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.

Sugarbrie: A good nomination. Zander's reading of the Mahler 9th on Telarc is superb. Which orchestra is he affiliated with at this time? I'm still thinking of my nominations, but here's a thought to add--live or recorded? For example, while I think Dutoit's recordings have excellent sound, I've felt that he was too restrained in some of his interpretations. Same with Slatkin. But having heard both of them conduct the NY Philharmonic live, I would not have that reservation about them (others, maybe, but not that one). My favorite all-time conductor, live, is probably Bernstein, because his love for the music and the music-makers came through so clearly. Recorded, I'll have to think about that.