“One month after a spine fracture forced Seiji Ozawa to cancel his August concerts, the conductor was seen back on his feet on Tuesday, taking part in an 80th birthday concert in his honor at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Nagano, Japan,” reports Brian Wise on Tuesday (9/2) at New York classical radio station WQXR. “Video footage provided by Japanese broadcaster NHK shows Ozawa conducting the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy alongside piano soloist Martha Argerich…. The conductor was honored by a host of notable guests including singer-songwriter James Taylor … U.S. ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Boston Red Sox pitcher Koji Uehara…. Ozawa donned a Boston Red Sox jacket as the orchestra, 2,000 spectators and other guests sang ‘Happy Birthday.’ … The tearful conductor thanked everyone after blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Ozawa was forced to cancel several performances after he fell on August 1 in a Tokyo hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for the flu. The former Boston Symphony music director is due to receive a 2015 Kennedy Center Honor.… It was initially reported last month that Ozawa suffered a hip fracture. Rather, the fracture was to his spine.”
Posted September 4, 2015
