The Japanese musician, Seiji Ozawa (born 1935), was one of the very few non-Westerners able to achieve international renown as a conductor of Western music. His natural musicality, energy, and warmth endeared him to orchestras and public alike.

Seiji Ozawa was born on September 1, 1935, in Fenytien (now Shenjang), in the Manchurian province of Liaoning, China, during the Japanese occupation of that region. When war broke out, his Buddhist father and Presbyterian mother moved the family to Tokyo.

His mother's decision to raise her children as Christians brought Ozawa into early contact with Western church music. This contact was reinforced by his older brother, who became a church organist. From the start Ozawa gravitated toward Western music and only developed an interest in the traditional music of his homeland through association with cross-over composers such as Takemitsu, after his career was well established.

Early Training

Ozawa began piano study at...