On Sept. 6, 2025, Christoph von Dohnányi died at the age of 95.

Recognized as one of the great conductors of his generation, he died two days before his 96th birthday.

Born on Sept. 8, 1929, in Berlin, Germany, he was the grandchild of pianist and composer Ernst von Dohnányi. Throughout his childhood, his father, uncle and other family members participated in the German Resistance movement against Nazism, and were arrested and detained in several Nazi concentration camps before being executed in 1945, when Dohnányi was 15 years old.

After World War II, he studied law in Munich, but eventually transferred to Hochschule für Musik und Theater München to study composition, piano and conducting. At the Munich Opera, he was cast as a stage extra, coached singers, and was a house pianist.

He went on to receive the Richard Strauss Prize, and then went to Florida State University to study with his grandfather.

Dohnányi’s first position was as assistant at the Oper Frankfurt, appointed by Georg Solti. From 1957 to 1963, he was the general musical director of the Lübeck Opera and in 1965, he conducted the premiere of Henze’s “Der junge Lord.”

Other positions he went on to hold included chief conductor of the Staatsorchester Kassel, the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, and Music Director at the Oper Frankfurt. He was also the intendant and chief conductor with the Hamburg State Opera in 1977, and stepped down from those posts in 1984.

While at the Oper Frankfurt, he balanced traditional opera performance and innovative Musiktheater, promoting the idea of Regietheater and helped Oper Frankfurt establish himself as a leading house at that time.

His biggest legacy however was with the Cleveland Orchestra. In December 1981, he was named “Music Director Designate” and began as music director in 1984. He would remain with the orchestra until 2002.

In a statement, André Gremillet, President & CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra said, “Christoph von Dohnányi was a superb conductor and Music Director, respected the world over. His storied family history gave him a unique musical perspective, and The Cleveland Orchestra was fortunate to have him in Cleveland for such a significant part of its history. Maestro Dohnányi’s artistry and dedication led to a deep mutual respect with our musicians, which was felt sincerely by our audiences who had an enormous appreciation for him. We send condolences to his family and friends, and to all he touched with his music in Cleveland and beyond,”

Outside his work with the Cleveland Orchestra, Dohnányi also held positions with the London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also performed at the Tanglewood Music Festival with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also the chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra and was a frequent guest conductor in concert with the Vienna Philharmonic and at the Vienna State Opera.

He also conducted at the world’s great opera houses, including Royal Opera House, Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Paris Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, among others.