Charles Dutoit: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|10|07|df=y}}

Dutoit was born in [[Lausanne]], Switzerland. He studied there, and graduated from the [[Conservatoire de musique de Genève]], where he won first prize in conducting. Then he went to the [[Accademia Chigiana]] in [[Siena]] at the invitation of [[Alceo Galliera]]. In his younger days, he frequently attended [[Ernest Ansermet]]'s rehearsals and had a personal acquaintance with him. He also worked with [[Herbert von Karajan]] at [[Lucerne]] as a member of the festival youth orchestra and studied at [[Tanglewood]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Dutoit began his professional music career in 1957 as a [[viola]] player with various orchestras across Europe and South America. In January 1959, he made his debut as a professional conductor with an orchestra of Radio Lausanne and [[Martha Argerich]]. From 1959 he was a guest conductor of the [[Orchestre de la Suisse Romande]] and the [[Lausanne Chamber Orchestra]]. After this, he was the conductor for Radio Zurich until 1967, when he took over the [[Berner Symphonie-Orchester|Bern Symphony Orchestra]] from [[Paul Kletzki]], where he stayed for 11 years.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

While head of the Bern Symphony, he also conducted the [[National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)|National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico]] from 1973 to 1975, and Sweden's [[Gothenburg Symphony]] from 1975 to 1978. Dutoit was principal guest conductor of the [[Minnesota Orchestra]] in the early 1980s.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

In 1977, Dutoit became the artistic director of the [[Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal]] (OSM). In the words of Glasgow-based music critic Kate Molleson: "A 20-year recording contract with [[Decca Records|Decca]] made the MSO the most recorded orchestra in the world, and the best of these recordings — Ravel's ''La Valse'' and ''Daphnis et Chloe'', Debussy's ''La Mer'', Stravinsky's French-period ballets — remain unsurpassed."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Molleson |first1=Kate |title= Revisiting: Montreal Symphony Orchestra & the Dutoit years|url=http://katemolleson.com/revisiting-montreal-symphony-orchestra-the-dutoit-years/|website=Kate Molleson|date=6 December 2017 |access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> Reaction to Dutoit joining the Montreal Symphony was positive. Peter G. Davis stated that Dutoit transformed the Montreal Symphony.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_s8EBAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_s8EBAAAAMBAJ/page/n52 53]|quote=Montreal Symphony the best french orchestra in the world.|title=New York Magazine|date=6 June 1983|publisher=New York Media, LLC|language=en}}</ref> New York Magazine wrote similarly about Dutoit, adding that he was noted for the championing of new Canadian music.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pentatonemusic.com/artists/charles-dutoit-conductor|title=Charles Dutoit|website=pentatonemusic|access-date=10 April 2018}}</ref> Throughout these years, he called without success for a new symphony concert hall for Montréal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/arts_et_spectacles/2011/09/07/001-osm-inauguration-nouvelle-salle.shtml|title=Premier concert de l'OSM dans sa nouvelle salle - L'inauguration de l'Adresse symphonique|date=7 September 2011 |language=fr|publisher=Radio-Canada|access-date=25 December 2017}}</ref> Dutoit resigned from the Montreal Symphony in April 2002, with immediate effect, after the Quebec Musicians Guild complained about what it called Dutoit's "offensive behaviour and complete lack of respect for the musicians".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/12/25/dutoit-denies-sexual-allegations-as-montreal-symphony-opens-probe/ |title=Dutoit denies sexual allegations as Montreal Symphony opens probe | access-date=2 January 2018| date=25 December 2017 | first=Terry |last=Haig | publisher=Radio Canada International}}</ref><ref name="Krauss">{{cite news|last1=Krauss|first1=Clifford|title=Dissonance In Montreal; Dealing With the Aftermath Of a Rare Orchestral Uprising|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/arts/dissonance-in-montreal-dealing-with-the-aftermath-of-a-rare-orchestral-uprising.html|access-date=12 March 2017|work=The New York Times|date=18 April 2002}}</ref><ref name="Chan">{{cite web|last1=Chan|first1=Wah Keung|title=The Dutoit Affair: Cause and Solution|url=http://www.scena.org/columns/reviews/020416-WKC-dutoit.html|website=La Scena Musicale|access-date=23 June 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, the OSM acknowledged ignoring complaints from musicians of verbal and 'psychological harassment' by Dutoit dating back to the 1990s.<ref name="Le Devoir">{{cite web|last1=Bourgault-Cote| first1=Guillaume |title=Charles Dutoit, un homme et "son" orchestre|url=https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/musique/518636/dutoit-quand-l-osm-niait-le-harcelement-psychologique|website=Le Devoir|date=27 January 2018 |access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> He did not return to the OSM as a guest conductor until 2016, in a concert at the new ''[[Montreal Symphony House|Maison Symphonique de Montréal]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/charles-dutoits-osm-comeback-a-joyous-affair | title=Charles Dutoit's OSM comeback a joyous affair | work=Montreal Gazette | author=Arthur Kaptainis | date=19 February 2016 | access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref>

Dutoit has received more than 40 international awards and distinctions, including two [[Grammy Awards]] (United States), several [[Juno Award]]s (Canada), the Grand Prix du Président de la République (France), the Prix mondial du disque de Montreux (Switzerland), the Amsterdam Edison Award, the Japan Record Academy Award, and the German Music Critics' Award. He and the OSM made many recordings for the Decca/London label.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Dutoit first conducted the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]] in 1980. From 1990 to 1999, he was music director of the orchestra's summer concerts at the [[Mann Center for the Performing Arts]]. From 1990 to 2010, he was artistic director and principal conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra's summer festival in [[Saratoga Springs, New York]]. In 1991, he was made an Honorary Citizen of the city of [[Philadelphia]]. In February 2007, Dutoit was named the orchestra's chief conductor and artistic adviser, for a contract of four years, effective September 2008.<ref name="PhiladelphiaInquirer1">{{citation |last1=Dobrin|first1=Peter|date=3 March 2007| title=Positivity on the podium|periodical=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|page=D01|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Following the conclusion of his contract in Philadelphia in 2012, the orchestra named him its conductor laureate, as of the 2012–13 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/david_patrick_stearns/20160124_Q_A_with_Yannick_Nzet-Sguin__The_Phila__Orchestra_season__risks__and_tradition.html | title=Q&A with Yannick Nézet-Séguin: The Phila. Orchestra season, risks, and tradition | work=The Philadelphia Inquirer | author=David Patrick Stearns | date=24 January 2016 | access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref>

Since 1990, Dutoit has directed the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. From 1991 to 2001, Dutoit was Music Director of the [[Orchestre National de France]], with whom he made a number of recordings and toured extensively. In 1996, he was appointed principal conductor and in 1998 music director of Tokyo's [[NHK Symphony Orchestra]]. For the NHK television network, he made a series of documentary films for the young people called "Cities of Music" in Venice, St Petersburg, Tokyo, Buenos Aires (plus Rio de Janeiro and Manhaus), New York, Vienna, Budapest, Leipzig, Dresden, Paris and London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.warnerclassics.com/artist/charles-dutoit|title=Charles Dutoit &#124; Warner Classics|website=warnerclassics.com}}</ref> In 1997, he was made an honorary Officer of the [[Order of Canada]]. He is also one of a handful of non-Canadian citizens to be a Grand Officer of the [[Ordre national du Québec]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}

[[Category:1936Year birthsof birth missing (living people)]]