Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Over the past decades, he has held positions as music directors at 13 orchestras worldwide. In 2014, he was awarded a Grammy Award for an album with works by Paul Hindemith and received the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2015 for his contributions to music.
In 2025, his biography Christoph Eschenbach: Lebensatem Musik, written by cultural journalist Margarete Zander was published in German.
Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocà Âaw, Poland)àas Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a singer and teacher of piano, and Heribert Ringmann, a conductor and musicologist in Breslau and Posen.àHe was orphaned during World WaràII: his mother died giving birth to him, and his father continued to conduct until late 1943, after leading a performance of BrahmsâÂÂs Requiem in Breslau. He became an antiâÂÂNazi activist, was conscripted into a punishment battalion and killed on the Eastern Front.
His grandmother then cared for him, but she died in the winter of 1945âÂÂ46 at a refugee camp in Mecklenburg. As a result of this trauma, Eschenbach did not speak for a year, until his adoptive mother asked if he wanted to play music. In 1946, his mother's cousin, Wallydore Eschenbach (née Jaross), adopted him and began teaching him piano from 1948 through 1959. He lived with Wallydore and her husband, Wolfram Eschenbach, first in Wismar and later in Neustadt in Holstein. At age 11, he attended a concert conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, which made a profound impression on him. In 1955, Eschenbach enrolled at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, studying piano with HansâÂÂOtto SchmidtâÂÂNeuhaus and conducting with Wilhelm BrücknerâÂÂRüggeberg. He also completed his Abitur at the EinhardâÂÂGymnasium in Aachen in 1959, then continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg with Eliza Hansen (piano) and again with Wilhelm BrücknerâÂÂRüggeberg (conducting).
In 1964, Eschenbach made his first recording (of Mozart) for Deutsche Grammophon and signed a contract with the label after winning the ARDâ¯Pianoâ¯Competition in 1962. A year later, he won the Claraâ¯Haskilâ¯Competition in Vevey, Switzerland. During this period, he continued his conducting studies with George Szell, working alongside him for more than three years, and also counted Herbert von Karajan among his mentors, making his pianist debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1972. As a pianist, he is particularly known for his Schubert and Mozart recordings, often in duo performances with Justus Frantz, and has also teamed with Dietrich FischerâÂÂDieskau, Sviatoslav Richter, Langâ¯Lang, Renéeâ¯Fleming, Leonidasâ¯Kavakos, Peterâ¯Schreier, former German chancellor Helmutâ¯Schmidt, Matthiasâ¯Goerne and Tzimonâ¯Barto to perform recitals internationally.
Eschenbach made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1973. In 1978, he took over the artistic direction of the Staatsphilharmonieâ¯RheinlandâÂÂPfalz, and in 1981, he became principal guest conductor of the TonhalleâÂÂOrchester Zürich, subsequently serving as its chief conductor from 1982 to 1986. In 1982, he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic. From 1988 to 1999, he was music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, where he remains conductor laureate. During his tenure, the orchestra toured Japan and Europe and made several recordings for Kochâ¯Internationalâ¯Classics and RCA. In his honor, the City of Houston placed a bronze commemorative star bearing his name in front of Jonesâ¯Hall. During this period, he also served as coâÂÂartistic director of the Pacific Music Festival in Japan from 1992 to 1998 and as music director of the Raviniaâ¯Festival from 1994 to 2003. Eschenbach made his debut with the Viennaâ¯Philharmonic in 2002.
He then led the NDRâ¯Symphonyâ¯Orchestraâ¯Hamburg as chief conductor from 1998 to 2004. In 1998, he also made his debut as conductor with the Berlinâ¯Philharmonic, an orchestra he subsequently led on numerous occasions. Simultaneously, he was artistic director of the SchleswigâÂÂHolstein Musik Festival from 1999 until 2003 and became principal conductor of the SchleswigâÂÂHolstein Festival Orchestra in 2003.
In 2003, Eschenbach became the seventh Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. His appointment came under discussion due to his limited engagements with the orchestra and initial concerns about rapport with musicians which the Philadelphia Orchestra Association characterized as inaccurate. Later, his preference for flexible tempi also received mixed responses. During Eschenbach's tenure, the orchestra secured a recording contract, appointed nine musicians (including four principals), and increased fundraising. After his initial threeâÂÂyear contract was extended to 2008, Eschenbach and the orchestra announced in October 2006 that his tenure would conclude at the end of the 2007âÂÂ2008 season. Following his directorship, Eschenbach returned as guest conductor for the 2008âÂÂ2009 and 2009âÂÂ2010 seasons.
Between 2000 and 2010, Eschenbach also held the position of Music Director of the Orchestreâ¯deâ¯Paris, after which he became music director at the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington until 2017.
In Septemberà2008, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) appointed Eschenbach as its sixth Music Director, effective with the 2010âÂÂ2011 season; he also became the inaugural Music Director of the KennedyàCenter. In Septemberà2011, the NSO and the Kennedy Center announced an extension of his contract through the 2014âÂÂ2015 season. In Marchà2014, they further extended his tenure through the 2016âÂÂ2017 season. A key initiative during his tenure was theâ¯"Maximum India" festival, which featured Western symphonic works inspired by Indian culture, including the premiere of a concerto by Zakirâ¯Hussain and performances of OlivieràMessiaen's TurangalîlaâÂÂSymphonie and AlexanderàZemlinskyâÂÂs Lyricâ¯Symphony.
In Februaryà2015, the NSO announced that Eschenbach would conclude his tenure at the end of the 2016âÂÂ2017 season, after which he assumed the title of Conductor Laureate of the NSO.
In 2016, the Bambergâ¯Symphonyâ¯Orchestra named him Honorary Conductor, an association that goes back to 1965, when he first appeared with this orchestra as a pianist. In Novemberà2017, the Konzerthausorchesterâ¯Berlin announced the appointment of Eschenbach as its next Chief Conductor, effective with the 2019âÂÂ2020 season, with an initial contract of threeàyears. From 2019 to 2022, he was honorary conductor of the Gothenburgâ¯Symphonyâ¯Orchestra. In Julyà2021, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin announced the extension of Eschenbach's contract through the 2022âÂÂ2023 season. He stood down from the Konzerthausorchester Berlin post at the close of the 2022âÂÂ2023 season.
In Januaryà2022, the Copenhagenâ¯Philharmonic announced the appointment of Eschenbach as itsàæresâÂÂgæstedirigentà(Honorary Guest Conductor), for a period of two seasons, following his debut.
In 2024, the NFMàWroclawâ¯Philharmonic appointed him as Music Director, marking it a symbolic return to the city of his birth. He returns regularly to the Philadelphia Orchestra with the last time being in 2024.
Eschenbach has made more than eighty recordings as pianist, conductor, or both; appeared in several television documentaries; and participated in numerous concert broadcasts for European, Japanese, and U.S. networks. He is widely credited with nurturing young talent, including soprano Renée Fleming; pianists LangàLang and Tzimon Barto; violinists RayàChen and JuliaàFischer, cellists ClaudioàBohórquez and DanielàMüllerâÂÂSchott; and soprano Marisolâ¯Montalvo.