Bernard Haitink

Bernard Haitink is one of the greatest conductors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries

Haitink studied music at Amsterdam conservatoire after which he played as an orchestral violinist. In 1954 he studied conducting with Ferdinand Leitner and by 1957 had secured the post of Chief conductor with the Netherland Radio Philharmonic. Haitink succeeded Eduard van Beinum as first conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1959. With the Concertgebouw, Haitink made many recordings for the Philips label including complete symphonic cycles of Bruckner and Mahler.
Haitink's tenure at the Concertgebouw lasted until 1988, after which he worked with great success in the world of Opera with directorships at both Covent Garden and Glyndebourne. In the early 2000's Haitink also performed and recorded an award winning Beethoven Symphony cycle with the London Symphony Orchestra.
In 2007 he became principal conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.