| Biography | David Zinman is an American conductor and violinist.
In the USA, Zinman was music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra from 1974 to 1985. With the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, he was principal guest conductor for two years before becoming the orchestra's music director in 1985. During his Baltimore tenure, he began to implement ideas from the historically informed performance movement in his interpretations of the Beethoven symphonies. At the end of his tenure as music director in 1998 he was named the orchestra's conductor laureate, but in protest at what he saw as the Baltimore orchestra's overly conservative programming in the years since his departure he gave up that title in 2001.[3] In 1998, Zinman was the Music Director of the Ojai Music Festival alongside pianist Mitsuko Uchida. In 1998, he was appointed music director of the Aspen Music Festival and School,[4] where he founded and directed its American Academy of Conducting until suddenly resigning in April 2010.
Zinman became music director of the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich in 1995. His innovative programming with that orchestra includes a series of late-night concerts, "Tonhalle Late", which combine classical music and a nightclub setting.[6] His recordings for Arte Nova of the complete Beethoven symphonies were based on the new Jonathan Del Mar critical edition and was acclaimed by critics. He has subsequently recorded Beethoven overtures and concertos with the Tonhalle.He conducted the Tonhalle Orchestra in its first-ever appearance at The Proms in 2003.[10] His current contract with the Tonhalle Orchestra is through 2015.
Zinman also conducted for the soundtrack of the 1993 film version of the New York City Ballet production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. His 1992 recording of Henryk Góreckis Symphony no.3 with the London Sinfonietta was an international bestseller.[6] In January 2006, he received the Theodore Thomas Award presented by the Conductors' Guild. |