(ANSA-AFP) - ROME, OCTOBER 22 - Bernard Haitink, one of the greatest conductors of his generation, died on 21 October in London at the age of 92. This was announced by his agent, Askonas Holt. The Dutch master, revered for his readings by Beethoven, Mahler and Bruckner, behind a career of over 60 years, died at home, assisted by his family.
Born in Amsterdam on March 4, 1929, after his beginnings as a violinist, Haitink made his debut with the Netherlands RadioPhilharmonic in 1954. In 1956 he took the podium with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of which he would later become principal conductor, in an over twenty-year partnership. In 1967 he became principal conductor of the London PhilharmonicOrchestra, a position he would hold for more than a decade.
He was then musical director of the Royal Opera Housebritannica in Covent Garden from 1987 to 2002.
Haitink has conducted some of the world's greatest orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston SymphonyOrchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the BerlinerPhilharmoniker. He also led the European Union YouthOrchestra from 1994 to 2000. He made over 450 recordings and was a "passionate mentor for the future generations of conductors, generously offering his time to teaching and masterclasses", as his agent recalled. .
Among the many prizes collected during his activity, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France and appointed Commander of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands.
He has been married four times and has had five children since his first marriage.
(ANSA-AFP).