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Farewell Herbert Blomstedt
The legendary conductor Herbert Blomstedt, former Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, passed away November 4, 2026 at the age of 99.
My memories of Maestro Blomstedt date from my time as broadcast host of the San Francisco Symphony concerts during his tenure. For ten years, I hosted all the regular season radio concerts. Needless to say, I learned a ton. But then, I had a lot to learn! As Maestro Blomstedt put the orchestra through their paces, emphasizing the basic Northern European repertory, I was also being schooled. For example, HB was a big champion of the music of Anton Bruckner. I don't think I had even heard of Bruckner at that point in my nascent career. He also introduced most of us in SF to the symphonies of the Swede Franz Berwald. But it wasn't all music of the past; one of the first festivals the SF Symphony presented under Blomstedt was a tribute to the 80th birthday of composer Elliott Carter. He was also someone I had never heard of, whose music was an acquired taste, to say the least.
How would I describe Herbert Blomstedt? Gentlemanly, serious, kind, authentic, and old school. The fact the he was still conducting into his 99th year is an inspiration to me. His time as Music Director was an important chapter for the SFS, preparing the ensemble for the great heights reached when MTT came on board to succeed him.
Side note: Every time I saw Maestro Blomstedt while he was Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, he would say the same thing to me: " You know, Dianne Nicolini, I have a violinist in the orchestra named Diane Nicholeris. Sounds just like your name!" He said this to me every time we met, without fail. I wonder if he said the same thing in reverse to Diane!
