Who

A classical composer, conductor, and violinist, Maazel is the director of the New York Philharmonic.

Backstory

Like many of his peers, Maazel's musical abilities emerged before he'd even gone off to kindergarten. Born just outside Paris, Maazel moved to the States as a little kid. By the age of five, he was taking violin lessons; two years later, he was learning how to wield a baton. Maazel was eight when he conducted his first performance; by the time he'd turned 12, he was touring America with major orchestras. He went on to study conducting with Vladimir Bakaleinikoff in Pittsburgh before spending more than four decades leading several of the world's most prestigious orchestras including the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and Vienna State Opera. In 2001, after Kurt Masur stepped down as director of the New York Philharmonic, Maazel took over. He will remain in charge until 2009.

Of note

Maazel's appointment to the Philharmonic position wasn't without drama. Some in the press painted him as arrogant and inflexible, and thought it was a mistake to hire a conductor who was pushing 70; Times classical music critic Anthony Tommasini echoed the thoughts of many classical music fans when he suggested the Philharmonic would be better off choosing a younger, more daring conductor, saying that Maazel was "a traditionalist with an imperious manner that seeps into his music making."

Since taking the helm, though, Maazel has received generally positive reviews from the critics, even from those who initially opposed his appointment. But those who remain unconvinced won't have to put up with him for much longer: Maazel will be leaving the stage in 2009. In 2006, he surprised many by "picking" a replacement, Daniel Barenboim. But it seems the board didn't go for the idea. (Or, perhaps more likely, the Philharmonic's president, Zarin Mehta, couldn't get Barenboim to take the job.) In July 2007, Philharmonic chair Paul Guenther announced that Alan Gilbert, a New York native who heads up Sweden's Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, would assume Maazel's job beginning in 2009. Despite his lame duck status, Maazel isn't going quietly into the night—in February 2008 he carried out the most significant act of "symphonic diplomacy" in a generation, taking the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang for the first-ever performance by an American cultural organization in North Korea.

Pet cause

Maazel is passionate about humanitarian and environmental causes, and has participated in numerous events to raise money for UNESCO, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Red Cross.

Personal

Maazel is married to the former German actress Dietlinde Turban; they have three children and live on the Upper West Side. The Maazels also own a 75-acre Virginia farm that includes a 150-seat theatre. Current residents of the farm include a camel named Isis, a zebra named Zoey, a pony, and llamas.

No joke

At the age of 21, Maazel was so determined to earn a Fulbright scholarship that he memorized ten pages of an Italian conversation book to convince the examiners he spoke the language. The bluff worked—he won the scholarship.