Jesús López-Cobos
Conductor
Born in Toro, Spain, Jesús López-Cobos graduated in philosophy at Madrid University. He had received no formal musical training when he began conducting the university choir, but his talent was obvious and in 1966 he began studying conducting in Italy with Franco Ferrara and later in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky. In 1968 he won first prize in the Besancon Competition and shortly after made his professional conducting debuts in opera at La Fenice, Venice, and in concert in Prague.
Jesús López-Cobos was Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 2000, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra from 1990 until 2000, General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1981 until 1990 and Music Director of the Spanish National Orchestra from 1984 until 1988. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic from 1981 to 1986.
He has worked with many of the world's major orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Hamburg NDR, Munich Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle, Israel Philharmonic, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic and with all of the London Orchestras.
Jesús López-Cobos has conducted new opera productions at La Scala, the Met, Covent Garden and Vienna Opera. In 1987 with the Deutsche Oper he conducted the complete Ring cycle in Japan - the first time this had been performed in that country. In 1989 they performed the Ring in Washington DC.
His numerous recordings include discs for Philips, Decca, EMI, Telarc, Virgin and Denon.