Bernard Haitink, A Well-Known Classical Conductor, Has Died At The Age Of 92.

Born in Amsterdam in 1929, Haitink has won numerous awards and is an important figure in British classical music. Even in his final months on the podium, his performance with the London Symphony Orchestra was  described as "fun." Haitink made more than 450 records and saw his work embrace the orchestra without suffocating it.

His management company announced his death late Thursday and said one of the most famous conductors of his generation had passed away peacefully at his home. In the Netherlands, Bernard Haitink built his reputation as a conductor and began his musical career as a violinist after spending most of his childhood under Nazi occupation.

His big breakthrough came with the Dutch Radiophilharmonie, and within six years, he was asked to take over the direction of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. For 27 years, he was the chief conductor, known for his performances by Mahler and Bruckner. The Concertgebouw said on Friday they were mourning the "beloved honorary conductor."

"When he picks up the wand, it's as if his power ignites," his wife Patricia once said. "When he is done, he will collide with himself again." Haitink performs with almost every significant orchestra globally, particularly in Great Britain with the London Philharmonic, Royal Opera, and Glindburn Festival Opera.

The Royal Opera says he is best known for his performance in Wagner 1987-2002. CEO Alex Byrd spoke of a true gentleman whose "silent authority and deep concern and respect for fellow artists inspires and transcends words." Haitink is known in the United States through his time with the Chicago and Boston Symphony Orchestras and in Germany as conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle and Berlin Philharmonic.

On Friday, Staatskapelle's chief conductor, Christian Tillemann, said that he was "one of the most important conductors of our time." The Dutch royal family said that it was "unforgettable musical ambition and prowess" and revealed the souls of composers such as Mahler, Bruckner, Beethoven, and many others.