Best Classical Music Conductor

Still living and working is Yuri Temirkanov. My other favorite is Charles Dutoit. For historic my favorites are Karajan and Bernstein. I am ususally comfortable buying a recording of theirs I have no knowledge of sight unseen (or it that hearing unheard ??)

Temirkanov is very musically and emotionally gifted. He is the only living conductor who conducts with complete artistic freedom (much like Bernstein did, but a different style.) Dutoit is very consistantly good recording to recording. (So was Karajan.)

My favorite conductor you probably have never heard of is Benjanmin (Ben) Zander.

I dig Simon Rattle. More because he is adventurous with the material that he chooses to record than because of his conducting. I also have been very impressed with Esa Pekka Salonen.