  is a japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late romantic works. he is most known for his work as music director of the boston symphony orchestra and principal conductor of the vienna state opera. ==biography== ===early years=== ozawa was born on september 1, 1935 to japanese parents in the city of mukden, manchukuo (now shenyang, china). when his family returned to japan in 1944, he began studying piano with noboru toyomasu, heavily studying the works of johann sebastian bach. after graduating from the seijo junior high school in 1950, ozawa sprained his finger in a rugby game. unable to continue studying the piano, his teacher at the toho gakuen school of music (hideo saito), brought ozawa to a life-changing performance of beethoven's symphony no. 5, which ultimately shifted his musical focus from piano performance to conducting.james, jamie âseiji ozawaâ. time magazine , 5 november 2006. ===international success=== almost a decade after the sports injury, ozawa won the first prize at the international competition of orchestra conductors in besanÃ§on, france.green, aaron "conductor seiji ozawa", 2007. his success in france led to an invitation by charles mÃ¼nch, then the music director of the boston symphony orchestra, to attend the berkshire music center (now the tanglewood music center) where he studied with munch and pierre monteux.page t. keeping time at tanglewood. opera news, 2004. in 1960, shortly after his arrival, ozawa won the koussevitzky prize for outstanding student conductor, tanglewood's highest honor. receiving a scholarship to study conducting with famous austrian conductor herbert von karajan, ozawa moved to west berlin. under the tutelage of von karajan, ozawa caught the attention of prominent conductor leonard bernstein. bernstein then appointed him as assistant conductor of the new york philharmonic where he remained for the next four years. while with the new york philharmonic, he made his first professional concert appearance with the san francisco symphony in 1962."seiji ozawa: conductor" in december 1962 ozawa was involved in a controversy
1935_births 20th-century_conductors_(music) Chevaliers_of_the_LA(c)gion_d\'honneur Culture_of_Boston,_Massachusetts Emmy_Award_winners Grammy_Award-winning_artists Japanese_conductors_(music) Japanese_expatriates_in_Austria Japanese_expatriates_in_the_United_States Japanese_people_from_Manchukuo Living_people Members_of_the_AcadA(c)mie_des_beaux-arts Music_directors_(opera) Music_directors_of_the_Vienna_State_Opera Prize-winners_of_the_International_BesanASSon_Competition_for_Young_Conductors Recipients_of_the_Austrian_Cross_of_Honour_for_Science_and_Art,_1st_class Recipients_of_the_Grand_Decoration_for_Services_to_the_Republic_of_Austria Recipients_of_the_Order_of_Culture Recipients_of_the_Order_of_Friendship Recipients_of_the_Praemium_Imperiale Toho_Gakuen_School_of_Music_alumni