Sergiu Celibidache

Conductor Sergiu Celibidache was famous for his extensive rehearsals and his dislike of recordings; he believed that the essence of music could be transmitted only in live performance. He had a long career, lasting five decades, and was also a notable educator. Celibidache's musical approach was shaped in part by his studies of Zen Buddhism. He successfully avoided making commercial recordings for most of his life, but many of his live and radio performances were recorded and continue to be issued and reissued. Dozens of his performances were recorded and released, mostly after his death in Nemours, France, on August 13, 1996. Celibidache was active as an educator, often giving courses that were open to all without cost; he taught at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, among other schools.