Maestro Blomstedt's Health Forces Concert Cancellations

Herbert Blomstedt, the esteemed 99-year-old Swedish conductor and former music director of the San Francisco Symphony, has withdrawn from a series of concerts scheduled for September in Leipzig, Germany. The Gewandhaus Orchestra cited health reasons for his absence from the September 17-18 and 20 performances. This cancellation marks a continuation of health-related withdrawals, as Blomstedt also pulled out of July performances with Tokyo's NHK Symphony Orchestra. His recent public appearances have been overshadowed by health concerns. During his last performance in May at Davies Symphony Hall, Blomstedt conducted from a wheelchair and appeared to struggle, later being admitted to the hospital and advised by doctors to withdraw from subsequent concerts. He is, however, still slated to return to San Francisco in January 2026.