NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (UPI) — Kurt Masur, the former music director for the New York Philharmonic, has died. He was 88.
From his 1981 debut until his final appearance in 2012, the famed conductor led the Philharmonic in 909 performances.
“Kurt Masur’s years at the New York Philharmonic represent one of its golden eras, in which music-making was infused with commitment and devotion — with the belief in the power of music to bring humanity closer together,” New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert said in a statement, accompanying the announcement of the German maestro’s death Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“The ethical and moral dimensions that he brought to his conducting are still palpable in the musicians’ playing, and I, along with the Philharmonic’s audiences, have much to thank him for. I will always be grateful for the support he gave me starting long ago when I was a student. I will miss him deeply.”
Saturday’s performance of Handel’s Messiah was dedicated to Masur.
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