Herbert Blomstedt, who headed San Francisco Symphony, dead at 99

Herbert Blomstedt, a leading conductor who directed the San Francisco Symphony from 1985 to 1995, has died at 99. His career spanned more than seven decades and included prominent orchestras in Scandinavia and Germany, making him an influential figure in classical music.

Blomstedt died at home in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Wednesday, his management agency said. His final performance was with the San Francisco Symphony on 15 May, conducting Mahler’s Ninth Symphony; he later cancelled scheduled appearances. He won Grammy Awards for recordings of Orff’s *Carmina Burana* and Brahms’ *Ein Deutsches Requiem*, and held senior posts with orchestras including those in Dresden, Leipzig and Hamburg.