Conductor and composer Lorin Maazel has died from complications of pneumonia at his home in Castleton, Virginia, aged 84.

Lorin Maazel occupied top positions at the Vienna State Opera and the New York Philharmonic, which he accompanied on a 2008 tour of isolated North Korea.

Lorin Maazel occupied top positions at the Vienna State Opera and the New York Philharmonic

In 2009, Lorin Maazel and his wife founded the Castleton Festival, which aims to showcase classical musicians at the start of their careers.

Lorin Maazel was admired for the precision and rigour of his conducting.

According to a 2011 profile in The Guardian newspaper, Lorin Maazel had a powerful memory and became known for performing without a score.

Lorin Varencove Maazel was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, in 1930. As well as conducting, he also composed music, producing an opera based on George Orwell’s novel, 1984.

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