A conversation with Ben Zander

A great conversation on leadership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Zander

In 1979, he became the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he still holds. Their extensive repertoire includes an emphasis on late Romantic and early 20th-century composers, especially the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, of whose work he has become a notable interpreter. With the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander has released five critically acclaimed recordings of works by Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mahler, Shostakovich and Ravel. Among the many accolades and high praise, Classic CD magazine awarded the Boston Philharmonic’s recording of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring the highest rank of all available recordings of the work, and of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, (produced by Dominic Reeves), American Record Guide wrote: “This joins the Rattle and the two Bernstein recordings as the finest on record…All the glory to Zander and his semi-professional orchestra, for the sixth is probably Mahler’s most difficult and complex symphony…All things considered, when I reach for a recording of the sixth to play for my own pleasure, it will most likely be this one.” To celebrate the orchestra's 25th Anniversary in 2003-4, the BPO completed a nearly all-Mahler season, including a concert of Mahler's Second Symphony in Carnegie Hall.

Zander is currently (as of 2006^[update]) recording a series of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London for the Telarc label. Each of his recordings includes a full-length discussion disc in which he explains the music. High Fidelity magazine named his recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 as the best classical crossover recording of 2002. His recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 was awarded the 2004 Critic's Choice by the German Record Critic's Award Association, and his recording of Mahler's 9th Symphony was nominated for a Grammy Award.

On 19 July 2006 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University. On 17 May 2009 he received another from New England Conservatory as he conducted the Boston Philharmonic and New England Conservatory/Tufts University choirs at Symphony Hall in Boston.