Vienna Philharmonic Austrian National Tourist Office: The Vienna Philharmonic The Musikverein Vienna State Opera The Spanish Riding School of Vienna The Johann Strauss Society of Great Britain BobJanuary.com: The Strauss Family Boston Symphony Orchestra: Seiji Ozawa Exhibition Vladimir Malakhov BIOGRAPHY Seiji Ozawa Born in 1935 in Shenyang, China, Seiji Ozawa studied music from an early age and graduated with first prizes in composition and conducting from Tokyo's Toho School of Music. In 1959 he won first prize at the International Competition of Orchestra Conductors held in Besançon, France. Charles Munch, then music director of the Boston Symphony, subsequently invited him to attend the Tanglewood Music Center, where he won the Koussevitzky Prize for outstanding student conductor in 1960. While working with Herbert von Karajan in West Berlin, Mr. Ozawa came to the attention of Leonard Bernstein, who appointed him assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic for the 1961-62 season. He made his first professional concert appearance in North America in January 1962, with the San Francisco Symphony. He was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Ravinia Festival for five summers beginning in 1964, music director of the Toronto Symphony from 1965 to 1969, and music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1970 to 1976, followed by a year as that orchestra's music adviser. He conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the first time in 1964, at Tanglewood, and made his first Symphony Hall appearance with the orchestra in January 1968. He became an artistic director of Tanglewood in 1970 and began his tenure as music director of the BSO in 1973, following a year as music adviser. Today, some 80% of the BSO's members have been appointed by Seiji Ozawa. The Boston Symphony itself stands as eloquent testimony not only to his work in Boston, but also to Mr. Ozawa's lifetime achievement in music. Seiji Ozawa will be leaving the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2001-02 season to become the music director of the Vienna State Opera. Top banner photos: The bass players of the Vienna Philharmonic; the glorious interior of the Musikverein; the horn section of the orchestra. Seiji Ozawa, one of the world's preeminent conductors. Of the many balls held in Vienna during January and February, the most famous is the Opernball, which takes place at the State Opera House. The DVD and CD are available from Amazon.com.