Christoph Eschenbach
Pianist
Prominent musician who was music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He was hooked on music after attending a Wilhelm Furtwängler-conducted concert when he was 11.
He became a steady presence in music media, laying down over 80 recordings, broadcasting concerts for U.S., Japanese, and European TV networks, and lending his expertise to a plethora of documentaries.
His mother, Margarethe, died in childbirth, and his father, Heribert, was an anti-Nazi who was killed for his opposition.
He was a supporter of young talent, including soprano Renee Fleming .