Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conductor ERICH KUNZEL has died, aged 74.
The award-winning conductor lost his battle with liver, colon and pancreatic cancer on Tuesday (01Sep09).
After founding the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in 1977, which has garnered 11 million album sales, Kunzel became one of America’s most sought after conductors.
He led the National Symphony during the televised U.S. Memorial Day and Independence Day concerts since 1991 and also conducted the Cincinnati Pops at the opening of the Beijing Olympics last year (08).
As well as classical music, Kunzel worked with legendary popular music acts, and recently conducted a concert with Aretha Franklin in Washington, D.C. on Independence Day this year (04Jul09).
Kunzel also recorded more than 125 albums and was named Billboard Magazine’s Classical Crossover Artist of the Year for four consecutive years.
He was awarded the National Medal of Arts from former U.S. president George W. Bush in 2006, and in 2008, was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
Kunzel is survived by his wife, Brunhilde.