Bernard Haitink celebrates his 4-year tenure as principal conductor with the CSO during the Beethoven Fest, June 2-20, 2010. »

With an international conducting career that has spanned more than five decades, Amsterdam-born Bernard Haitink (b. March 4, 1929) is one of today's most celebrated conductors. Mr. Haitink has led many of the world's top orchestras, including 25 years at the helm of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam as its music director (1964-1988) and frequent guest appearances with both the Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras. He is currently honorary conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and an honorary member of the Berlin Philharmonic. In addition to his long time leadership role with the Concertgebouw, Mr. Haitink has previously held posts as music director of the Dresden Staatskapelle (2002-2004), the Royal Opera, Covent Garden (1988-2002), Glyndebourne Festival Opera (1978-1988), and the London Philharmonic (1967-1979).

On the CSO Resound label, Haitink has recorded Mahler’s Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 and 6; Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 (2008 Grammy® Award for Best Orchestral Performance); and Poulenc’s Gloria and Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé,” both with the Chicago Symphony Chorus. He also has recorded widely for the Philips, Decca, and EMI labels, including complete cycles of Mahler, Bruckner, Brahms, and Schumann symphonies with the Concertgebouw and extensive repertoire with the Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His discography also includes many opera recordings with the Royal Opera and Glyndebourne, as well as with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Dresden Staatskapelle. Mr. Haitink's recording of Janácek's Jenufa with the orchestra, soloists, and chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden received a Grammy® Award for best opera recording in 2004. Mr. Haitink has received many international awards in recognition of his services to music, including an honorary KBE and Companion of Honour in the United Kingdom, and the House Order of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands.