductors
1942-2024 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Amilcare Ponchielli The great classical music conductors
1834-1886 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Powell The great classical music conductors
age 60 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Georges Prêtre The great classical music conductors
1924-2017 (20th century)
Conductor
André Previn The great classical music conductors
1929-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Sergei Prokofiev The great classical music conductors
1891-1953 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Giacomo Puccini The great classical music conductors
1858-1924 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Henri Rabaud The great classical music conductors
1873-1949 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Sergei Rachmaninoff The great classical music conductors
1873-1943 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Simon Rattle The great classical music conductors
age 69 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Maurice Ravel The great classical music conductors
1875-1937 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Max Reger The great classical music conductors
1873-1916 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Carl Reinecke The great classical music conductors
1824-1910 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Ottorino Respighi The great classical music conductors
1879-1936 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Karl Richter The great classical music conductors
1926-1981 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
André Rieu The great classical music conductors
age 74 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov The great classical music conductors
1844-1908 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Mstislav Rostropovich The great classical music conductors
1927-2007 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nino Rota The great classical music conductors
1911-1979 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Gennady Rozhdestvensky The great classical music conductors
1931-2018 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Miklós Rózsa The great classical music conductors
1907-1995 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Nikolai Rubinstein The great classical music conductors
1835-1881 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Anton Rubinstein The great classical music conductors
1829-1894 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Camille Saint-Saëns The great classical music conductors
1835-1921 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Esa-Pekka Salonen The great classical music conductors
age 65 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Pablo de Sarasate The great classical music conductors
1844-1908 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jordi Savall The great classical music conductors
age 82 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Wolfgang Sawallisch The great classical music conductors
1923-2013 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
András Schiff The great classical music conductors
age 70 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Arnold Schoenberg The great classical music conductors
1874-1951 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Howard Shore The great classical music conductors
age 77 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Jean Sibelius The great classical music conductors
1865-1957 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Giuseppe Sinopoli The great classical music conductors
1946-2001 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Bedřich Smetana The great classical music conductors
1824-1884 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Georg Solti The great classical music conductors
1912-1997 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Isaac Stern The great classical music conductors
1920-2001 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac The great classical music conductors
1856-1914 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Leopold Stokowski The great classical music conductors
1882-1977 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Oscar Straus The great classical music conductors
1870-1954 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Eduard Strauss The great classical music conductors
1835-1916 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Richard Strauss The great classical music conductors
1864-1949 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Johann Strauss II The great classical music conductors
1825-1899 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Igor Stravinsky The great classical music conductors
1882-1971 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Arthur Sullivan The great classical music conductors
1842-1900 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Franz von Suppé The great classical music conductors
1819-1895 (Romantic)
Composer & Conductor
Johan Svendsen The great classical music conductors
1840-1911 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
George Szell The great classical music conductors
1897-1970 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Arturo Toscanini The great classical music conductors
1867-1957 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Joaquín Turina The great classical music conductors
1882-1949 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Edgard Varèse The great classical music conductors
1883-1965 (20th century)
Composer & Conductor
Ralph Vaughan Williams The great classical music conductors
1872-1958 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Maxim Vengerov The great classical music conductors
age 49 (20th century)
Performer & Conductor
Giuseppe Verdi The great classical music conductors
1813-1901 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Heitor Villa-Lobos The great classical music conductors
1887-1959 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pancho Vladigerov The great classical music conductors
1899-1978 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Richard Wagner The great classical music conductors
1813-1883 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
MasterpiecesComplete works
Émile Waldteufel The great classical music conductors
1837-1915 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Bruno Walter The great classical music conductors
1876-1962 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
William Walton The great classical music conductors
1902-1983 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Anton Webern The great classical music conductors
1883-1945 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Kurt Weill The great classical music conductors
1900-1950 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
John Williams The great classical music conductors
age 92 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Eugène Ysaÿe The great classical music conductors
1858-1931 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Krystian Zimerman The great classical music conductors
age 67 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Conductor
Pinchas Zukerman The great classical music conductors
age 75 (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 : 2024-04-23