Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons was born on January 14, 1943, in Riga, Latvia, and passed away on December 1, 2019. He was a Latvian conductor, most famous for his performances of music by composers such as Mahler, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich. During his life, he was often considered one of the world’s top conductors. In a 2015 survey by Bachtrack, music critics ranked him as the third best living conductor globally. Jansons worked with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2019 and served as music director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 2004 to 2015.

Jansons moved to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1956, where he studied conducting. He later received additional training in Austria. He first gained recognition with the Oslo Philharmonic, where he was music director from 1979 to 2000. In addition to the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he directed the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 2004. He frequently conducted with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra. Jansons made many recordings and received several awards throughout his career.

Early life

Jansons was born in Riga, Latvia, which was under German control during World War II. His mother, Iraida Jansons, was a famous singer at the Riga Opera, and his father, Arvīds Jansons, was the conductor of the opera orchestra. Iraida, who was Jewish, had to hide during the war. She was helped to leave the Riga Ghetto secretly, where her father and brother were killed by the Nazis. She gave birth to her son in hiding. As a child, Jansons learned to play the violin with his father.

In 1956, Arvīds was given the job of assistant conductor to Yevgeny Mravinsky at the Leningrad Philharmonic. Jansons moved to Leningrad to join his father and began studying conducting. He then enrolled at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1968, Herbert von Karajan, a famous conductor, visited the Soviet Union. He noticed Jansons and another young conductor, Dmitri Kitayenko, and offered Jansons a chance to study with him in Berlin. However, the Soviet government prevented the offer. In 1969, Jansons continued his training with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and later with Karajan in Salzburg. In 1971, Jansons won second place at the "Herbert von Karajan" International Conducting Competition. Karajan invited Jansons to work as his assistant with the Berlin Philharmonic, but the Soviet government blocked Jansons from learning about the offer.

Career

In 1973, Jansons was named Associate Conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1979, he became Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic, where he performed, recorded, and traveled widely. Jansons left his position in Oslo in 2000 after disagreements with the city about the sound quality of the Oslo Concert Hall.

In 1992, Jansons was named Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He also worked as a guest conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra and recorded Mahler's Symphony No. 6 with them for the LSO Live label.

In 1997, Jansons became the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. His first contract lasted three years, but later contracts required yearly renewal. In June 2002, he announced his resignation, which took effect in 2004.

In April 1996, Jansons had a serious heart attack during a performance of La bohème in Oslo. He recovered in Switzerland. Later, doctors in Pittsburgh placed a device in his chest to help his heart if it stopped. (His father had died during a concert in 1984 while conducting the Hallé Orchestra.) Jansons said he suffered from jet lag, which was one reason he left his American position.

At the start of the 2003–2004 season, Jansons began his role as Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) for three years. His commitment with the BRSO was for ten weeks each season. In September 2006, his contract was extended to August 2009. In July 2007, it was extended to August 2012. In April 2011, it was extended to August 2015. In June 2013, it was extended to August 2018. In May 2015, the BRSO announced another extension through 2021. In July 2018, the orchestra extended his contract through 2024. He often worked to support the building of a new concert hall for the orchestra. On 8 November 2019, he conducted his final orchestral concert at Carnegie Hall with the BRSO and Diana Damrau.

In October 2002, Jansons was named the sixth Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) of Amsterdam, starting in September 2004, after Riccardo Chailly. His initial contract with the RCO lasted three years, and he committed to twelve weeks each season. In April 2014, the orchestra announced Jansons would step down as chief conductor after the 2014–2015 season. He conducted his final concert as chief conductor of the RCO on 20 March 2015 in the presence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. After retiring, he held the title of conductor emeritus until his death.

In 2006, Jansons led the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert for the first time. Also in January 2006, he received MIDEM's Artist of the Year Award in Cannes. In October 2007, Jansons (who was Lutheran) conducted Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for Pope Benedict XVI and 7,000 other listeners in the papal audience hall (Auditorio Paul VI). He led the Vienna New Year's Concert for the second time in 2012 and for the third and final time in 2016.

Personal life

Jansons was married two times. His first wife was Ira. They had a daughter named Ilona, who became a pianist. Their marriage ended while he was working in Oslo. Jansons and his second wife, Irina (born Outchitel), who used to be a speech therapist, lived in Saint Petersburg. There, Jansons kept his collection of musical scores. He held citizenship from both Latvia and Russia.

Jansons died between November 30 and December 1, 2019, at his home in the Tolstoy House in Saint Petersburg. He passed away because of a heart problem that had been around for a long time. He was 76 years old.

Awards and recognition

Jansons received many international honors for his achievements. These included being named Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald of Norway, as well as membership in the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Music Friends) in Vienna. He was awarded the St. Hallvard Medal in 1986. In May 2006, he received the Order of the Three Stars (2nd class or Grand Commander), which is Latvia's highest state honor. In 2007, he was given the Bavarian Order of Merit, and in 2010, the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art. In 2008, Jansons was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art.

Jansons' recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13, performed with Sergey Aleksashkin (bass), the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Chorus, won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance at the 2006 Grammy Awards.

In January 2006, he was awarded the Midem, a Cannes Classical Award as Artist of the Year. In 2007, he was honored by the German Phono Academy with the Echo Klassik as Conductor of the Year. In 2011, he received the same title from the German journal Opernwelt.

Jansons won the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2013. On March 31, 2013, he was awarded a medal of honor "For the Merits before St. Petersburg." On October 4, 2013, he received the Grand Merit Cross with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On November 1, 2013, Jansons was awarded Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion and received it from Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science Jet Bussemaker.

In November 2017, the Royal Philharmonic Society gave Jansons the RPS Gold Medal. Mitsuko Uchida presented the medal during a concert with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Hall on November 24, 2017. Jansons was the 104th recipient of the RPS Gold Medal.

In 2018, Jansons was awarded Honorary Membership of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and in June 2018, of the Vienna Philharmonic.

On April 14, 2019, Jansons received the Herbert von Karajan Prize at the Salzburg Easter Festival. In 2019, he was honored with the Opus Klassik award in the category "Lifetime Achievement."

In 2020, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra posthumously awarded Jansons its Karl Amadeus Hartmann Medal.

Selected recordings

Mariss Jansons is listed on more than 190 orchestral recordings.

• Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies and Reflections, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900119)
• Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900121)
• Benjamin Britten: War Requiem, performed by Emily Magee, Mark Padmore, Christian Gerhaher, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900120)
• Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 7, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 403571900100)
• Antonín Dvořák: Stabat Mater, performed by Erin Wall, Mihoko Fujimura, Christian Elsner, Liang Li, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900142)
• Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900150)
• Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 7, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 403571900101)
• Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 9, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900151)
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900191)
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900184)
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900185)
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (EMI)
• Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie / Tod und Verklärung, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900148)
• Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs / Vier letzte Lieder, Rosenkavalier-Suite, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks / Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, performed by Anja Harteros and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900707)
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR-KLASSIK 900129)
• Mariss Jansons – His Last Concert: Live at Carnegie Hall (Richard Strauss, Brahms; BR-Klassik 900192)