# Oldest classical performer



## Jaws

I am interested in how long anyone can continue to perform as a professional classical musician? I ask this question because people are in better health and are living longer. Are there any over 80 year olds, not including conductors who are still working?


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## Vesteralen

http://super-conductor.blogspot.com/2010/12/obituary-hugues-cuenod-oldest-singer-in.html

Your question led me to an Internet search that brought up the name of a singer who performed in an opera at the age of 85.

Sorry it wasn't an instrumentalist for you, but....


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## mensch

Elliott Carter is still composing at the ripe age of 103 and gives occasional masterclasses if Wikipedia is to be believed. He doesn't perform however, I just realised.

There's also Johannes Heesters who died in late 2011 at the age of 108 and still performed as a singer. He was quite famous in Germany and infamous in The Netherlands because of his dealings with the Nazis and success in war-time Germany.

Alfred Brendel, to name an instrumentalist, is currently 81 and still playing the piano, although he suffers from arthritis.


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## Ukko

Horszowski was a bit past middle-age ...


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## Moira

Yehudi Menuhin was 83 and still playing. Recording what's more.


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## Clementine

Not _quite_ as old, Martha Argerich is 71 and still as active (and amazing) as ever. Pianists probably have it easiest in regard to longevity, whereas woodwinds and vocals tend to peak sooner.


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## Sid James

*Leopold Stokowski *conducted right into his nineties, I think. *Arturo Toscanini *conducted well into his eighties as well. Of course, pianist *Vladimir Horowitz *had his big comeback in his eighties, after decades of personal problems (eg. drinking alcohol with prescription drugs, depression, the death of his daughter possibly from an overdose, etc.). It's inspiring how he did that, but his legacy was already secure from his earlier (esp. pre-1945) recordings. *Mstislav Rostropovich *also had a very long career, he was still performing till his seventies, but in his final years switched the cello for the baton, going into conducting.

I think there are many like this, or at least a fair few.

_mensch_, I think Alfred BRendel retired in recent year(s)? I thought Heesters would be mentioned (Hitler's favourite singer for his favourite operetta, _The Merry Widow_). I have little time for such people, but he deserves a mention here in terms of the topic.


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## Moira

Sid James said:


> *
> mensch, I think Alfred BRendel retired in recent year(s)? I thought Heesters would be mentioned (Hitler's favourite singer for his favourite operetta, The Merry Widow). I have little time for such people, but he deserves a mention here in terms of the topic.*


*

Sid, you say you have little time for such people by which I assume you mean for Nazis, but that he (Heesters) deserves a mention here in terms of the topic. Now there are few people these days who applaud Nazis for their ideology. I in fact wrote this article about the role of theatre in dealing with the aftermath of the holocaust http://artscomments.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/lest-we-forget-the-holocaust/.

Next year I shall perhaps write an article based on artists of the Nazi era. I will question the validity of spurning for all time the artistic output of an artist based on his or her ideological (or simply, I sing/write/draw/play/act to survive and asterisk all the politicians who pay to hear me, but I need to put food on my table anyway) beliefs.*


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## Sid James

^^I will reply by private message, moira, we can keep this discussion going on there if you wish. It's a side issue, I don't want to derail this thread.


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## GoneBaroque

Here is a video of the great Russian Bass Mark Reizen singing at the Bolshoi at age 90.






and the Swedish Tenor Nicolai Gedda at 80 singing with an Orthodox Choir in Finland


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## mensch

Sid James said:


> _mensch_, I think Alfred BRendel retired in recent year(s)? I thought Heesters would be mentioned (Hitler's favourite singer for his favourite operetta, _The Merry Widow_). I have little time for such people, but he deserves a mention here in terms of the topic.


Yes, I think you're right. Most of the material Brendel recorded that's currently released are older recordings or remasters, I believe. So he might be fully retired now.

Heesters certainly wasn't a hero and I think his infamous reputation was justly attributed to him, but he was very old and still active when he passed away so he merits inclusion in this thread.


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## sah

Andrés Segovia



> His health remained exceptional into his 90s, with only an eye operation for a detached retina in 1968 interrupting his playing schedule.


http://www.pellegrinlowend.com/segovia.html


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## mleghorn

Boulez and Haitink are getting up there - and still actively conducting.


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## elgar's ghost

Pianist Peter Katin is now 81 and, to the best of my knowledge, still active.


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## Sid James

elgars ghost said:


> Pianist Peter Katin is now 81 and, to the best of my knowledge, still active.


He's a favourite pianist of mine, got him doing Rachmaninov and Mendelssohn concertos on vinyl; but I thought he was retired. I would call his playing poetic.


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## elgar's ghost

Sid James said:


> He's a favourite pianist of mine, got him doing Rachmaninov and Mendelssohn concertos on vinyl; but I thought he was retired. I would call his playing poetic.


Hi Sid - I've got his Chopin Nocturnes on Olympia and love it. I may have looked at some biographical material which was obviously more dated than I thought!


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## altiste

Here's a couple of youtube videos of Florencia Raitzin-Legrand that would have been made around 2010. I don't know her exact age, but I saw on the web recently a printed programme of a concert she did in 1941.


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## Il_Penseroso

*Backhaus* could play in his 80s and when asked how could be possible, answered he owes it all to his long time scales practices.


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